comparative value priorities of chinese and new zealand

as undesirable. These kinds of commentary indicate that in non-Western societies such
as China there are still questions arising as to validity of the SVS item construction
using the abstract value (qualification) structure, and the reliability of item-todimension
correlations that require further investigation.
Conclusions Concerning the SVS
Given the sample sizes for this study, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn
concerning the general reliability of the SVS in the two cultures. Whilst the alpha for
Hedonism in China is quite low; this set of items will be used until further research can
investigate the usefulness of these three items to define the Hedonism dimension in
China and other cultures. Other reliability study results indicate the SVS is an
acceptably reliable instrument to investigate differences between my samples. All items
are maintained in the analyses to provide comparability with past studies using the SVS,
the answer to the question “Are there appropriate measuring instruments to assess
dimensions and structures?” for the SVS is yes, the instrument is adequate.
SAMPLING ISSUES
The bulk of cross-cultural research consists of cross-cultural comparisons that
investigate the existence of differences across cultural groups. Methodologically, such
studies are field studies, quasi-experimental studies in which cultural group is the
independent variable and individual, usually psychological, variables are dependent
variables. Most often the sample cultural groups are national groups (i.e., from single
countries), although ethnic, language, and racial groupings are also studied. When the
basic independent variable in cross-cultural research is country or nation of residence of
participants, problems can then arise when scholars view this one variable as a
superordinate package of other dimensions and interpret this variable as not only
descriptive but also explanatory (Whiting 1976).
The Nation-State as a Useful Variable in Cross-Cultural Behavioural Research
Smith (2004b) believes the sheer convenience of currently available nation-based
databanks from major projects force many researchers into simplification of culture by
defining it as national culture. Smith believes that in future studies it is important to use
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