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Horizontal–Vertical Individualism–Collectivism (Singelis et al.)

Cross-culturalReliability: alphas 0.67–0.74 across four dimensions4 sample items

About this scale

A 32-item measure of four cultural orientations: horizontal individualism (HI), vertical individualism (VI), horizontal collectivism (HC), and vertical collectivism (VC). Captures both the individualism–collectivism axis and the egalitarian–hierarchical axis.

Sample item(s)

“I'd rather depend on myself than others. (HI)”
“Winning is everything. (VI)”
“If a coworker gets a prize, I would feel proud. (HC)”
“It is important to me that I respect the decisions made by my groups. (VC)”

Reliability

Reported internal consistency: alphas 0.67–0.74 across four dimensions. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.

Notes

Preferred over earlier IND-COL scales because it disentangles hierarchical and egalitarian variants.

Source & citation

Singelis, T. M., Triandis, H. C., Bhawuk, D. P. S., & Gelfand, M. J. (1995): Horizontal and vertical dimensions of individualism and collectivism: A theoretical and measurement refinement. Cross-Cultural Research, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 240–275.

Singelis, Triandis, Bhawuk & Gelfand (1995): H/V Individualism–Collectivism. CCR, 29(3), 240–275.

Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.

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