Sample response

Hofstede carried out a study in the 1970s to determine if there are cultural trends with regard to values and how members of a culture interact with one another.  He carried out a series of questionnaires at an international company and then a content analysis of the replies.  He proposed a set of cultural dimensions to help discuss culture.  One such dimension is individualism and collectivism (I-C).  Individualistic cultures focus on uniqueness, individual achievement, freedom, and self-actualization.  Collectivistic cultures focus on social harmony, interdependence, modesty, and group memberships. There are several studies that look at how cultural dimensions may affect the behaviour of members of that culture, but there are questions about the validity of the research.

One influence of I-C on cultures is the level of conformity. Berry investigated the difference in likeliness to conform between the Temne (a farming culture) and Inuits (a hunting culture). Each participant was tested alone.  They were shown a series of lines and asked to pick the line that most closely matched another line.  Directions were given in their native language. On the third trial, the participant was told, “Most Temne (or Inuit) believe that line 4 matches the line below.  What do you think?” This continued for the rest of the trials, with some of the responses being correct and some incorrect.

Berry found that the Temne were more likely to conform to the incorrect answer than the Inuits. He argued that this is because farming communities need to be more reliant on one another than hunting communities, which are more independent.

The study is highly standardized so it is replicable, allowing researchers to test the reliability of the findings. However, the research is also rather old, so it may no longer get the same results today.  Another strength was that the study was done in the native language of the participants, avoiding a confounding variable.  A limitation of the study is that the procedure is highly artificial, so it lacks ecological validity. It is difficult to know if the participants would conform if the task was more meaningful.

I-C can also influence cognition, such as memory.  Kulkoffsky carried out a study to see if there were differences in the level of flashbulb memories in individualistic and collectivistic cultures.  The sample was made up of about 250 participants from five different cultures. First, the participants were asked to recall memories of big news events in their lifetime. They were then given a questionnaire that asked them questions about what they were doing on the day of that event. They were also asked how important the event was to them personally and how important it was to their country. The survey was conducted in their native languages.

The results showed that Chinese participants (collectivistic) had fewer flashbulb memories than Americans (individualistic).  In collectivistic cultures, it is not culturally appropriate to focus on the individual's own experiences and emotions.  This may mean that there would be less rehearsal of the memory of the event compared with participants from other cultures - and so fewer FBMs. However, it was found that if the event was of national importance, there was no significant difference in the level of FBMs

Unlike Berry’s experiment, this study has high ecological validity.  However, it makes an assumption that just because the participants say that they remember where they were and what they were doing during the event, that their memories are in fact accurate. By using their own language, this may help the participants retrieve memories and avoids a confounding variable in the interpretation of the questionnaire.

There are some general concerns about research on cultural dimensions. First, the research is etic in nature – that is, it makes an attempt to compare cultures.  The test that Berry is using is based on the Asch paradigm, a Western test. This assumes that conformity is the same across all cultures and can be tested in this way.  Kulkoffsky also makes an assumption that flashbulb memories can be tested by using Brown & Kulik’s standardized interview questions.  Another concern is that such research may lead us to make the ecological fallacy; just because the participants come from the same culture, this does not mean that they necessarily share the traits of the culture's dimensions. There is a danger of stereotyping.  In addition, the study by Berry used a sample that was living in the UK.  This may not be representative of modern-day Temne and Inuits.

In conclusion, collectivism/individualism has a strong influence on the likelihood of creating flashbulb memories. Although research seems to support that there are cultural differences that reflect a culture’s dimensions, it is important to consider the limitations of the research.

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