Meritorious Evaluation Bias: How Chinese Undergraduates Perceive and Evaluate Chinese and Foreign Creators

This study examined how Chinese young people perceived Chinese and foreign creators with a meritorious evaluation bias. Two separate studies were conducted. In Study 1, a pool of the most noted Chinese creators was generated and they were rated on degree of creativity and social contribution. In Study 2, a pool of the most noted foreign creators was generated and they were rated on degree of creativity and social contribution. In addition, 20 most noted historical and modern Chinese creators were singled out from Study 1 and were rated on degree of creativity and social contribution as well. 414 and 212 undergraduates from two universities in Hong Kong and Guangzhou were sampled to participate in these studies respectively. The results showed that the Chinese and foreign creators who distinguished themselves in meritorious salience of a person's creativity were more likely to be nominated and were rated higher on social contribution than on creativity. Scientists, inventors, and to some extent, politicians were the most often nominated figures of creativity. Artists, musicians and entertainers were the least often nominated figures of creativity.