One of the central exercises in cross-cultural research involves identifying broad dimensions of cultural variation, such as collectivism, power distance, and tightness-looseness. These dimensions are immensely popular, but what do they really represent, what is the best way to measure them, and could there be hidden dimensions of cultural variation that we have not yet discovered?
Our laboratory has developed new theories to address these questions, and cross-cultural surveys that explore the best way to conceptualize and measure broad dimensions of cultural variation.
Representative Publications:
Other Publications
Medvedev, D., Davenport, D., Talhelm, T., & Li, Y. (2024). The motivating effect of monetary over psychological incentives is stronger in WEIRD cultures. Nature Human Behaviour, 8(3), 456–470. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01769-5
Heiphetz, L., & Oishi, S. (2022). Viewing development through the lens of culture: Integrating developmental and cultural psychology to better understand cognition and behavior. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17(1), 62–77. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620980725
Buttrick, N., Choi, H., Wilson, T. D., Oishi, S., Boker, S. M., Gilbert, D. T., Alper, S., Aveyard, M., Cheong, W., Čolić, M. V., Dalgar, I., Doğulu, C., Karabati, S., Kim, E., Knežević, G., Komiya, A., Laclé, C. O., Ambrosio Lage, C., Lazarević, L. B., … Wilks, D. C. (2019). Cross-cultural consistency and relativity in the enjoyment of thinking versus doing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 117(5), e71–e83. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000198
Oishi, S., Graham, J., Kesebir, S., & Galinha, I. C. (2013). Concepts of happiness across time and cultures. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39(5), 559–577. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167213480042
Schimmack, U., Oishi, S., & Diener, E. (2005). Individualism: A valid and important dimension of cultural differences between nations. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 9(1), 17–31. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr0901_2
Oishi, S., Schimmack, U., Diener, E., & Suh, E. M. (1998). The measurement of values and individualism-collectivism. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 24(11), 1177–1189. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672982411005