Spontaneous Self-Concept Among Chinese Undergraduates in Hong Kong

Abstract

We explored spontaneous self-concept among 227 Chinese undergraduates at a university in Hong Kong. Participants’ responses to the Twenty Statements Test (TST) were compared with those of North American college students from the 1950s to the 2000s. The results showed that only 13.7% of the Chinese students described themselves in terms of social roles, status, or group membership. In contrast, 84.6% perceived themselves in terms of personality traits, behaviors, and emotion. Our findings suggest that Chinese undergraduates in Hong Kong are no less individualistic than their American counterparts. Moreover, the individualism– collectivism cultural dimension may not be useful in distinguishing North American students from those in Hong Kong.