Cultural dimensions: a factor analysis of textor's a cross-cultural summary

Behavior Science Notes • Vol/Iss. 7 • Published In • Pages: 37-81 •
By Stewart, Robert A. C., Jones, Kenneth J.

Abstract

This article uses factor analysis to identify the key variables underlying the many cross-cultural associations reported by Textor (1967). Twelve factors are identified.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
OtherOther Researchers

Hypotheses (12)

HypothesisSupported
Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 1, "structural complexity", loaded highly and positively on legal variables, medical variables, social structural complexity, and division of specialized labor. Factor 1 loaded negatively on support to legal clients during judgement (56)Supported
Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 2, "father-centered family", loaded highly and positively on patrilocal marital residence and bride price; patrilineal kin group; castes present; Circum-Mediterranean, with Afro-Asiatic linguistic affiliation; active high god; and subsistence by animal husbandry. Factor 2 loaded highly and negatively on painful female initiation rites (57)Supported
Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 3, "tropical rain forest culture", loaded highly and positively on Malayo-Polynesian linguistic affiliation; tropical rain forest; horticulture subsistence; gift exchange to obtain wives; pig husbandry; secure food supply; and games of skill. Factor 3 loaded highly and negatively on cereal crops (57)Supported
Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 4, "paternal authority", loaded highly and positively on household authority with father; high early aggression satisfaction potential; and patrilocal marital residence. Factor 4 loaded highly and negatively on desert grasses; matrilocal marital residence; Athabaskan linguistic affiliation; high anal socialization anxiety; modesty training six years or higher; and matrilineal kin group (58)Supported
Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 5, "matrilineal kin groups", loaded highly and positively on Crow-type cousin terminology; kin group matrilineal; community segmented on a clan basis; matrilocal marital residence; cousin marriage unilateral; codified laws present. Factor 5 loaded highly and negatively on kin groups patrilineal or double descent; marital residence patrilocal (59)Supported
Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 6, "status as determined by occupation", loaded highly and positively on class stratification based on occupational status; large state is level of political integration; city present; hierarchy of national jurisdiction has 3 or 4 levels; plow present; located in Southeast Asia. Factor 6 loaded negatively on medical client highly hampered from returning to normal social roles; marriage commonly or occasionally polygynous (59-60)Supported
Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 7, "aggressive achievement behavior", loaded highly and positively on composite narcissism index; extreme bellicosity; strong or moderate emphasis on military glory; extreme boastfulness; high total positive pressure toward developing self-reliant behavior in child; warfare prevalent; incidence of personal crime above median; full-time entrepreneurs (60)Supported
Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 8, "North American tribal culture", loaded highly and positively on latitude 30 degrees or greater; located in North America; natural environment temperate grassland; principal ethnographers American; settlements non-fixed-movement nomadic; daily protein intake 80 grams or higher. Factor 8 loaded negatively on tropics 23 1/2 degrees from equator; games of strategy rather than chance; subsistence by agriculture and food production; African-linguistic affiliation Niger-Congo; Old World; tropical grasslands (61)Supported
Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 9, "child affection and indulgence", loaded highly and positively on high indulgence of infant and child; high display of affection to infant; high degree of drive reduction and satisfaction immediacy. Factor 9 loaded negatively on high inferred conflict regarding responsible, obedient, and self-reliant behavior for child; high degree of pain inflicted on infant by nurturant agent (61-62)Supported
Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 10, "sexual restraint cultures", loaded highly and positively on high dissociation of sexes at adolescence or customs of initiation at adolescence; contraception practiced; women after delivery segregated in special shelter; exclusive mother-son sleeping arrangements last one year or longer. Factor 10 loaded negatively on women after delivery are confined to dwelling; avoidance therapies of an aggressive nature present; latitude 30 degrees or greater (62-63)Supported
Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 11, "postpartum sex taboo", loaded highly and positively on postpartum sex taboo lasts more than one year; grandparents and granchild are friendly equals; male initiation ceremonies at puberty; fear of human beings; observation of food taboos. Factor 11 loaded negatively on cousin marriage preferred or prescribed (63)Supported
Findings: A factor analysis of key dimensions to describe a given culture yielded 12 factors. Factor 12, "adolescent peer group activity", loaded highly and positively on time and setting of adolescent peer groups; conflict regarding achievement and obedient behavor of child; exhibitionistic dancing emphasized; and kin group patrilineal or double descent. Factor 12 loaded negatively on games of skill and wives obtained by bride price (64)Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: mas  Amelia Piazza