“Self-Definition in Modernity: An International Comparative Study of the Twenty Statements Test (TST)”

Identity has become a central concept in understanding the relationship between individuals and society in modern contexts. This research explores how levels of modernization and individualization shape patterns of self-definition, focusing on the role of socio-cultural environments. Grounded in symbolic interactionism (Mead, 1934) and Giddens’ theory of modernity (1991), the research emphasizes the impact of individualization and autonomy on identity formation. Drawing from Inglehart, Hofstede, Bauman, and Castells, among others, it examines how social and cultural changes influence personal identities.

Using the Twenty Statements Test (TST) (Kuhn & McParland, 1954), the study compares self-definitions in Spain, Chile, South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with a diverse sample of over 5,000 participants. A complex coding scheme (Escobar, 1983) categorizes self-definitions into three dimensions: sense (subjective vs. objective meaning), reference (association with groups, things, or institutions), and attribution (subjective self-descriptions). This cross-cultural analysis uncovers significant differences in self-definition patterns, which are closely linked to each country’s level of modernization and individualization.

The findings reveal how social contexts influence personal identity, with notable variations in social embeddedness and the role of leisure or work in self-definition. These results highlight the non-linear relationship between the individual and societal structures in shaping identity. Moreover, the study identifies emerging forms of self-definition, reflecting broader shifts in self-perception and the reconfiguration of social roles, in line with the work of Giddens (1991), Beck (2002), and Bauman (2001). By integrating cross-cultural and empirical perspectives, this research contributes to understanding the interplay between individual agency and social structure in shaping identities, offering insights into how modernization and individualization drive identity formation across diverse social settings.