Examining associations between individualism, collectivism, and undergraduate students’ decisions to seek and give academic help

Help-seeking and help-giving are critical learning behaviors that contribute to academic success in higher education, yet limited research has explored these behaviors from a cultural perspective. The purpose of this study was to examine how different elements of individualism and collectivism predict undergraduate students' ( N = 645 students from a university in the United States) decisions to seek and give academic help. Results showed that: a) students who perceived themselves as unique and different from others reported being more likely than their peers to both seek and give academic help; b) students with competitive beliefs and attitudes were no more or less likely to seek or give academic help than their peers; c) students who valued advice in decision-making were more likely than their peers to both seek and give academic help; and d) students who prioritized group harmony over personal goals were less likely to seek help but equally likely to provide help as their peers. Overall, the findings add nuance to existing understandings of students' help-seeking and help-giving behaviors and illustrate the importance of investigating culture through a multidimensional lens. • Examined cultural influences on academic help-seeking and help-giving • Personal uniqueness predicted greater participation in help-seeking and help-giving. • Value for advice predicted greater participation in help-seeking and help-giving • Prioritization of group harmony predicted lower participation in help-seeking.