Consider these two friends. Fujita, 8 years old, is from China and Maurice, 9 years old, is from the United States

Question

Given this information what would you assume about the self-esteem of Fujita and Maurice? How will their self-esteem change as they enter adolescence?
What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A good answer will be similar to the following:
Children from Asian countries tend to have lower self-esteem than children from North America. In addition this difference in self-esteem will increase in adolescence. Asian children tend to internalize the cultural standard, they are reluctant to proclaim extremely positive feelings of self-worth. Asian children's global self-esteem is lower than American children's because it reflects both strengths and weaknesses. American children's self-worth emphasizes strengths. In addition, Asian children tend to see themselves as integral parts of the social group and do not want to do anything that could undermine group harmony. American children, on the other hand, compare themselves to others and feel good about themselves when they come out on top.