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Individualism and Collectivism: What Differences between Portuguese and Romanian Adolescents?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Laura Ciochinã  and
Luísa Faria
Laura Ciochinã
Affiliation:
Universidade do Porto (Portugal)
Luísa Faria*
Affiliation:
Universidade do Porto (Portugal)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Luísa Faria, Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação. Universidade do Porto. Rua Dr. Manuel Pereira da Silva, s/n. 4200–392 Porto. (Portugal). E-mail: lfaria@fpce.up.pt
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Abstract

This article presents the results of a series of preliminary comparisons, between the Portuguese and Romanian cultural contexts, on the individualism-collectivism (IND/COL) cultural dimension. The IND/COL was evaluated with the Individualism-Collectivism Questionnaire – ICQ –, constructed in New Zealand by Shulruf, Hattie and Dixon (2003, Anonymous Questionnaire of Self-Attitudes –AQSA), and adapted to the Portuguese and Romanian contexts by Ciochină and Faria (2007), using studies of confirmatory factor analysis. The ICQ composed by 26 items, 15 evaluating the IND scale– with three subscales (Uniqueness, Competition and Responsibility) –, and 11 evaluating the COL scale – with two subscales (Harmony and Advice) –, was administered to 395 subjects, 200 Portuguese and 195 Romanian, 10th and 12th graders. On the whole, in the Portuguese and Romanian samples, the multivariate and univariate statistical analyses evidenced the existence of two independent variables – gender and cultural context –, with significant effects, main and of interaction, on the scales and subscales of the ICQ. The results were discussed taking into consideration the specificities of the educational systems in the two cultural contexts, which are inevitably shaped by socio-cultural factors characteristic of the two countries considered in the present study – Portugal and Romania.

Este artículo expone los resultados de una serie de comparaciones preliminares entre los contextos culturales portugués y rumano en la dimensión cultural individualismo-colectivismo (IND/COL). IND/COL se evaluó con el Individualism-Collectivism Questionnaire – ICQ – construido en Nueva Zelanda por Shulruf, Hattie y Dixon (2003, el Anonymous Questionnaire of Self-Attitudes – AQSA) – adaptado a los contextos portugués y rumano por Ciochină y Faria (2007), empleando estudios de análisis factorial confirmatorio. El ICQ se compone de 26 ítems, 15 que evalúan la escala IND – con tres subescalas (Unicidad, Competición y Responsabilidad)– y 11 que evalúan la escala COL – con dos subescalas (Armonía y Consejo) – se administró a 395 sujetos, 200 portugueses y 195 rumanos, alumnos de 10a y 12a. En general, en las muestras portuguesa y rumana, los análisis estadísticos multivariados y univariados revelaron la existencia de dos variables independientes – género y contexto cultural –, con efectos significativos, tanto principal como de interacción, en las escalas y subescalas del ICQ. Se comentan los resultados considerando las especificidades de los sistemas educativos en los dos contextos culturales, inevitablemente moldeados por factores socioculturales característicos de los dos países considerados en este estudio – Portugal and Rumania.

Keywords

cultural contextindividualism-collectivismgendercontexto culturalindividualismo-colectivismogénero
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , November 2009 , pp. 555 - 564
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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