Cultural competence/Measurement of Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism

Items for the Measurement of Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism

Vertical Individualism (a = .82)

• It annoys me when other people perform better than I do.
• Competition is the law of nature.
• When another person does better than I do, I get tense and aroused.
• Without competition, it is not possible to have a good society.
• Winning is everything.
• It is important that I do my job better than others.
• I enjoy working in situations involving competition with others.
• Some people emphasize winning; I'm not one of them (and vice versa)

Vertical collectivism (a = .73)

• I would do what would please my family, even if I detested that activity.
• I usually sacrifice my self-interest for the benefit of my group.
• We should keep our aging parents with us at home.
• I would sacrifice an activity that I enjoy very much if my family did not approve of it.
• Children should be taught to place duty before pleasure.
• It is important to me that I respect the decisions made by my groups.
• Self-sacrifice is a virtue.
• It annoys me if I have to sacrifice activities that I enjoy to help others (reverse scoring).

HorizontalIndividualism(a = .81 )

• I often do "my own thing."
• Being a unique individual is important to me.
• I'd rather depend on myself than on others.
• I rely on myself most of the time; I rarely rely on others.
• My personal identity, independent from others, is very important to me.
• I am a unique person, separate from others.
• I enjoy being unique and different from others.

Horizontal Collectivism (a = .80)

• The well-being of my coworkers is important to me.
• If a coworker gets a prize, I would feel proud.
• If a relative were in financial difficulty, I would help within my means.
• It is important to me to maintain harmony within my group.
• I like sharing little things with my neighbors.
• It is important to consult close friends and get their ideas before making a decision.