ABSTRACT
The mapping of contrasts between samples of respondents drawn from different nations has been a major preoccupation of cross-cultural psychologists over the past several decades. The creation of such maps is essential if we are to begin testing explanations as to why studies conducted in different locations yield different results. Commencing with work by Hofstede (1980), substantial samples drawn from a wide range of nations have been surveyed, and the nation-level dimensions that were identified to summarize the variations that were found have had a major impact on the development of cross-cultural theory. For instance, his dimensions of individualism-collectivism and power distance have guided the design and interpretation of many studies. In more recent times, growing awareness of the methodological issues entailed in cross-national surveys has led some authors (e.g., Schwartz, 1994, 2004; Smith, Bond, & Kağıtçıbaşı, 2006) to debate how to enhance the validity of these dimensions, whereas others (e.g., Bond, 2002; Oyserman & Lee, 2007; Singelis, 1994) have now come to see greater potential in individual-level analyses that treat the individual rather than the nation as the unit of analysis.
