Final answer:
A cross-cultural researcher is likely to find higher levels of conformity in collectivistic cultures than in individualistic cultures, due to the former's emphasis on social harmony and group needs over individual desires.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a cross-cultural researcher investigates conformity in both collectivistic cultures and individualistic cultures, she is generally likely to find that conformity tendencies vary significantly between these cultural contexts. People from individualistic cultures, which include Western nations such as the United States, England, and Australia, prioritize independence, competition, and personal achievement. In contrast collectivistic cultures, more common in Asian, Latin American, and African countries, emphasize social harmony, group needs and relationships over the individual. As such, conformity is typically higher in collectivistic cultures due to the value placed on social harmony and the prioritization of group needs over individual desires. Studies have shown that these cultural values significantly influence personality, with individualist cultures encouraging more personally oriented personality traits while collectivist cultures foster more socially oriented traits.
This reflects in various behaviors and motivations such as collectivistic cultures commonly engaging in activities for the betterment of the family or group. Understanding these differences is critical for cross-cultural researchers who aim to assess personality or conformity in diverse cultural settings accurately.