In 2012, Dan Kahan et al. developed a test to identify people who are high on individualism and hierarchy. According to his research, 1-in-6 White men are high on individualist and hierarchical preferences. However, the test’s questions were leading, namely, the questions, by design, would only identify certain White men as HI (hierarchy-individualism), and no one else.
Women and non-Whites were practically excluded from scoring on the “wrong end”. I decided to go over the pseudo-scientific test anyway, and discuss questions that nowadays, in 2025, appear to be simply mainstream truths.
A. Egalitarianism-Hierarchy
It seems like the criminals and welfare cheats get all the breaks, while the average citizen picks up the tab.
We have gone too far in pushing equal rights in this country.
Society as a whole has become too soft and feminine.
Nowadays, it seems like there is just as much discrimination against whites as there is against blacks.
It seems like blacks, women, homosexuals and other groups don’t want equal rights, they want special rights just for them.
A lot of problems in our society today come from the decline in the traditional family, where the man works, and the woman stays home.
The women’s rights movement has gone too far.
Discrimination against minorities is still a very serious problem in our society.
It’s old-fashioned and wrong to think that one culture’s set of values is better than any other culture’s way of seeing the world.
We need to dramatically reduce inequalities between the rich and the poor, whites and people of color, and men and women.
Parents should encourage young boys to be more sensitive and less “rough and tough.”
Our society would be better off if the distribution of wealth was more equal.
We live in a sexist society that is fundamentally set up to discriminate against women.
B. Individualism-Solidarism
People who are successful in business have a right to enjoy their wealth as they see fit. If the government spent less time trying to fix everyone’s problems, we’d all be a lot better off.
Government regulations are almost always a waste of everyone’s time and money.
The government interferes far too much in our everyday lives.
Free markets--not government programs--are the best way to supply people with the things they need. Too many people today expect society to do things for them that they should be doing for themselves. It’s a mistake to ask society to help every person in need.
The government should stop telling people how to live their lives.
Private profit is the main motive for hard work.
It’s not the government’s business to try to protect people from themselves.
Society works best when it lets individuals take responsibility for their own lives without telling them what to do. Our government tries to do too many things for too many people. We should just let people take care of themselves. Sometimes government needs to make laws that keep people from hurting themselves.
Government should put limits on the choices individuals can make so they don’t get in the way of what’s good for society.
It’s society’s responsibility to make sure everyone’s basic needs are met.
The government should do more to advance society’s goals, even if that means limiting the freedom and choices of individuals.
People should be able to rely on the government for help when they need it.
