Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile: A Review of How Collectivistic Cultures Compete More Than Individualistic Cultures

Abstract

Why is there so much competition in seemingly harmonious societies? In this chapter, we connect different veins of research on cultural differences in competition. We first review cultural variation in people's attitudes about competition. Next, we discuss why and how people from different cultures compete. We argue that, in cultures that demand social harmony, people use tacit strategies to compete against others. This social vigilance is a consequence of collectivism, rather than the exception. Next, we explore how people from different cultures enter competitions and how it affects them afterwards. We end with a discussion of whether there can be versions of collectivistic societies without competition or whether this is a utopian dream.

Unpacking Interplays Between Competitiveness, Cooperativeness, and Social Comparison Orientation: A Network Psychometric Approach and Replication

“…Future studies should consider employing a broader range of measurements and methodologies to encapsulate the full spectrum of competitiveness and cooperativeness and their potential societal influences. Third, the cultural applicability of the findings, while mitigated by the inclusion of samples from both southern and northern regions (Talhelm et al, 2014), is limited by a single nation population (Wu & Talhelm, 2023). Subsequent research should adopt a wider geographical lens, engaging in cross-cultural studies.…”