Vandello, J. A., & Cohen, D. (1999). Patterns of individualism and collectivism across the United States. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 279–292.
The study examines variations of the cultural dimension of individualism–collectivism across the states of the United States of America. The authors created an eight-item index ranking states in terms of collectivism versus individualism.
The results of the study showed that collectivist tendencies were strongest in the Deep South, and individualist tendencies were strongest in the Mountain West and Great Plains. The authors obtained convergent validity for the index which showed that state collectivism scores predicted variation in individual attitudes, as measured by a national survey. The authors also used index to explore the relations of individualism–collectivism with many economic, demographic, cultural, and health-related variables.
The authors conclude that the index can be used in additions to traditional measures of collectivism and individualism. The index can be useful to measure a construct that can evaluate regional variation in the USA.
Vandello, J. A., & Cohen, D. (1999). Patterns of individualism and collectivism across the United States. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 279–292.
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Vandello, J. A., Cohen, D., & Ransom, S. (2008). U.S. Southern and Northern differences in perceptions of norms about aggression: Mechanisms for the perpetuation of a culture of Honor. Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology, 39, 162–177.
The study examines the reasons why male honor-related aggressive standards remain acceptable in the American South, despite the fact that they are no longer functioning. The authors show that southerners are more likely than northerners to perceive peer reinforcement of aggression norms. Cultural differences in internalized honor-related beliefs also exist.
The first study showed that southern males are particularly prone to exaggerating their peers’ hostility.
The second study examined the theory that southerners are more prone to deliberately encourage aggressive conduct in others. However, results found no evidence to support it.
The third study observed interpersonal confrontations and found that southern men were more likely than northern men to see others as encouraging aggression.
In conclusion, the results of these studies imply that, above and beyond any variations in internalized values, southern males are more prone than their northern counterparts to believe that their peers accept and enforce aggressive norms. This factor can lead to the continuation of honorable violent norms.
Vandello, J. A., Cohen, D., & Ransom, S. (2008). U.S. Southern and Northern differences in perceptions of norms about aggression: Mechanisms for the perpetuation of a culture of Honor. Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology, 39, 162–177. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022107313862.