Parallels Between Competence- versus Morality-Related Traits and Individualistic Versus Collectivistic Values

Bogdan Wojciszke's 1997 article argues that social judgements of competence are related to judgements of the value of individualistic traits and that social judgements of morality are related to social judgments of collectivistic traits. Interestingly, participants valued competence more highly for themselves than for others and morality more highly for others than for themselves. The abstract can be found below.

"The distinction between individualistic (IV) and collectivistic (CV) instrumental values was compared to the distinction between competence-related and moral personality traits. Study 1 (N=89 students) showed that IV referred mostly to competence and were self-profitable, whereas CV referred mostly to morality and were other-profitable in their nature. Therefore, IV were predicted to reach a relatively higher position in the value hierarchy formulated for the self, whereas CV were predicted to rank higher in the value hierarchy formulated for other people. Both hypotheses were confirmed in study 2 (N=118 high school students) in which subjects ordered 18 instrumental values of the Rokeach Value Survey according to their importance either for themselves, or for other people."

Traits examined include:

Ambitious
Capable
Cheerful
Courageous
Forgiving
Helpful
Honest
Imaginative
Independent
Intellectual
Logical
Loving
Obedient
Polite
Responsible
Self-controlled