The authors report two studies on notions of honor (i.e., the situations and behaviors associated with honor, its enhancement, and its loss) in a Mediterranean country (Spain) and a northern European country (the Netherlands). A total of 271 persons (140 Spanish, 131 Dutch) participated in Study 1, and a total of 327 persons (169 Spanish, 158 Dutch) participated in Study 2. The main aim of Study 1 was to characterize Spain and the Netherlands in terms of their value priorities. Study 2 consisted of an in-depth analysis of Spanish and Dutch participants’free descriptions of honor. The results indicated that Spanish and Dutch notions of honor are closely related to the values emphasized in these countries: Honor is more closely related to family and social interdependence in Spain than in the Netherlands, whereas honor is associated with self-achievement and autonomy to a greater extent in the Netherlands than in Spain.
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