Examining the dimensionality of self-construals and individualistic-collectivistic values with random intercept item factor analysis

The construct of self-construal and its counterpart, individualistic and collectivistic (I-C) values, have been widely studied in cross-cultural research. Although theorists often conceptualize the two self-construals (independence-interdependence) as being bipolar to each other, empirical research has found that these construals are orthogonal. The current research re-visits the dimensionality of self-construals and I-C values using random intercept item factor analysis, a statistical procedure used to control for acquiescence bias. Our results (N= 524 in Study 1; N= 22,402 in Study 2) suggest that acquiescence bias exists consistently in the self-construal measure and the I-C values measure, and that independence and interdependence, as well as I-C values, correlate slightly negative with but are not entirely opposite to each other. This result supports the bidimensionality model for both self-construals and I-C values. Our findings have substantial implications for the future conceptualization and measurement of self-construals.