Individualist vs. Collectivist?

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Been reading about this stuff for a test and was thinking how it would apply to people with ASD. Here's the definition of these two things, which tend to be culturally-related. If you are:

Individualist: You feel that people are autonomous and must be free to act and think in ways that they prefer, rather than submit to the demands of the group. You believe that each person is unique and all people are encouraged to strive to achieve outcomes and goals that will personally benefit them. You also believe that people have stable personality traits that influence their behaviour, as opposed to their environment.

Collectivist: You feel that each person is inseparably connected to their group or community. Social existence is dependent on group relations. To you, people are group members first, individuals second. You also believe that people's behaviour is more influenced by their environment as opposed to their inherent personality traits.

Keep in mind that this is a continuum and what matters is which one you fall under more at this particular time. If you are NT, please post and indicate so; I'm specifically interested in how people with ASD measure on this.

Here's a short test to take to help you decide: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0 ... y_2_6.html

I am slightly more collectivist than individualist. My individualism score is 17 and my collectivism score is 28. However, I think I'm pretty balanced among the two.

P.S. I've noticed that there's a lot of negativity toward conformist attitudes on this forum. I think neither individualism or collectivism are inherently bad, but both of them can become detrimental when taken to the extreme. Another member posted a "Who Am I" thread on here before and many people answered in a highly individualistic way. I'm thinking that a lot of us may have been forced to be more individualistic as a result of our genetics/neurology. Ironically, the ingroup/outgroup mentality that sometimes appears here is actually considered to be more collectivist.

Individualism - 36 - High

Collectivism - 22 - Low

Individualism - 37 - High

Collectivism - 21 - Low.

Individual 28

Collective 22

Individualism: 36, high
Collectivism: 23, borderline-low-moderate

I am right in the middle, I think...so I'm neither an individualist nor a collectivist. My thoughts:

Groups do not exist (cannot develop, grow, or continue) without individuals, but the course of human development means that individuals cannot survive without groups (at least as children -- and most people cannot survive without other humans throughout their lives).

Individuals influence and create groups, and the groups in turn shape and influence individuals.

The group as an entity depends on its individual members for survivial, and each individual member depends on the group for their survival as an individual.

The group and the individual are both important -- I don't think it's possible to say one is more important or has more influence on who a person is because the needs, characteristics, and ongoing development of both are intertwined, and because there's so much variability in both groups and individuals.

Last edited by animalcrackers on 10 Jul 2013, 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Your score was 34. The range of possible scores is from 8 to 40.
Individualism
Individualism refers to the extent that you value independence and personal uniqueness. Highly individualist people value personal freedom, self-sufficiency, control over their own lives, and appreciation of their unique qualities that distinguish them from others. The following graph shows the range of individualism in general. However, keep in mind that the average level of individualism is higher in some cultures (such as Canada) than in others.




Your score was 15. The range of possible scores is from 8 to 40.
Collectivism
Collectivism refers to the extent that we value our duty to groups to which we belong, and to group harmony. Highly collectivist people define themselves by their group membership and value harmonious relationships within those groups. The following graph shows the range of collectivism in general. However, keep in mind that the average level of collectivism is lower in some cultures (such as Canada) than in others.

How WP people will score on this test isn't much of a mystery.

Individualism = 40

Collectivism = 23

Of course, my score will be distorted since I'm an aspie and have been on my own for a long time. But, as Mathgirl observed, a healthy society is a balance between the two. Being as aspie makes me an outlier.

Last edited by Thelibrarian on 10 Jul 2013, 3:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Individualism = 34
Collectivism = 18

Individualism: 31
Collectivism: 18

Individualism - 27

Collectivism - 25

I think I may be significantly more collectivist, though. Considering that I need others to create and at least partially prepare things such as Internet, produce, meat, clothes, and more that I can't (or currently can't) create from scratch myself, I rely on the whole in order to lead the lifestyle that I do and believe I have a duty to it in turn. I've even taken generosity in the form of extra help after class with teachers, which only increases that. I think people should be free to make lifestyle choices that are good for them and align with their values, but maintaining and improving the wider network of people and systems that allow them to do so without starving in cardboard boxes, wearing nothing but fig leaves, is a must and something that comes first.

Last edited by Cilantro on 10 Jul 2013, 3:59 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Individualism: 36

Collectivism: 15

Cilantro, the differences are also cultural. As with the rest of the upper Midwest, Minnesota culture is based upon the old Puritan culture of New England and northern European immigrant cultures. New England was so collectivist that even in pioneer days, everybody had to live in a village--even the farmers, who had to walk to their fields from town to work. Those who refused to live in villages were--let's say they were regarded suspiciously. And Scandinavian cultures too are inherently very collectivist.

Just for comparison, during the same time frame, the rednecks in the backwoods felt that if they could hear their neighbors' dogs barking, that it was too crowded for them, and it was time to move.

If there was ever an indication of the empathy issues with Autism, this is it.

Indivualism: 39
Collectivism: 19

Shocked...

I thought I was more balanced, but it is just a test.

Individualism: 31
Collectivism: 21