The article Individualism/collectivism and personality in Italian and American Groups, by
Leslie Burton delves into the exploration of individualism and collectivism, two very important
variables when studying cross cultural psychology. Individualistic cultures are described as
prioritizing self and one's immediate family's well being, where in contrast collectivist cultures
have more of a strong in group loyalty which does include family members, even extended
members. When Italy and America were studied its important to take notice to the country level
scores for italy and the united states being fairly high on the individualism level, where the US is
just barely above italy when it comes to individualism.
The article also discusses Markus and Kitayamas distinction between independent and
interdependent self-construal. They describe independent self construal, when individuals view
themselves as autonomous, hence they are separate from others. They will prioritize personal
goals and desires and will strive for personal distinction. This is often associated with Western
ideals and culture. In contrast they defined interdependent self-construal as a culture that
emphasizes interconnectedness and relationships. They see themselves as part of group; like a
family, community or society. Instead of their personal goals they will prioritize group goals and
relationships. Importantly markus and Kitaymamas work show how important it is to consider
cultural influences on cognition, behavior and identity formation, showing how individuals may
navigate a social environment. Triandis and singelis take a broader approach, incorporating the
horizontal and vertical dimensions. It then delves into aggregate personality trait assessments
across multiple countries, highlighting the not so noticeable differences between the US and
Italy, especially within neuroticism, openness and extraversion. It then explores country level
individualism and personality traits. This data shows a positive association between high
individualism and people being extraverts, open and agreeable. Individualism is generally
associated with greater well being at the country level, where collectivism is linked with a better
mental health and greater depression which exposes the nuanced nature of this association.
