For decades, psychologists have tried to understand one major question: Why do people in different cultures think and behave differently? A common explanation has been that Western societies are more individualistic, while East Asian societies are more collectivistic. In simple terms, Western cultures have often been described as focusing more on the individual, while Eastern cultures are said to place greater importance on the group. But new research suggests that this explanation may have missed an important part of the picture.
The problem with traditional surveys
Researchers have used surveys for years to measure individualism and collectivism. However, many of these studies produced surprising results. Some surveys even suggested that Western participants could be just as collectivistic as, or sometimes more collectivistic than, people from East Asian countries. A review of 76 previous studies found that the expected difference between Eastern and Western cultures was surprisingly difficult to detect. Researchers led by psychologist Thomas Talhelm believe the problem may have been the questions themselves.
Many older surveys asked people whether they enjoyed cooperation, valued relationships, or liked helping others. These questions measure general feelings of warmth and friendliness. But being friendly toward people in general is not necessarily the same as feeling a strong responsibility toward family and close friends.
A different way to understand culture
The new research focuses on what the scientists call “responsibilism.” The idea is simple: Some cultures place greater importance on responsibilities toward people who are close to them.
For example, a person may feel a strong obligation to care for aging parents, support relatives, or remain loyal to a close friend—even when doing so is difficult.
This is different from simply believing that cooperation and kindness are good things. To investigate this idea, the researchers developed a new survey and tested more than 12,000 people across 100 cultures. The survey was translated into 45 languages. The results showed clearer differences between regions than many older measurements had found.
Culture is more complicated than East versus West
The findings also suggest that culture cannot simply be divided into two groups: Eastern and Western. The researchers found differences between people within the same country as well. Factors such as family background, social class, region, and cultural heritage were associated with differences in responsibilism.
This is important because people from the same country can have very different experiences and values. Culture is not something that affects everyone in exactly the same way.
Why this research matters
Understanding these differences could have practical benefits. Teachers working with students from different cultural backgrounds may better understand different expectations about family, responsibility, and communication. Doctors may also benefit when working with families who make health decisions collectively.
The research could also help explain why people respond differently to messages about important issues. For example, an appeal based on helping strangers around the world may work differently from an appeal focused on protecting one’s family or future generations. However, the researchers say there is still much to learn. Most participants were college students, and the study shows relationships between cultural patterns rather than proving that one factor directly causes another.
The bigger lesson is that culture may be more complex than the traditional individualism-versus-collectivism model suggests. Instead of asking only whether people are focused on themselves or on groups, researchers may need to ask a more specific question:
Who do people feel responsible for—and how strongly? That change in perspective could give psychologists a better way to understand how culture shapes everyday life.
Read the Original: Psychologists spent decades asking the wrong question about what separates Eastern and Western cultures
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