A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF TURKISH AND BELGIAN YOUTH

In a comparative study of Belgian and Turkish youth and Turkish migran t youth in Belgium, the psychological relevance of individualistic-col lectivistic value orientations for personal motivation was studied. A new Motives Questionnaire with cross-culturally equivalent scales for general motivational dimensions is presented. A multiple-strategy appr oach is proposed to establish equivalence, combining factor analysis a nd individual difference scaling (INDSCAL) with a measure of external validity in each group. Our findings support partial equivalence and a llow a refinement of the individualism-collectivism opposition, reveal ing motivational conflicts of individualistic Self-Realization and Aut onomy poles with respectively collectivist Social Contact and Group Lo yalty poles. Effects of social and cultural change on motivation are d iscussed. Preference for individualistic Self-Realization together wit h collectivist Group Loyalty in modem Turkish youth integrates individ ualistic-collectivist values into a group-oriented achievement motive.