There are many behavior, philosophy, and value differences between individualistic and collectivistic cultures. These patterns emerge in a variety of areas. Examples of a few are shown below.
Explaining causes of behavior
Dispositional attributions; attribute things to internal/personal factors
Situational attributions; attribute things to external/circumstantial factors
Favoring or taking credit for oneself, blaming shortcomings on others. May boost self-esteem
More common
Less common
Usually exhibited more personal traits
Usually exhibited more social traits
Cultural norms about properly expressing emotions
Lax rules, self-expression accepted
Preference for self-control and restraint
Some may begin to think that one cultural orientation is better or worse than the other. For instance, one could argue that individualism encourages selfishness, narcissism, and motivation for self-interest. Or, that it accepts diversity, freedom, and pursuit of individual goals. Similarly, one could argue that collectivism is repressive, intolerant of differences, and discourages independence. Or, that it facilitates harmony, collaboration, and group support.
In reality, there is no measure of quality for individualism or collectivism, they are merely two different types of cultures.
Naturally, societies are not so easily categorized, and not as clear cut as they may seem. Not all people in a country expected to be individualistic or collectivistic will act within those expectations, or if they do, then not always. They may also exhibit seemingly contradictory behaviors and values, conflicting with whatever orientation their culture should be.
Researchers found that Western cultures (usually individualistic) actually placed below average on self-reliance but higher on commitment to others. Latin American cultures (usually collectivistic) placed similarly to Western cultures on self-expression, and higher on self-interest. Moreover, in Malaysia, most aspects of culture are typically collectivist in nature. However, some Malaysian employees reported a high level of competition between one another, which is usually an individualist trait.
These findings challenge the belief that individualistic societies are entirely independent, and that collectivistic societies are entirely interdependent. In reality, there are many factors in play when it comes to these two social philosophies, such as history, socioeconomics, ecology, and cultural customs.