Extreme Response Style in Cross-Cultural Research

The neglect of the consequences of the Extreme Response Style (ERS) phenomenon in cross-cultural research is documented through a selective literature review. Consideration of ERS differences permitted derivation of three logical consequences that pertain to (a) differences in group means, (b) the internal consistency of measures and the correlation among measures, and (c) results of dimensional analyses. Comparison of U.S. and Korean student samples on a 1 30-item questionnaire revealed stronger ERS in the U.S. sample. Furthermore, the predictions derived from ERS differences were confirmed, thus demonstrating the credibility of the ERS argument. General implications of ERS for cross-cultural research are discussed.

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