Culture & Personality Kimberley A. Clow 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

Resulting Factors

Circumplex Model of Affect

Etic vs. Emic

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

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

Structural Framework - USA

Structural Framework - Japan

Independent Self Self Mother Friend Father Co-Worker Sibling Friend

Interdependent Self Self Mother Friend Father Co-Worker Sibling Friend

Individualism vs. Collectivism

Variation Within Cultures Individualism Collectivism

VERTICAL HORIZONTAL INDIVIDUALISTIC COLLECTIVISTIC USA India Israel? Sweden

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