Opposite Ends of the Same Stick? Multi-Method Test of the Dimensionality of Individualism and Collectivism

Vas Taras; Riikka Sarala; Paul Muchinsky; Markus Kemmelmeier; Theodore M. Singelis; Andreja Avsec; Heather M. Coon; Dale L. Dinnel; Wendi Gardner; Sherry Grace; Erin E. Hardin; Sandy Hsu; Joel Johnson; Zahide Karakitapoǧlu Aygün; Emiko S. Kashima; Arnulf Kolstad; Taciano L. Milfont; John Oetzel; Sumie Okazaki; Tahira M. Probst; Toru Sato; Maggie Shafiro; Seth J. Schwartz; H. Colleen Sinclair

doi:10.1177/0022022113509132

Opposite Ends of the Same Stick? Multi-Method Test of the Dimensionality of Individualism and Collectivism

Vas Taras^*, Riikka Sarala, Paul Muchinsky, Markus Kemmelmeier, Theodore M. Singelis, Andreja Avsec, Heather M. Coon, Dale L. Dinnel, Wendi Gardner, Sherry Grace, Erin E. Hardin, Sandy Hsu, Joel Johnson, Zahide Karakitapoǧlu Aygün, Emiko S. Kashima, Arnulf Kolstad, Taciano L. Milfont, John Oetzel, Sumie Okazaki, Tahira M. ProbstToru Sato, Maggie Shafiro, Seth J. Schwartz, H. Colleen Sinclair

^*Corresponding author for this work

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

77 Scopus citations

Abstract

The construct of individualism-collectivism (IND-COL) has become the definitive standard in cross-cultural psychology, management, and related fields. It is also among the most controversial, in particular, with regard to the ambiguity of its dimensionality: Some view IND and COL as the opposites of a single continuum, whereas others argue that the two are independent constructs. We explored the issue through seven different tests using original individual-level data from 50 studies and meta-analytic data from 149 empirical publications yielding a total of 295 sample-level observations that were collected using six established instruments for assessing IND and COL as separate constructs. Results indicated that the dimensionality of IND-COL may depend on (a) the specific instrument used to collect the data, (b) the sample characteristics and the cultural region from which the data were collected, and (c) the level of analysis. We also review inconsistencies, deficiencies, and challenges of conceptualizing IND-COL and provide guidelines for developing and selecting instruments for measuring the construct, and for reporting and meta-analyzing results from this line of research.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	213-245
Number of pages	33
Journal	Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
Volume	45
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022113509132
State	Published - Feb 2014

Keywords

attitudes
beliefs
cultural psychology
history of psych
values

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Social Psychology
Cultural Studies
Anthropology

Access to Document

10.1177/0022022113509132

Cite this

Taras, V., Sarala, R., Muchinsky, P., Kemmelmeier, M., Singelis, T. M., Avsec, A., Coon, H. M., Dinnel, D. L., Gardner, W., Grace, S., Hardin, E. E., Hsu, S., Johnson, J., Karakitapoǧlu Aygün, Z., Kashima, E. S., Kolstad, A., Milfont, T. L., Oetzel, J., Okazaki, S., ... Sinclair, H. C. (2014). Opposite Ends of the Same Stick? Multi-Method Test of the Dimensionality of Individualism and Collectivism. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 45(2), 213-245. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022113509132

@article{c2147ca45ac840eb966c6e0d99364166,

title = "Opposite Ends of the Same Stick? Multi-Method Test of the Dimensionality of Individualism and Collectivism",

abstract = "The construct of individualism-collectivism (IND-COL) has become the definitive standard in cross-cultural psychology, management, and related fields. It is also among the most controversial, in particular, with regard to the ambiguity of its dimensionality: Some view IND and COL as the opposites of a single continuum, whereas others argue that the two are independent constructs. We explored the issue through seven different tests using original individual-level data from 50 studies and meta-analytic data from 149 empirical publications yielding a total of 295 sample-level observations that were collected using six established instruments for assessing IND and COL as separate constructs. Results indicated that the dimensionality of IND-COL may depend on (a) the specific instrument used to collect the data, (b) the sample characteristics and the cultural region from which the data were collected, and (c) the level of analysis. We also review inconsistencies, deficiencies, and challenges of conceptualizing IND-COL and provide guidelines for developing and selecting instruments for measuring the construct, and for reporting and meta-analyzing results from this line of research.",

keywords = "attitudes, beliefs, cultural psychology, history of psych, values",

author = "Vas Taras and Riikka Sarala and Paul Muchinsky and Markus Kemmelmeier and Singelis, {Theodore M.} and Andreja Avsec and Coon, {Heather M.} and Dinnel, {Dale L.} and Wendi Gardner and Sherry Grace and Hardin, {Erin E.} and Sandy Hsu and Joel Johnson and {Karakitapoǧlu Ayg{\"u}n}, Zahide and Kashima, {Emiko S.} and Arnulf Kolstad and Milfont, {Taciano L.} and John Oetzel and Sumie Okazaki and Probst, {Tahira M.} and Toru Sato and Maggie Shafiro and Schwartz, {Seth J.} and Sinclair, {H. Colleen}",

year = "2014",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1177/0022022113509132",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "45",

pages = "213--245",

journal = "Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology",

issn = "0022-0221",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",

number = "2",

}

Taras, V, Sarala, R, Muchinsky, P, Kemmelmeier, M, Singelis, TM, Avsec, A, Coon, HM, Dinnel, DL, Gardner, W, Grace, S, Hardin, EE, Hsu, S, Johnson, J, Karakitapoǧlu Aygün, Z, Kashima, ES, Kolstad, A, Milfont, TL, Oetzel, J, Okazaki, S, Probst, TM, Sato, T, Shafiro, M, Schwartz, SJ & Sinclair, HC 2014, 'Opposite Ends of the Same Stick? Multi-Method Test of the Dimensionality of Individualism and Collectivism', Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 213-245. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022113509132

TY - JOUR

T1 - Opposite Ends of the Same Stick? Multi-Method Test of the Dimensionality of Individualism and Collectivism

AU - Taras, Vas

AU - Sarala, Riikka

AU - Muchinsky, Paul

AU - Kemmelmeier, Markus

AU - Singelis, Theodore M.

AU - Avsec, Andreja

AU - Coon, Heather M.

AU - Dinnel, Dale L.

AU - Gardner, Wendi

AU - Grace, Sherry

AU - Hardin, Erin E.

AU - Hsu, Sandy

AU - Johnson, Joel

AU - Karakitapoǧlu Aygün, Zahide

AU - Kashima, Emiko S.

AU - Kolstad, Arnulf

AU - Milfont, Taciano L.

AU - Oetzel, John

AU - Okazaki, Sumie

AU - Probst, Tahira M.

AU - Sato, Toru

AU - Shafiro, Maggie

AU - Schwartz, Seth J.

AU - Sinclair, H. Colleen

PY - 2014/2

Y1 - 2014/2

N2 - The construct of individualism-collectivism (IND-COL) has become the definitive standard in cross-cultural psychology, management, and related fields. It is also among the most controversial, in particular, with regard to the ambiguity of its dimensionality: Some view IND and COL as the opposites of a single continuum, whereas others argue that the two are independent constructs. We explored the issue through seven different tests using original individual-level data from 50 studies and meta-analytic data from 149 empirical publications yielding a total of 295 sample-level observations that were collected using six established instruments for assessing IND and COL as separate constructs. Results indicated that the dimensionality of IND-COL may depend on (a) the specific instrument used to collect the data, (b) the sample characteristics and the cultural region from which the data were collected, and (c) the level of analysis. We also review inconsistencies, deficiencies, and challenges of conceptualizing IND-COL and provide guidelines for developing and selecting instruments for measuring the construct, and for reporting and meta-analyzing results from this line of research.

AB - The construct of individualism-collectivism (IND-COL) has become the definitive standard in cross-cultural psychology, management, and related fields. It is also among the most controversial, in particular, with regard to the ambiguity of its dimensionality: Some view IND and COL as the opposites of a single continuum, whereas others argue that the two are independent constructs. We explored the issue through seven different tests using original individual-level data from 50 studies and meta-analytic data from 149 empirical publications yielding a total of 295 sample-level observations that were collected using six established instruments for assessing IND and COL as separate constructs. Results indicated that the dimensionality of IND-COL may depend on (a) the specific instrument used to collect the data, (b) the sample characteristics and the cultural region from which the data were collected, and (c) the level of analysis. We also review inconsistencies, deficiencies, and challenges of conceptualizing IND-COL and provide guidelines for developing and selecting instruments for measuring the construct, and for reporting and meta-analyzing results from this line of research.

KW - attitudes

KW - beliefs

KW - cultural psychology

KW - history of psych

KW - values

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84891511054&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84891511054&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/0022022113509132

DO - 10.1177/0022022113509132

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84891511054

SN - 0022-0221

VL - 45

SP - 213

EP - 245

JO - Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology

JF - Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology

IS - 2

ER -

Opposite Ends of the Same Stick? Multi-Method Test of the Dimensionality of Individualism and Collectivism

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this