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Culture & Personality

Kimberley A. Clow

kclow2@uwo.cahttp://instruct.uwo.ca/psychology/257e-570

Office Hour: Thursdays 2-3pmOffice: S302

Outline

�What is Culture

�Approaches to Culture�Comparative Approach

�Emic vs. Etic

�Types of Culture�Evoked

�Transmitted

�Universal

�Summary

How Do We Compare?

� In some ways� We are like all other people� We are like some others� We are like nobody else

� How does culture shape who we are?

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What is Culture?

�Definitions�Shared system of meaning that provide the

standards for perceiving, believing, evaluating, communicating, and acting among those who share a language, a historic period, and a geographic location

�The way people understand their world and make sense of it through a shared system of meaning

Why Study Culture?

�Reasons�Discover whether concepts of personality

that are prevalent in one culture are also applicable in other cultures

�Discover whether cultures differ in the levels of particular personality traits

�Discover whether the factor structure of personality traits varies across cultures

�Discover whether certain features of personality are universal

Approaches to Culture

�How to handle cultural differences�Denial

�Deconstructionism

�Comparative Approach

�Three Major Types of Cultures�Evoked Culture

�Transmitted Culture

�Cultural Universals

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Culture in Personality Theories

�Psychodynamic Approach�Freud’s Theory

�Jung’s Archetypes

�Learning Approach�Allport

�Culture is part of what it means to be a person

�Trait Approach�Do factors hold up across cultures?

Comparative Approach

�Etic�Universal

�Objective

�Outsider’s view

�Emic�Specific

�Subjective

�Insider’s view

An Example

�Personality in Spain�Do people use the same personality traits in

the U.S. and Spain?

�Emic Approach�Indigenous assessment of personality

�Spanish personality adjectives

�Etic Approach�Imported assessment of personality

�Translated Big Five questionnaire

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Resulting Factors

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS

Well-balanced 64Moderate 54Reasonable 53Hasty -42Reckless -43Crazy -49

OPENNESS

Bohemian 38Mystical 40Quaint 42Gossiping -36Disclosing -34Nosy -30

PLEASANTNESS

Happy 54Engergetic 53Relaxed 48Stressed –53Depressed –54Unhappy –56

ENGAGEMENT

Ardent 43Seething 36Intense 35Cold -34Idle -30Unemotional -37

AGREEABLENESS

Easy-going 54Good-natured 49Docile 46Stormy -45Unreconciling -47Unyielding -48

Circumplex Model of Affect

Aroused

Engagement

Fearful Hi Negative Hi Positive Enthusiastic Affect Affect

Sad Unpleasantness Pleasantness Happy

Lo Positive Lo Negative Sluggish Affect Affect Calm Disengagement

Sleepy

Etic vs. Emic

INDIGENOUS SPANISH BIG 5 IMPORTED BIG 5 Agree Consc Open Pleasant Engage

Agreeableness 71

Conscientious. 60

Openness 22

Extraversion 75 45 Neuroticism -43 40

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Evoked Culture

�A way of considering culture that concentrates on phenomena that are triggered in different ways by different environmental conditions�A universal underlying mechanism�Environmental differences in activating that

underlying mechanism

�Example�Southern Culture of Honor

Southern Culture of Honor

Transmitted Culture

�Representations (ideas, values, beliefs, attitudes) that exist originally in at least one person's mind that are transmitted to other minds through observation or interaction with the original person

�Might explain cultural differences in�Morals & Values

�Self-Concepts

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Etiquette: East vs. West

�Displays of Temper

�Tone of Voice

�Modesty vs. Pride

�Laughing

�Compliments

�Using First Names

�Touching

�Disclosures

�Offensive Gestures

�Agreeing

�Formality

�Face

The Self

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

psychological

physical

attitudes

interests

activities

goals

JapanUSA

Structural Framework - USA

Historical Background

Cultural Practices

Specific Episodes

Psychological Tendencies

Religion: Protestantism: Personal god

Philosophy Descartes: I think, there-fore I am.

Politics -Declaration of Independence -Bill of Rights

Linguistics: Decontextua-lized "I"

Advertisements: "Just do it", "Different is good" "Have it your way, right away"

Legal System: - Free will - Reponsibility

Guests told to "help them-selves"

Children have own rooms, choose their own clothing

Compliments to colleagues

"Are you happy/having fun?"

- Individual control and responsibility - Consistency - Positive and unique self

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Structural Framework - Japan

Historical Background

Cultural Practices

Specific Episodes

Psychological Tendencies

Religion: - Buddhism (compassion, Nirvana)

- Confucianism (roles, respect for ancestors)

Linguistics: Word for "self" = "my share"

Proverbs: "a nail that stands out is hammered down"

Legal System: - duty - remorse

Host decides for the guest.

Children eat, sleep, learn in groups.

Compliments are refused.

"Aren't you ashamed?"

- Focus on group context - Self is context dependent - Improvement "Fitting in"

Independent Self

Self

Mother

Friend

Father

Co-Worker

Sibling

FriendFriend

Interdependent Self

Self

Mother

Friend

Father

Co-Worker

Sibling

FriendFriend

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Individualism vs. Collectivism

Variation Within Cultures

-0.5

-0.3

-0.1

0.1

0.3

0.5

Low High

Identification

AmericaIndonesia

-0.5

-0.3

-0.1

0.1

0.3

0.5

Low High

Identification

AmericaIndonesia

Individualism

Collectivism

VERTICAL

HORIZONTAL

INDIVIDUALISTICCOLLECTIVISTIC

USAIndia

Israel? Sweden

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Cultural Values

�Hofstede studied IBM employees in 50 different countries�Found four cultural value dimensions

�Power Distance�Canada vs. India

�Uncertainty Avoidance�Japan vs. Hong-Kong

�Individualism / Collectivism�US vs. China

�Masculinity / Femininity�Brazil vs. Mexico

A Different Take

�Trompenaars�Individualism vs. Collectivism

�US vs. China

�Universalism vs. Particularism�Germany vs. Hong-Kong

�Neutral vs. Affective Relationships�Japan vs. Mexico

�Specific vs. Diffuse Relationships�Achievement vs. Ascription

�UK vs. India

Cultural Universals

�Attempt to identify features of personality that appear to be universal, or present in most or all cultures

�Some Examples�Gender Stereotypes

�Emotion

�Personality Factors

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Emotional Expressions

Universality in Emotional Expressions

Summary

�Cultural psychology studies the influence of cultural factors on people’s personality

�Every approach to personality needs to account for cross-cultural differences

�Global cross-cultural differences do not imply uniformity within each culture�Subcultures do exist!

�Individual differences are also present