Are You an Individualist or a Collectivist?

Instructions: For each of the following 16 statements, rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the statement using the following
5-point scale:

1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
Disagree Agree

1. I often do "my own thing."

2. The well-being of my co-workers is important to me.
3. One should live one's life independently of others.
4. If a co-worker gets a prize, I would feel proud.
5. I like my privacy.
6. If a relative were in financial difficulty, I would help within
my means.
7. I prefer to be direct and forthright when discussing with
people.
8. It is important to maintain harmony within my group.
9. I am a unique individual.
10. I like sharing things with my neighbors.
11. What happens to me is my own doing.
12. I feel good when I cooperate with others.
13. When I succeed, it is usually because of my
abilities.
14. My happiness depends very much on the happiness of
those around me.
15. I enjoy being unique and different from others in many
ways.
16. To me, pleasure is spending time with others.

Scoring
To score your questionnaire, first reverse your scores for items 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16. This means that if you scored an even
numbered item at a “1”, then change it to “5” (or change a “5” to a “1”). Similarly, if you scored an even numbered item at a “2”, change it to
“4” (or change a “4” to a “2”). If you scored it “3”, that remains the same.

Next, total all your scores, using the new numbers for the items whose scores were reversed. You should end up with a number between
16 and 80. Record that number here: _____ Now we have a little more math to do (stick with me!). Subtract 16 from that number, and
write the result here: _____ Now divide that new number by 64, and write the result here: _____ Now multiple that new number by 120
and write the result here: _____. This is your Individualism / Collectivism score.

(Example: I scored a “57” on the raw assessment. So, 57-16=41; 41/64=0.641; 0.641x120=76.87, so 76.87 (or about 77) is my
Individualism / Collectivism score.)

What’s Your Score? Individualism / Collectivism Score: ___________

Lower scores indicate more of a collectivist perspective. Higher scores indicate more of an individualist perspective. Interestingly,
according to Hofstede’s research, the USA is the most individualistic country in the world!

(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

COMPARING CULTURES
There are benefits and drawbacks to both the individualist and the collectivist value systems.
People in individualist cultures enjoy more personal choice in their relationships, jobs, and
interests, but too much focus on pursuing one's own desires often results in a trail of broken or
lost relationships. Perhaps the most obvious examples of this are the divorce rates in
individualist North American and western European countries, which approach or exceed 50%.
Collectivist cultures enjoy much greater loyalty in family and social groups, but extreme closeness
can be oppressive. Privacy and opportunities are limited – Hofstede (1991) cites one African
student who, upon arriving at a Belgian university and being given her own room, commented
that it was the first time she had ever been alone for any length of time.
Individualism-collectivism is the dimension that has been most widely used in cross-cultural
research.

Before moving on, complete the following additional cultural assessment, which will measure your
placement on the other three dimensions discussed in the text.

(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

 Assessing Your Other Cultural Dimensions
Instructions: For each of the following 18 statements, rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the statement using the following
5-point scale:

1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
Disagree Agree

1. It's easy for me to refuse a request from

someone who is in a higher position than I
am.
2. I tend to place a high value on the
opinions of people who are in higher
positions than I am.
3. In a work environment, I keep my
comments to myself unless my boss asks
for them.
4. It is easy for me to interact with people
whose social status is different from mine.
5. It is important for people to know their
rightful place in society.
6. A person's social status reflects that
person's place in the society.
7. I enjoy talking with strangers.
8. I prefer that my life have predictable
routines rather than be filled with
unexpected changes.
9. I would describe myself as a risk-taker.
10. I am most comfortable when I have clear
directions or instructions for something.
11. I tend to get anxious when I don't know
how something will turn out.
12. I prefer to have general guidelines for a
task, rather than detailed instructions.
13. Women are generally more caring than men.
14. Men tend to be physically stronger than women.
15. Women are usually more ambitious than men.
16. I think it is okay for men to be
emotional sometimes.
17. Men should generally be the sole
breadwinner in a family.
18. Men can be as caring as women.

(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

 To Score Your Questionnaire:

1. First, reverse your scores for items 1,4, 7, 9, 12, 15, 16, and 18. Like on the previous individualism/collectivism scale, this means that if
you scored the item 1, change it to 5, or 5 becomes 1. Similarly, if you scored it 2, change it to 4, or change 4 to 2. If you scored it 3,
that remains the same.

2. Next, add up your scores for items 1-6, using the new numbers for the items whose scores were reversed. You should end up with
a number between 6 and 30. Higher scores indicate higher power distance; lower scores indicate lower power distance. Record
your raw Power Distance number here: _____ Now we have a little more math to do (stick with me!). Subtract 6 from that
number, and write the result here: _____ Now divide that new number by 24, and write the result here: _____ Now multiple that
new number by 120 and write the result here: _____. This is your Power Distance score. (Example: I scored a “15” on the raw
assessment. So, 15-6=9; 9/24=0.375; 0.375x120=45, so “45” is my Power Distance score. This process will be the same for the
final three dimensions.)

Record your final Power Distance Score here: _____

3. Then, add up your scores from items 7-12, using the new numbers for the items whose scores you reversed. You should end up
with a number between 6 and 30. Higher scores indicate higher uncertainty avoidance; lower scores indicate lower uncertainty
avoidance. Record your raw Uncertainty Avoidance number here: _____ Now we have a little more math to do (stick with
me!). Subtract 6 from that number, and write the result here: _____ Now divide that new number by 24, and write the result here:
_____ Now multiple that new number by 120 and write the result here: _____. This is your Uncertainty Avoidance score.

Record your final Uncertainty Avoidance Score here: _____

4. Finally, add up your scores from items 13 - 18, using the new numbers for the items whose scores you reversed. You should end up
with a number between 6 and 30. Higher scores indicate masculinity (in other words, more distinction between men's and women's
roles); lower scores indicate lower masculinity (preferring overlap between men's and women's roles). Record your raw
masculinity/femininity number here: _____ Now we have a little more math to do (stick with me!). Subtract 6 from that number,
and write the result here: _____ Now divide that new number by 24, and write the result here: _____ Now multiple that new number
by 120 and write the result here: _____. This is your Masculinity/Femininity score.

Record your final Masculinity/Femininity Score here: _____

(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

 Plotting Your Scores

Collectivism-Individualism: On the following continuum, place an X to indicate your total Individualist / Collectivist score.

1 120
Collectivistic Individualistic

Power Distance: On the following continuum, place an X to indicate your total score on the first 6 items of the second scale.

1 120
Low Power Distance High Power Distance

Uncertainty Avoidance: On the following continuum, place an X to indicate your total score on items 7-12 of the second scale.

1 120
Low Uncertainty High Uncertainty Avoidance
Avoidance

Masculinity-Femininity: On the following continuum, place an X to indicate your total score on items 13-18 of the second scale.

1 120
Low Masculinity High Masculinity

You’re almost done! Now it’s time for some comparative analysis! Head over to Hofstede’s website and check
it out. Let’s see how your scores stack up with other people from your home county – as well as in other countries.
Go to the following website:
https://www.hofstede-insights.com/product/compare-countries/
Click on the “Type a country” box to pull up a drop-down menu. Select the United States, as well as any other
countries you may be interested in for comparative purposes.
Take a look at the resulting bar charts and compare those to your own results. Click on the “Read more about
chosen countries” box for some additional context about the countries you selected. Explore the website in light
of your results. Congratulations, you are now a cultural anthropologist!