Switching analytical mindsets: A person-centered approach to the analysis of cultural values

Abstract

Traditional value-centered approaches to the analysis of cultural variations have failed to capture group similarities across and beyond national boundaries, partly due to their reliance on variable-centered approaches that examine each cultural value in isolation, thereby ignoring the synergistic effects of cultural values. To fill this gap, we introduce a person-centered approach that allows us to identify subgroups of individuals who share a common configuration, or profile, of cultural values. We apply this approach to a multi-country sample and identify multiple distinct cultural groups within and across countries. We find that while some profiles are unique to a particular country, others cut across countries, representing hitherto unacknowledged patterns of cultural commonalities and differences.