East-West beliefs challenged by North-South evidence about collectivism versus individualism

Psychologists inevitably study people from collectivistic or individualistic cultures, who have adapted their psychosocial habits to their natural habitats. Therefore, understanding the precursors of degrees of collectivism is essential. To this end, the present report shows that, geographically, collectivism varies negligibly from East to West but decreases at higher latitudes, even across 50 African countries (low latitudes), 50 United States (intermediate latitudes), and 85 Russian regions (high latitudes). Ecologically, there is robust support for the system-theoretical hypothesis that greater stability of day length, temperature, and daily precipitation over the course of the year promotes collectivism. Consequently, geographical positionings of collectivism in the distant past can forecast geographical positionings of collectivism today. This long-term predictability of collectivism versus individualism holds true in all four hemispheres as well as on finer spatial scales. This includes Africans inhabiting the oldest human habitats on Earth and Americans residing in the relatively young United States. • Natural habitats vary in North-South rather than East-West direction. • Inhabitants adapt their psychosocial habits to their natural habitats. • Collectivist habits increase in more stable habitats at lower latitudes. • Psychosocial knowledge differs across latitude rather than longitude.