What Is Dialectical Thinking? Conceptualization and Measurement

In the past several decades, research comparing dialectical and non-dialectical (“linear”) cultures has flourished, as have empirical studies on holistic versus analytic thinking. This literature has identified East-West cultural differences in almost all aspects of the human condition and life, from the manner in which people reason and make decisions, to how they conceptualize themselves and others, to how they cope with stress and mental illness. This chapter defines dialectical and holistic thinking, distinguishing them from related epistemologies (e.g., Hegelian and Marxist dialectical thinking) and cultural constructs (e.g., collectivism and interdependence). The chapter then discusses the various ways dialectical thinking has been operationalized, measured (e.g., with the Dialectical Self Scale), and manipulated in the literature. Lastly, the chapter examines the issue of how dialecticism, especially tolerance of contradiction, influences the manner in which people respond to self-report measures in the first place and the implications this has for cross-cultural research.