The personality structure and cultural conceptualization of humility in Chinese culture

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.1405

Abstract

Abstract: Humility is a quality and virtue valued by both Eastern and Western cultures, playing a positive role for individuals, organizations, and society. Moreover, some researchers suggest that humility serves as the foundation for the development of other moral virtues. In recent years, several studies have examined the conceptualization of humility within the Chinese cultural context, identifying differences from Western perspectives primarily in its value-based and instrumental attributes. Given the conceptual complexity of humility and its cultural influences, this study aimed to explore the personality structure and cultural conceptualization of humility in Chinese culture and to develop a culturally appropriate measure of humility.
Study 1 employed qualitative methods, interviewing 20 participants to obtain first-hand data on the concept of humility. Based on Study 1, Study 2 integrated analysis of humility-related linguistic materials and existing scales to propose a preliminary structural model of humility in Chinese culture and generate an initial item pool. Subsequently, an exploratory factor analysis (N = 394) was conducted to identify the preliminary dimensions and items of the CHS. Study 3 further conducted confirmatory factor analysis (N = 291) and reliability analysis (N₁ = 291, N₂ = 200 and an offline sample of N₃ = 112), followed by validity analysis (N = 271), to finalize the scale. To further explore the characteristics and cultural specificity of humility, Study 4 employed latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify different humility types and compared the humility structure between Chinese (N = 981) and Western (N = 273) samples.
Results from Studies 1-3 established the 19-item CHS, comprising five dimensions: Accurate Self-Perception, Other-Enhancement, Dialectical Thinking, Self-Effacement, and Self-Improvement. The validity analyses in Study 3 further showed that the CHS was moderately positively correlated with existing Western measures of humility. Furthermore, the CHS demonstrated significant correlations with dimensions of HEXACO personality, dialectical self, Zhongyong thinking, narcissism, and self-esteem. In Study 4, LPA revealed five latent profiles of humility within the Chinese context: “Humble”, “Moderately Humble”, “Overly Humble”, “Unhumble”, and “Strategically Humble”. Notably, Western participants scored significantly lower than their Chinese counterparts on Dialectical Thinking and Self-Effacement, and the “Overly Humble” profile was absent in the Western sample.
Overall, across four studies, this research systematically investigated the personality structure and conceptualization of humility in Chinese culture and developed the Chinese Humility Scale. The findings advance theoretical understanding of humility as a culturally embedded virtue and offer a new measurement tool for future research. Furthermore, the application of latent profile analysis to identify distinct humility profiles illuminates the cultural specificity of this construct and offers a new perspective for cross-cultural research.

Key words: humility, grounded theory, latent profile analysis

WANG Xin, WU Yanhong. (2026). The personality structure and cultural conceptualization of humility in Chinese culture. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 58(7), 1405-1427.

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