The independent and the interdependent selves: Different meanings in different cultures

The purpose of the present study was to explore the different meanings of the independent and the interdependent selves in individualistic vs collectivistic subcultures. Respectively, participants were 54 and 60 managers from urban and kibbutz sectors in Israel who completed the Twenty Statements Test (TST). Consistent with previous studies urban subjects listed more independent and fewer interdependent responses than kibbutz subjects. Content analysis revealed not only a quantity but also a quality difference in the profiles of the independent and the interdependent selves across subcultures. The present study has important theoretical and practical implications for the understanding of the self's structure and its effects on organizational behavior.