Is self-enhancement related to modesty or to individualism-collectivism? A test with four Israeli groups

The main assertion of this study was that degree of self-enhancement is determined by the modesty requirements prevailing in a culture rather than by its level of collectivism. Four Israeli subgroups (323 11th-grade students) were compared in a two-by-tvvo design: type of living (kibbutz versus city) and level of religious observance (religious versus secular). The two kibbutz groups were found to be more collectivist than the urban groups, and the religious groups were found to be more modest than the secular groups. Results show that self-enhancement was related to level of religious observance and not to type of living. When modesty was statistically controlled for, the effect of level of religious observance was removed. It was also found that self-enhancement measures were predicted by modesty and not by collectivism facets. Thus, the data supported the study's main claim.