A cross-cultural study of trait self-enhancement, explanatory variables, and adjustment q A. Timothy Church a, * , Marcia S. Katigbak a , Alicia M. del Prado a , Jose ´ Luis Valdez-Medina b , Lilia G. Miramontes a , Fernando A. Ortiz a a Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology, Cleveland Hall, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2136, USA b Department of Behavioral Sciences, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Carretera Toluca-Naucalpan Km. 1.5 S/N, Toluca, Mexico CP 50010 Available online 20 March 2006 Abstract We investigated trait self-enhancement, explanatory variables, and adjustment in European American (n = 141), Asian American (n = 72), Mexican (n = 141), and Filipino (n = 174) college stu- dents. Consistent with trait perspectives, students in all cultural groups rated their traits with mod- erate to high accuracy, using peer ratings as a criterion. European Americans did not exhibit self- enhancement relative to peers, but both self and peer ratings were higher (i.e., more positive) for European Americans than for the other three groups. Support was found for some, but not all, cul- tural psychology explanations of self-enhancement. In all cultural groups, self-enhancement was more associated with personal (intrapsychic) adjustment than interpersonal adjustment, as judged by peers. The results provided support for an integration of trait and cultural psychology perspectives. Ó 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Self-enhancement; Culture; Traits; Individualism–collectivism; Self-monitoring; Implicit theories; Adjustment 0092-6566/$ - see front matter Ó 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2006.01.004 q This research was supported by National Institute of Health Grant MH59941. We are grateful to Norman G. del Prado for assistance in data collection in the United States and to Mercy Laurena-Malabanan, Adrian Altura, Carlo Catle, Angelito L. Cuenca, and Gilbert R. Lorzano for assistance in data collection in the Philippines. * Corresponding author. Fax: +1 509 335 6961. E-mail address: church@mail.wsu.edu (A.T. Church). Journal of Research in Personality 40 (2006) 1169–1201 www.elsevier.com/locate/jrp