Japanese Version of the Agentic and Communal Values Scale: Pervasiveness of the Two Dimensions

Abstract This study explores the cultural pervasiveness of the two‐dimensional construct of agency and communion by developing a Japanese version of the Agentic and Communal Values Scale (ACV‐J, and its short version, SACV‐J) originally developed by Trapnell and Paulhus (2012). The translation process involved translating the items into Japanese, validating the translation through preliminary studies, and back‐translating into English, after which the original authors confirmed its accuracy. Participants comprised 541 Japanese university students. The results of factor analyses utilized to validate the two‐factor structure of the (S)ACV‐J incompletely supported the two‐factor structure. Correlations between agency, communion, and four criterion measures (BIDR‐J, BSRI, IPIP‐IPC‐J, and DTDD‐J) confirmed the convergent and discriminant validity of ACV‐J, with some cultural variations noted in the agency dimension. As predicted, gender differences were identified for items agency and communion, yet the observed tendencies were inconsistent with those reported in the previous study. The validity of ACV‐J and the SACV‐J, the pervasiveness of the two‐dimensional construct, and the advantages of investigating gender perceptions with the ACV‐J and the SACV‐J are discussed.