Seo, M., Kim, Y. H., Tam, K. P., & Rozin, P. (2016). I Am Dumber When I Look Dumb in Front of Many (vs. Few) Others: A Cross-Cultural Difference in How Audience Size Affects Perceived Social Reputation and Self-Judgments. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 47(8), 1019-1032.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022116659020

Abstract
People from all cultures are averse to looking dumb in front of others, especially if there is a large audience. However, there could be a difference between Face and Dignity cultures in the extent to which their members see themselves as dumb when they perform poorly before a large versus small audience. In the present study, Chinese and Americans were asked to imagine themselves performing poorly on tasks either in front of 10 others or one other and make judgments about how poorly (a) they thought and (b) others would think they performed on the tasks. Chinese were found to judge their performance more negatively in the large (vs. small) audience, but Americans were not. Audience size effect on self-judgments was mediated by how the Chinese perceived others to judge their performance in the large (vs. small) audience. Findings are discussed in the context of the logic of Face and Dignity cultures.

연구의의

본 연구는 체면문화에서 다수의 목격여부가 자신의 부족함을 판단함에 있어서 중요한 요인인지를 밝히는 연구임. 체면문화에서는 자신의 부도덕한 행동이 한명에게 목격되었을 경우보다는 다수에게 목격될 때에야 자신을 더욱 부도덕하게 판단하는 경향이 있었음. 반면 존엄문화인 미국에서는 목격하는 사람의 수가 판단에 영향을 미치지 않아 이 현상이 체면문화에만 나타남을 확인함. 단순 국적 비교 뿐 아니라 체면(대 존엄)문화지지 정도에 따라 다수의 목격여부가 도덕성 판단에 미치는 영향이 달라지는지를 심층 분석하여 본 현상의 기저에 체면문화가 있음을 확인함.