ISSN 0439-755X
CN 11-1911/B

Acta Psychologica Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 58 ›› Issue (7): 1405-1427.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.1405

• Reports of Empirical Studies • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The personality structure and cultural conceptualization of humility in Chinese culture

WANG Xin, WU Yanhong()   

  1. School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, and State Key Laboratory of General Artificial Intelligence, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
  • Published:2026-07-25 Online:2026-05-15
  • Contact: WU Yanhong E-mail:wuyh@pku.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(32171050);National Natural Science Foundation of China(32571228)

Abstract:

Humility is a traditional virtue esteemed in Chinese culture, exerting positive effects on individuals, organizations, and society. Combining qualitative research, corpus compilation, and a review of previous scales, this study constructed the structure of the humility trait within Chinese culture and developed the Chinese Humility Scale. The scale comprises five dimensions: Accurate Self-Perception, Other-Enhancement, Dialectical Thinking, Self-Effacement, and Self-Improvement. Based on this five-dimensional structure, Latent Profile Analysis was utilized, revealing five distinct profiles of humility manifestations in Chinese culture: “Humble,” “Moderately Humble,” “Overly Humble,” “Unhumble,” and “Strategically Humble.” This research clarifies the conceptual connotations of humility within Chinese culture and provides a novel measurement tool for future empirical studies, as well as for the identification and selection of well-rounded talents possessing both competence and humility. Furthermore, it plays a positive role in inheriting and promoting the traditional virtue of humility while facilitating individual development and social harmony.

Key words: humility, grounded theory, latent profile analysis