Individualism-Collectivism Revisited: Analysis of Self-Other Perceptions in Korea and the U.S.

Abstract

This study re-examines the long-held assumption of individualism and collectivism as a country’s cultural orientation. Although research on individualism-collectivism has yielded intriguing findings and meaningful discussions, a dichotomous approach to individualism and collectivism has revealed several limitations. To overcome these limitations, this study employs the construct of independent and interdependent self-construals to examine how people differ in Korea and the U.S.. A survey with 567 participants (270 in Korea, 297 in the U.S.) shows that Korean respondents display a bi-cultural tendency with the almost same level of independent and interdependent self-construal scores. The US respondents scored higher both in independent and interdependent self-construals than Korean respondents. These findings are contrary to traditional assumptions that Korean people are dominantly collectivistic and the US people are dominantly individualistic. Results also suggest that older respondents in Korea demonstrate stronger independent and interdependent self-construals than younger respondents, and female respondents in the U.S. show stronger interdependent self-construal than male respondents. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.