Western Individualism May Have Roots In The Medieval Church's Obsession With Incest
Researchers combed Vatican archives to find records of how ancient church policies shaped Western values and family structures today.
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Most people living in Western, developed countries are psychologically distinct from the rest of the world.
For one, they tend to be more individualistic and think of themselves as being independent of other people.
"There is a stronger sense of autonomy and agency," says Ara Noranzayan, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia, who in 2010, along with some colleagues published a study describing these psychological attributes of people in so-called Western Educated Industrialized Rich Democratic (WEIRD) countries.
On the other hand, people in other parts of the world tend to be more "collectivistic," says Norenzayan, because their lives are embedded in extended family networks and obligations. They "are more
