Reframing the Cultural Differences between the East and the West

Abstract

This study proposes that the fundamental cultural differences between the East and the West lie in a holistic-analytic worldview, and this new perspective can explain the cultural differences better than collectivism-individualism. To test the claim, this study developed a measurement for holism and its derivative, cognitive relativity. Then, it examined the degree of holism, cognitive relativity, and independent and interdependent self-construals with Korean and American college students. Results showed that (a) Koreans had a stronger holistic worldview than Americans, (b) Koreans maintained a higher degree of cognitive relativity than Americans, (c) Koreans and Americans did not differ in either independent or interdependent self-construals, and (d) the impact of holism was still strong after controlling for the effects of self-construals.

Keywords:

• Culture
• Holism
• Holistic-Analytic Worldview
• Relativity

Notes

Rotation Method: Oblimin with Kaiser Normalization.

Boldface text indicates items loaded in each factor.

**p < .01 (two-tailed).

**p < .01 (two-tailed).

Manuscript is based on the first author's thesis, directed by the second author (the chair), and the third and fourth author (committee members).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jihyun Kim

Jihyun Kim (MA, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, 2008) is a doctoral student in the Department of Communication, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Tae-Seop Lim

Tae-Seop Lim (PhD, Michigan State University, 1988) is a Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Kathryn Dindia

Kathryn Dindia (PhD, University of Washington, 1981) is a Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Nancy Burrell

Nancy Burrell (PhD, Michigan State University, 1987) is a Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.