Personality and Culture
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Culture and Personality
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Objectives
Outline varying definitions of culture
Appreciate the influence of culture on personality
View culture as confirmation of situational effects on personality
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Culture
Definition: Information encompassing ideas, values, customs, and skills.
Acquisition: Through teaching, imitation (observational learning), and writing.
Location of Acquisition: Ubiquitously present around us.
Influence on Personality: Affects values, norms, behavior, goals, and perceptions.
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Cultural Differences in Personality
Stereotypes: Popular beliefs about specific social groups.
Exploration of whether stereotypes reflect actual cultural differences.
Intersection of psychology and anthropology.
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Personality and Culture
Misra & Gergen (1993): Culture is psychological.
Western psychology provides a Western-centric understanding and generalizations.
Other cultural understandings enrich perspectives.
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Self-Concept and Culture
Study by Kanagawa, Cross, and Markus (2001):
Sample: 128 Japanese women (avg. age 18.5) vs. 133 U.S.A. women (avg. age 19.7).
Central question: "Who are you?"
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Who Am I? - Key Differences
Differences in self-description categories between Japan and the USA:
Physical characteristics
Relationships
Activities
Pure psychological attributes
Immediate attributive references
Situation-based references
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Who Am I?
Americans more likely to describe themselves using internal traits.
Japanese emphasize physical characteristics and situational descriptors.
Cultural Influence in Education:
USA promotes open expression.
Japan favors non-verbal understanding.
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Origins of Differences
Configurationalist Perspective:
Basic and modal personality
National character as influences.
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Configurationalist Approach
Members of a society share common characteristics and beliefs.
Personality reflects cultural symbolism and shared structures.
Conclusion: Individual personality equals culture.
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Configurationalist Continued
Each individual's personality mirrors their society's culture.
Shared core of personality exists within a society.
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Margaret Mead
Conducted study in Samoa at age 23:
Aimed to explore adolescent development.
Findings suggested differences in behavior between Samoan and American girls.
Factors included depth of family bonds and sexual behavior.
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Critique of Mead - Derek Freeman (1983)
Based on extensive fieldwork, Freeman challenged Mead's conclusions:
Suggested stronger emotional ties in Samoan society.
Critiques on methodology and data collection errors.
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Basic and Modal Personality Perspective
Analyzes society through primary institutions (e.g., family).
Highlights cultural structure and its influence on personality.
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Basic and Modal Continued
Contributors: Abram Kardiner and Ralph Linton questioned broad configurationalism.
Emphasized environment adapts primary institutions, shaping personality.
National character reflects predominant personality traits.
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National Character Perspective
WWII highlighted national differences.
Benedict's characterization of Japanese and Fromm's German perspective on personality traits.
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McCrae and Terracciano (2006)
Research focused on individual perceptions of national characteristics.
Used NEOPI-R with over 4,000 subjects to analyze correlations.
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Results - National Character Survey
Provided mean correlations between personality and national character across cultures.
Lists specific countries and their correlations with personality traits.
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Reliability of National Character Research
Terracciano et al. (2005) concluded that national character may not represent individual traits but reflects collective perceptions.
Highlights the distinction between cultural stereotypes and actual behavior.
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Cross-Cultural Approach - Criticism of Trait Approach
Trait questionnaires may overlook cultural context.
Personality is more evident in individualistic societies compared to collectivist cultures.
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Cultural Psychology Insights
Emphasizes cultural participation and how traits are expressed within societal frameworks.
Examines consistency and predictability of personality across cultures.
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Universal Sense of Self
All cultures acknowledge an individual persona.
Roles and norms may differ, but the concept of self remains.
Addresses nature vs. nurture in personality formation.
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Integrated Cultural Trait Psychology
Explores the role of traits, self-report accuracy, and situational influences on personality.
Discusses heritable traits and cultural dimensions.
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Conclusions
Culture serves as a significant influence and context in understanding personality.
Acknowledges the dynamic relationship between culture and individual personality traits.
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References
List of journal articles and foundational texts covering culture and personality.
Culture consists of ideas, values, customs, and skills that profoundly impact personality.
It influences personal values, norms, behaviors, goals, and perceptions.
Self-concept varies across cultures:
Americans typically describe themselves using internal traits.
Japanese focus on physical characteristics and situational factors.
Research shows that personality reflects cultural symbolism; each individual's personality resonates with their society's culture.
Margaret Mead's studies and Derek Freeman's critiques illustrate the complexities of cultural influences on personality.
McCrae and Terracciano's findings indicate that national character reflects collective perceptions rather than individual traits.
Overall, culture is essential in shaping personality and its expressions within societal contexts.