Culture & Personality
Kimberley A. Clow
kclow2@uwo.ca
http://instruct.uwo.ca/psychology/257e-570
Office Hour: Thursdays 2-3pm
Office: 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?
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
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
Reckless
-43
Amazing
62
Sickening
43
Crazy
-49
Superior
58
Terrifying
41
Formidable
56
Filthy
41
Resplendent 56
Greasy
39
VE VALENCE
NEGATIVE
VALENCE
Not special -35
Cruel
39
OPENNESS
Mediocre
-40
38
62
Sickening Wicked
43
58
Terrifying
41
Bohemian
38
ble
56
Filthy
41
Mystical
40
ent CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
56
Greasy
39
AGREEABLENESS
Quaint
42
ial -35
Cruel
39
Well-balanced
64
Easy-going
54
Gossiping
-36
e
-40
Wicked
38
Moderate
54
49
Disclosing Good-natured
-34
Reasonable
53
Docile
46
Nosy
-30
Hasty
-42
Stormy
-45
IENTIOUSNESS
AGREEABLENESS
Reckless
-43
Unreconciling -47
-49
-48
ancedCrazy
64
Easy-going Unyielding
54
e
54
Good-natured
49
PLEASANTNESS
ble
53
Docile
46
-42
Stormy
-45
Happy
54
OPENNESS
-43
Unreconciling 53
-47
Engergetic
Bohemian
38
-49
Unyielding
-48
Relaxed
48
Mystical
40
Stressed
–53
Quaint
42
Depressed
–54
Gossiping
-36
ESS Disclosing
Unhappy
–56
-34
-30
n Nosy
38
40
Resulting Factors
Unreconciling -47
Nosy
Unyielding -30
-48
PLEASANTNESS
Happy
Engergetic
Relaxed
Stressed
Depressed
Unhappy
54
53
48
–53
–54
–56
ENGAGEMENT
Ardent
Seething
Intense
Cold
Idle
Unemotional
43
36
35
-34
-30
-37
CIRCUMPLEX MODEL OF AFFECT
Circumplex Model of Affect
Aroused
Engagement
Fearful
Hi Negative
Affect
Hi Positive Enthusiastic
Affect
Sad Unpleasantness
Pleasantness Happy
Lo Positive
Sluggish Affect
Lo Negative
Affect Calm
Disengagement
Sleepy
Etic vs. Emic
INDIGENOUS SPANISH BIG 5
IMPORTED BIG 5 Agree
Agreeableness
Conscientious.
Openness
Extraversion
Neuroticism
Consc
Open
Pleasant Engage
71
60
22
75
-43
45
40
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
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
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Japan
USA
ps
y
ch
o
ph
y
lo
g
ic
al
sic
al
at
go
in
ac
te
al
t
iv
re
s
ud
iti
s
ts
es
es
tit
Structural Framework - USA
Historical
Background
Cultural
Practices
Religion:
Protestantism:
Personal god
Linguistics:
Decontextualized "I"
Philosophy
Descartes:
I think, therefore I am.
Advertisements:
"Just do it",
"Different is
good"
"Have it your
Politics
way, right
-Declaration of
away"
Independence
-Bill of Rights Legal System:
- Free will
- Reponsibility
Specific
Episodes
Guests told to
"help themselves"
Children have
own rooms,
choose their
own clothing
Compliments
to colleagues
"Are you
happy/having
fun?"
Psychological
Tendencies
- Individual
control and
responsibility
- Consistency
- Positive and
unique self
Structural Framework - Japan
Historical
Background
Religion:
- Buddhism
(compassion,
Nirvana)
Cultural
Practices
Specific
Episodes
Linguistics:
Host decides
Word for "self" for the guest.
= "my share"
Children eat,
Proverbs:
sleep, learn in
- Confucianism "a nail that
groups.
(roles, respect stands out is
Compliments
for ancestors) hammered
are refused.
down"
"Aren't you
Legal System:
ashamed?"
- duty
- remorse
Psychological
Tendencies
- Focus on
group context
- Self is context
dependent
- Improvement
"Fitting in"
Independent Self
Father
Mother
Sibling
Self
Co-Worker
Friend
Friend
Friend
Interdependent Self
Mother
Father
Co-Worker
Sibling
Self
Friend
Friend
Friend
Individualism vs. Collectivism
Variation Within Cultures
0.5
0.3
0.1
-0.1
America
Indonesia
Individualism
America
Indonesia
Collectivism
-0.3
-0.5
Low
High
Identification
0.5
0.3
0.1
-0.1
-0.3
-0.5
Low
High
Identification
VERTICAL
USA
India
COLLECTIVISTIC
INDIVIDUALISTIC
Israel?
Sweden
HORIZONTAL
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
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