Horizontal and Vertical Individualism–Collectivism Scale

What it measures

The HVIC scale extends the standard individualism–collectivism distinction by recognising that both orientations can be equality-based (horizontal) or hierarchy-based (vertical). This produces four meaningfully distinct cultural value orientations relevant to consumer behaviour. HI predicts preference for uniqueness and independence without competitive striving. VI predicts competitive consumption and status-seeking. HC predicts communal sharing and in-group harmony. VC predicts deference to family authority in purchasing and sacrifice for in-group welfare. Multiple versions exist — the Singelis et al. (1995) 32-item version, the Triandis and Gelfand (1998) 16-item version, and the Sivadas et al. (2008) 14-item reduced version are all in use.

Response format

9-point scale (1=never or definitely no to 9=always or definitely yes); 8 items per dimension; scores averaged within dimensions. Triandis & Gelfand (1998) used 16 items; Sivadas et al. (2008) reduced 14-item version also available.

Scale items

Horizontal Individualism (HI) — autonomy and uniqueness without status hierarchy (9-point scale). Singelis et al. (1995) items; superscript 'a' = also in Sivadas et al. (2008); 'b' = also in Triandis & Gelfand (1998).

• I often do 'my own thing.' (a,b)
• One should live one's life independently of others.
• I like my privacy.
• I prefer to be direct and forthright when discussing with people.
• I am a unique individual. (a)
• What happens to me is my own doing.
• When I succeed, it is usually because of my abilities.
• I enjoy being unique and different from others in many ways. (a)

Vertical Individualism (VI) — competition and achievement of higher status than others (9-point scale)

• It annoys me when other people perform better than I do.
• Competition is the law of nature. (a,b)
• When another person does better than I do, I get tense and aroused. (b)
• Without competition, it is not possible to have a good society. (a)
• Winning is everything. (b)
• It is important that I do my job better than others. (b)
• I enjoy working in situations involving competition with others. (a)
• Some people emphasize winning; I'm not one of them. (R)

Horizontal Collectivism (HC) — valuing in-group welfare and cooperation as equals (9-point scale)

• The well-being of my coworkers is important to me. (a,b)
• If a coworker gets a prize, I would feel proud. (a,b)
• If a relative were in financial difficulty, I would help within my means.
• It is important to maintain harmony within my group.
• I like sharing little things with my neighbors.
• I feel good when I cooperate with others. (a,b)
• My happiness depends very much on the happiness of those around me. (a)
• To me, pleasure is spending time with others. (b)

Vertical Collectivism (VC) — deference to in-group authority and self-sacrifice for hierarchically ordered groups (9-point scale)

• I would sacrifice an activity that I enjoy very much if my family did not approve of it. (a)
• I would do what would please my family, even if I detested that activity. (a)
• Before taking a major trip, I consult with most members of my family and many friends.
• I usually sacrifice my self-interest for the benefit of the group. (a)
• Children should be taught to place duty before pleasure.
• I hate to disagree with others in my group.
• We should keep our aging parents with us at home.
• Children should feel honored if their parents receive a distinguished award. (a)

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Four subscales should always be scored and interpreted separately — do not aggregate. Reliabilities range from 0.67 (HI, Singelis et al.) to 0.82 (HI, Triandis & Gelfand Study 4). The Triandis & Gelfand (1998) 16-item version is commonly used for its improved factor clarity. The Sivadas et al. (2008) 14-item reduced version is recommended for survey-constrained contexts. Item marked (R) in VI requires reverse scoring. All cultures contain individuals with high scores on any of the four patterns. HI/VI distinctions are particularly useful for predicting competitive vs unique consumption, while HC/VC distinctions predict communal vs authority-deferring behaviour.

Recommended companion scales

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, 29(3), 240–275.

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