Cultural differences in the measurement of self-curiosity within Mexico: a person-centered and variable-centered study

F1000Res. 2023 Sep 18:12:1168. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.140151.1. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Background: This study assessed the role of culture in the measurement of the Self-Curiosity Attitude-Interest scale (SCAI-M), a measure of attitude and interest in increasing one's knowledge of self, adopting both a person-centered and variable-centered approach. Methods: The study was conducted on a Mexican sample composed of 484 adult participants who completed both the SCAI-M and a series of instruments that measure cultural dimensions through Qualtrix. Data were collected between November 9, to December 18, 2020, and respondents were contacted using advertisements on social media platforms (Facebook and WhatsApp). Analyses included multigroup confirmatory factor analysis and latent profile analysis. Results: A latent profile analysis allowed for the generation of three groups featuring distinct cultural orientations that were similar to previously found cultural profiles (Consensus-oriented Egalitarians, Flexible Individualists, and Rules-based Competitors). Multigroup Confirmative Factor Analysis showed partial metric and scalar invariance for the SCAI-M between groups; moreover, we found proofs of convergent validity with other cultural dimensions besides the ones linked with the Hofstede model. Our results indicate that cultural profiles and cultural variables are associated with both the level and meaning of self-curiosity among Mexican citizens. Conclusions: Finally, the discussion includes considerations on self-curiosity divergence among minority cultures and relevant clinical applications; a field for which we propose future research.

Keywords: Cultural profiles; Latent Profile Analysis; Measurement invariance; Self-Curiosity Attitude-Interest Scale.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attitude*
  • Exploratory Behavior*
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Humans
  • Mexico

Grants and funding

The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work.