Culture and Personality Chapter 17 Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission...

Culture and Culture and PersonalityPersonality

Chapter 17Chapter 17

Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.


IntroductionIntroduction

Several reasons personality psychologists Several reasons personality psychologists believe it is useful to explore personality believe it is useful to explore personality across cultures:across cultures:

Discover whether concepts of personality Discover whether concepts of personality that are prevalent in one culture are also that are prevalent in one culture are also applicable in other culturesapplicable in other cultures

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


IntroductionIntroduction

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

Discover whether certain features of Discover whether certain features of personality are universalpersonality are universal


Cultural Violations—An Cultural Violations—An IllustrationIllustration

Some aspects of personality are Some aspects of personality are highly variable across cultureshighly variable across cultures

Other aspects are universal—Other aspects are universal—features are shared by people features are shared by people everywhereeverywhere


What is Cultural What is Cultural Personality Psychology?Personality Psychology?

Culture: Local within-group Culture: Local within-group similarities and between-group similarities and between-group differences of any sort—physical, differences of any sort—physical, psychological, behavioral, attitudinalpsychological, behavioral, attitudinal

Cultural differences also are termed Cultural differences also are termed cultural variationscultural variations


What is Cultural What is Cultural Personality Psychology?Personality Psychology?

Cultural personality psychology has Cultural personality psychology has three goals:three goals: Discover principles underlying Discover principles underlying

cultural diversitycultural diversity Discover how human psychology Discover how human psychology

shapes cultureshapes culture Discover how cultural Discover how cultural

understandings shape psychologyunderstandings shape psychology


Three Major Approaches to Three Major Approaches to CultureCulture

Evoked CultureEvoked Culture Transmitted CultureTransmitted Culture Cultural UniversalsCultural Universals


Evoked CultureEvoked Culture

Evoked culture refers to a way of Evoked culture refers to a way of considering culture that considering culture that concentrates on phenomena that are concentrates on phenomena that are triggered in different ways by triggered in different ways by different environmental conditionsdifferent environmental conditions


Evoked CultureEvoked Culture

Two ingredients are needed to Two ingredients are needed to explain evoked cultureexplain evoked culture A universal underlying mechanismA universal underlying mechanism Environmental differences in Environmental differences in

activation of underlying activation of underlying mechanismsmechanisms


Evoked Cooperation (Food Evoked Cooperation (Food Sharing)Sharing)

Cultural differences in degree to Cultural differences in degree to which groups share food depend, in which groups share food depend, in part, on external environmental part, on external environmental conditions, notably the variance in conditions, notably the variance in the food supplythe food supply

When variance in food supply is When variance in food supply is high, more sharinghigh, more sharing


Early Experience and Early Experience and Evoked Mating StrategiesEvoked Mating Strategies

According to Belsky and colleagues, According to Belsky and colleagues, harsh, rejecting, inconsistent child-harsh, rejecting, inconsistent child-rearing practices, erratically rearing practices, erratically provided resources, and marital provided resources, and marital discord evoke short-term sexual discord evoke short-term sexual strategy in childrenstrategy in children



Sensitivity of personality and mating Sensitivity of personality and mating strategies to early experience may strategies to early experience may explain cultural differences in the explain cultural differences in the value placed on chastity or virginity value placed on chastity or virginity in a potential matein a potential mate



In China, marriages are lasting, In China, marriages are lasting, divorces are rare, and parents invest divorces are rare, and parents invest heavily in children—high value on heavily in children—high value on chastity, virginitychastity, virginity

In Sweden, divorce is more common, In Sweden, divorce is more common, more children are born outside of more children are born outside of marriage, fewer investing fathers—marriage, fewer investing fathers—low value on chastity, virginitylow value on chastity, virginity



Mating strategies might be Mating strategies might be differentially evoked in different differentially evoked in different cultures, resulting in enduring cultures, resulting in enduring cultural differences in mating cultural differences in mating strategiesstrategies


Honor, Insults, and Evoked Honor, Insults, and Evoked AggressionAggression

In cultures of honor, insults are In cultures of honor, insults are viewed as highly offensive public viewed as highly offensive public challenges that must be met with challenges that must be met with direct confrontation and physical direct confrontation and physical aggressionaggression

One theory attributes the One theory attributes the development of culture of honor to the development of culture of honor to the history of herding economy, where history of herding economy, where resources are subject to mass stealingresources are subject to mass stealing


Honor, Insults, and Evoked Honor, Insults, and Evoked AggressionAggression

Thus, the assumption that all humans Thus, the assumption that all humans have the capacity to develop high have the capacity to develop high sensitivity to public insults and the sensitivity to public insults and the capacity to respond with violencecapacity to respond with violence

These capacities are evoked only in These capacities are evoked only in certain cultures, however, and lie certain cultures, however, and lie dormant in others (non-herding dormant in others (non-herding economies)economies)


Transmitted CultureTransmitted Culture

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


Transmitted CultureTransmitted Culture

Cultural Differences in Moral ValuesCultural Differences in Moral Values Many moral values are specific to Many moral values are specific to

particular cultures and are likely particular cultures and are likely to be examples of transmitted to be examples of transmitted cultureculture


Reaching Across the Great Reaching Across the Great Divide: The Psychology of Divide: The Psychology of Cross-Cultural MarriagesCross-Cultural Marriages

Two lines of inquiry of interest to Two lines of inquiry of interest to personality psychologistspersonality psychologists Who is most likely to marry outside Who is most likely to marry outside

of his or her own culture?of his or her own culture? What happens in cross-cultural What happens in cross-cultural

marriages that might make them marriages that might make them different from mono-cultural different from mono-cultural marriages?marriages?


Cultural Differences in Self-Cultural Differences in Self-ConceptConcept

According to Markus and Kitayama, According to Markus and Kitayama, each person has two fundamental each person has two fundamental “cultural tasks” that have to be “cultural tasks” that have to be confrontedconfronted

Communion or interdependence: Communion or interdependence: Concerns how you are affiliated with, Concerns how you are affiliated with, attached to, or engaged in the large attached to, or engaged in the large group of which you are a membergroup of which you are a member



Agency or independence: How you Agency or independence: How you differentiate yourself from the larger differentiate yourself from the larger groupgroup

Cultures appear to differ in how they Cultures appear to differ in how they balance these two tasksbalance these two tasks Non-Western, Asian cultures focused Non-Western, Asian cultures focused

more on interdependencemore on interdependence Western cultures focused more on Western cultures focused more on

independenceindependence



Independence is similar to Independence is similar to “individualism” and interdependence “individualism” and interdependence similar to “collectivism” (Triandis)similar to “collectivism” (Triandis)


Cultural Differences in Self-Cultural Differences in Self-EnhancementEnhancement

Self-enhancement: Tendency to Self-enhancement: Tendency to describe and present oneself using describe and present oneself using positive or socially valued attributespositive or socially valued attributes

Research indicates that North Research indicates that North Americans, relative to Asians, Americans, relative to Asians, maintain positive evaluation of selfmaintain positive evaluation of self


Cultural Differences in Self-Cultural Differences in Self-EnhancementEnhancement

Two explanations offered for cultural Two explanations offered for cultural differences in self-enhancement:differences in self-enhancement: Asians are engaging in impression Asians are engaging in impression

management (difference is not real)management (difference is not real) Cultural differences are accurate and Cultural differences are accurate and

reflect participants’ different self-reflect participants’ different self-concepts—this explanation has concepts—this explanation has received some supportreceived some support


Personality Variation Personality Variation Within CultureWithin Culture

Social class may have an effect on Social class may have an effect on personalitypersonality

Historical era may have an effect on Historical era may have an effect on personalitypersonality


Cultural UniversalsCultural Universals

This approach to culture and This approach to culture and personality attempt to identify personality attempt to identify features of personality that appear features of personality that appear to be universal, or present in most or to be universal, or present in most or all culturesall cultures


Beliefs About the Beliefs About the Personality Characteristics Personality Characteristics

of Men and Womenof Men and Women

Worldwide, people tend to regard Worldwide, people tend to regard men as having personalities that are men as having personalities that are more active, loud, adventurous, more active, loud, adventurous, obnoxious, aggressive, opinionated, obnoxious, aggressive, opinionated, arrogant, course, and conceitedarrogant, course, and conceited


Beliefs About the Beliefs About the Personality Characteristics Personality Characteristics

of Men and Womenof Men and Women

Women in contrast, are regarded as Women in contrast, are regarded as having personalities that are more having personalities that are more affectionate, modest, nervous, affectionate, modest, nervous, appreciative, patient, changeable, appreciative, patient, changeable, charming, and fearfulcharming, and fearful


EmotionEmotion

Apparent cultural universals describe Apparent cultural universals describe experience and expression of specific experience and expression of specific emotional states, such as fear, anger, emotional states, such as fear, anger, happiness, sadness, disgust, and surprisehappiness, sadness, disgust, and surprise

People worldwide can recognize and People worldwide can recognize and describe these emotions when presented describe these emotions when presented photographs of others expressing them, photographs of others expressing them, even if photographs are of people from even if photographs are of people from other culturesother cultures


Personality EvaluationPersonality Evaluation

Dimensions used for personality Dimensions used for personality evaluation show some cultural evaluation show some cultural universalityuniversality

Strong evidence suggests two key Strong evidence suggests two key dimensions (dominance and warmth) dimensions (dominance and warmth) are used for describing and are used for describing and evaluating personality traits of evaluating personality traits of othersothers


Personality EvaluationPersonality Evaluation

Also, evidence that structure of Also, evidence that structure of personality traits, as represented by personality traits, as represented by five-factor model of personality, may five-factor model of personality, may be universal for four of five traits—be universal for four of five traits—surgency, agreeableness, emotional surgency, agreeableness, emotional stability, and conscientiousnessstability, and conscientiousness


Summary and EvaluationSummary and Evaluation

Several reasons psychologists find it Several reasons psychologists find it useful to explore personality across useful to explore personality across cultures:cultures:

Discover whether concepts of Discover whether concepts of personality that are prevalent in one personality that are prevalent in one culture also are applicable in other culture also are applicable in other culturescultures


Summary and EvaluationSummary and Evaluation(continued)(continued)

Discover whether cultures differ in Discover whether cultures differ in levels of particular personality traitslevels of particular personality traits

Discover whether factor structure of Discover whether factor structure of personality traits varies across personality traits varies across culturescultures

Discover whether certain features of Discover whether certain features of personality are universalpersonality are universal


Summary and EvaluationSummary and Evaluation(continued)(continued)

Three key approaches to the Three key approaches to the interface of culture and personality: interface of culture and personality: Evoked culture, transmitted culture, Evoked culture, transmitted culture, cultural universalscultural universals

Date post:	13-Dec-2015
Category:	Documents
Upload:	kerry-goodwin
View:	216 times
Download:	2 times

Culture and Personality Chapter 17 Copyright © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission...

Documents