Differences between tight and loose cultures : a 33-nation study

With data from 33 nations, we illustrate the differences between cultures that are tight (have many strong norms and a low tolerance of deviant behavior) versus loose (have weak social norms and a high tolerance of deviant behavior). Tightness-looseness is part of a complex, loosely integrated multilevel system that comprises distal ecological and historical threats (e.g., high population density, resource scarcity, a history of territorial conflict, and disease and environmental threats), broad versus narrow socialization in societal institutions (e.g., autocracy, media regulations), the strength of everyday recurring situations, and micro-level psychological affordances (e.g., prevention self-guides, high regulatory strength, need for structure). This research advances knowledge that can foster cross-cultural understanding in a world of increasing global interdependence and has implications for modeling cultural change.Supported by NSF grant 9910760 and U.S. Army Research Lab and Research Office grant W911NF-08-1-0144 (M.J.G.), Turkish Academy of Sciences (Z.A.), Polish Academy of Sciences (P. B.), Australian Research Council (Y.K.), and Estonian Ministry of Science (A. R.). We thank C. B. Bruss and R. Mohr for their help in preparing this manuscript