culture and personality processes: conceptual and methodological issues

Culture and Personality Culture and Personality Processes:Processes:

Conceptual and Methodological Conceptual and Methodological IssuesIssues

Veronica Benet-MartinezUniversity of California at Riverside, USA

Universitat Rovira i VirgiliMarch 23-25, 2010

March 23: Culture and Personality: What and How to Research it

March 24: Culture and Personality Taxonomies

March 25: The Dynamic Interplay of Cultural Identity, Language, and Personality

Academic Bio:Academic Bio:

• August 1989August 1989 Graduated in psych from UABGraduated in psych from UAB• 1989-19901989-1990 Move to USA: Au-pair for family in Davis Move to USA: Au-pair for family in Davis

(California)(California)• 1990-19951990-1995 Ph.D. in Social-Personality Psychology at UC Ph.D. in Social-Personality Psychology at UC

DavisDavis• 1995-19971995-1997 Postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley Postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley

(IPSR)(IPSR)• 1998-20031998-2003 Assistant Professor at Univ. of Michigan Assistant Professor at Univ. of Michigan

(Ann Arbor)(Ann Arbor)• 2003-now2003-now Associate Professor at UC RiversideAssociate Professor at UC Riverside• Fall 2010Fall 2010 ICREA professor at Pompeu Fabra Univ.ICREA professor at Pompeu Fabra Univ.

http://biculturalism.ucr.edu/

DAY 1DAY 1

Culture and Personality:Culture and Personality:What it is and How to Research itWhat it is and How to Research it

*Required Readings: *Required Readings:

Ozer, D., & Benet-Martínez, V. (2006). Ozer, D., & Benet-Martínez, V. (2006). Personality and the Personality and the prediction of consequential outcomes. prediction of consequential outcomes. Annual Review of Annual Review of Psychology, 57Psychology, 57, 401-421., 401-421.

Benet-Martínez, V. (2007). Cross-cultural personality research: Benet-Martínez, V. (2007). Cross-cultural personality research: Conceptual and methodological issues. In R.W. Robins, R.C. Conceptual and methodological issues. In R.W. Robins, R.C. Fraley, & R. Krueger (Eds.), Fraley, & R. Krueger (Eds.), Handbook of research methods in Handbook of research methods in personality psychologypersonality psychology. New York, NY: Guildford Press.. New York, NY: Guildford Press.

Culture and Personality: What and How

1. PERSONALITY –Definitional issuesPersonality is consequential (Ozer & Benet-Martinez, 2006)

2. CULTURE --Definitional issues: Culture, race, ethnicity; Cultural & Cross-cultural psychology; Cultural syndromes

3. CULTURE PERSONALITY CULTUREInseparability of culture & psyche

4. Benefits of cultural social/personality studies

Every person is in certain Every person is in certain

respectsrespects

like all other people, like all other people,

like some other person, like some other person,

like no other person. like no other person. (Kluckhohn & Murray, 1948)(Kluckhohn & Murray, 1948)

One of my favorite quotes ….

……like all otherslike all others = = Human nature level (universal)Human nature level (universal)

……like some otherslike some others = = Group levelGroup level

……like no otherslike no others = = Individual levelIndividual level

3 Levels of Personality Analysis3 Levels of Personality Analysis

Every human being is…

PERSONALITY Psychology

DO YOU FIND THESE QUESTIONS INTERESTING?

•Why we are all different from each other?

•Where do these differences come from?

•How can we best measure and organize these

differences?

•What do people really want/desire/need?

•How would I be different if I had grown up in a different culture? With a different gender/race/social class?

PERSONALITY:

•Each of us is unique

•We are not unique in random ways

•That thread of consistency within each of us is personality!

Non-technical definition of personality:

A person’s general style of interacting with the world

My favorite (technical) definition of personality:

“Dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysiological systems that ‘determine’ his/her characteristic pattern of behavior, thoughts, and feelings” (Gordon Allport)

-Dynamic -->active-Organization -->system, rather than an accumulation of charact.-Psychophysical -->mental and physiological-Determine -->causal force (influences what we do)-Characteristic -->unique and typical for each individual-Pattern -->consistent style -Behaviors, etc -->multidimensional

Inner, private

Outer,obsverbable

Stable Variable

1. Traits &Temperament

e.g. extraversion, neuroticism

Major theorists:Jung, Eysenck

3. Motivatione.g. motives, goals,

defenses

Major theorists:Freud, McClelland

4. Social Contexte.g., culture,

ethnicity, power,gender

Major theorists:Markus, Stewart

2. Cognitione.g. schemas, beliefs, ideals

Major theorists:Kelly, Mischel

Four types of units within the PERSONALITY SYSTEM

Winter, D.G. (1996). Personality: Analysis and Interpretation of Lives.

Psychoanalytic, Humanistic = MOTIVES[unconscious, conflict, neuroses]

Cognitive = COGNITIONS

[conscious, beliefs, schemas]

Lexical, Biological, Evolutionary = TRAITS[differences, description, classification]

[biology, evolution, genes]

Learning, Cultural = CONTEXT[environmental rewards and punishment, experience]

Personality: Personality: Units & ApproachesUnits & Approaches

FOUR MAJOR TYPES OF UNITS IN PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

•MOTIVES-Intentions, desires, goals behind behavior-Causal (vs. descriptive) personality units(e.g., intimacy, affiliation, power, achievement motives)

•COGNITIONS-Information we handle in living in this world (beliefs, attitudes, values, schemas) and how we take it/use it (e.g., optimist-pessimist, flexible-rigid)

FOUR MAJOR TYPES OF UNITS IN PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

•TRAITS-Observable dispositions, habits to do things in certain ways (e.g. extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness)

-Stable and largely influenced by temperament -Descriptive (vs. causal) personality units

•CONTEXT-The environment/context that channels the expression of the other 3 units (personality doesn’t exist in isolation)-Micro (weather, hunger, other people) and macrocontext (race, gender, culture, institutions)

MICRO-CONTEXT

MACRO-CONTEXT(e.g., gender, SES, power, race, culture,

history)

MICRO-CONTEXTimmediate features of the environment (e.g., physical and subjective features of situation, emotional states, group pressures)

Examples of social context:

How do these four elements work?

•They all interact in predicting behavior

•Researchers tend to focus on one or two at the time (focus of convenience).

Personality as a homeostatic system:

>traits (default, baseline)>cognitions (information to operate the ‘machine’)>motives (directionality, tasks)>context (outside pressures)

…..when the machine breaks down or losses homeostasis we have a problem! (feelings of depression, anxiety, adjustment problems)

Macrocontext Microcontext Personality

(Buss, 1987)(Buss, 1987)

SelectionSelection of certain environments of certain environments

PERSONALITYPERSONALITY ManipulationManipulation of the environment of the environment

ReactionsReactions from others from others

Summary of the relation between personality traits and consequential outcomes

OUTCOME OUTCOME

INDIVIDUALINDIVIDUAL INTERPERSONALINTERPERSONAL SOCIAL/INSTITUTIONALSOCIAL/INSTITUTIONAL

Extraversion HAPPINESS: Subjective well-beingSPIRITUALITY & VIRTUES: Existential well-being, gratitude, inspirationHEALTH: Longevity, coping, resiliencePSYCHOPATHOLOGY: (-) Depression, (-/+) personality disordersIDENTITY: Majority culture identification (for minorities)

PEER & FAMILY RELATIONS: Peers acceptance and friendship (children and adults); dating variety, attractiveness, status (adults)ROMANTIC RELATIONS: Satisfaction

OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE & PERFORMANCE: Social & enterprising interests, satisfaction, commitment, involvementCOMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Volunteerism, leadership

Agreeableness SPIRITUALITY & VIRTUES: Religious beliefs and behavior, gratitude, forgiveness, humorHEALTH: Longevity; (-) heart diseasePSYCHOPATHOLOGY: (-/+) personality disordersIDENTITY: Ethnic culture identification (for minorities)

PEER & FAMILY RELATIONS: Peers acceptance and friendship (children)ROMANTIC RELATIONS: Satisfaction (dating couples only)

OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE & PERFORMANCE: Social interests, job attainment, (-) extrinsic successCOMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Volunteerism, leadershipCRIMINALITY: (-) Criminal behavior

Conscientiousness SPIRITUALITY & VIRTUES: Religious beliefs and behaviorHEALTH: Longevity, (-) risky behavior, PSYCHOPATHOLOGY: (-) Substance abuse, (-/+) personality disordersIDENTITY: Achievement, Ethnic culture identification (for minorities)

PEER & FAMILY RELATIONS: Family satisfactionROMANTIC RELATIONS: Satisfaction (dating couples only)

OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE & PERFORMANCE: Performance, successPOLITICAL ATTITUDES & VALUES: ConservatismCRIMINALITY (-) Antisocial and criminal behavior

(Ozer & Benet-Martinez, 2006; ARP)

Neuroticism HAPPINESS: (-) Subjective well-beingSPIRITUALITY & VIRTUES: (-) Existential well-being, (-) humorHEALTH: (-) CopingPSYCHOPATHOLOGY: Anxiety, depression, (+/-) personality disordersIDENTITY: (-) Identity integration/consolidation

PEER & FAMILY RELATIONS: (-) Family satisfaction, (-) status (males only)ROMANTIC RELATIONS: Dissatisfaction, conflict, abuse, dissolution

OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE & PERFORMANCE: (-) Satisfaction, (-) commitment, (-) financial security, (-) successCRIMINALITY: Antisocial behavior

Openness SPIRITUALITY & VIRTUES: Existential/phenomenological concerns, forgiveness, inspirationPSYCHOPATHOLOGY: Substance abuseIDENTITY: (-) Foreclosure, identity integration/consolidation, majority culture identification (for minorities),

OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE & PERFORMANCE: Investigative and artistic interests, successPOLITICAL ATTITUDES & VALUES: (-) Right-wing authoritarianism, liberalism

Note: (-) indicates a negative relation between the trait and outcome.

Macrocontext Microcontext Personality

CULTURE

CULTURE:

Shared systems 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 (Shweder & LeVine, 1984).

•Subjective culture (vs. objective culture: dress, food, music, buildings etc.)•Culture is multi-dimensional and dynamic•Culture = network of procedural and declarative knowledge

Useful metaphor:culture = game rules

Does John from Iowa know the rules of this game?

Cultural Syndromes (TAXONOMY OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES)

2 BIG basic dimensions of cultural difference: (Triandis, Hofstede)

• Individualism/Collectivism: extent to which the self is defined as a bound and separate (vs. fluid and interdependent).

•Vertical/Horizontal Relationships: emphasis on hierarchy and status versus equality

INDIVIDUALISM INDEPENDENT SELFWestern worldJudeo-Christian tradition (Protestant ethic)Focus is on individual freedom and personal pursuits and self expression

SELF

SELF

COLLECTIVISM INTER-DEPENDENT SELFNon-Western/Anglo worldConfucian/Catholic/Muslim traditionFocus is on the collective goals over individual goals, needs of society

VERTICAL

HORIZONTAL

INDIVIDUALISTICCOLLECTIVISTIC

USAIndia

Israel? Sweden

Spain?

Culture Race Ethnicity

e.g. Culture = N. American culture [macro]e.g. Ethnicity = Hispanics [group]e.g. Race = Black [biology]

CULTURE PSYCHE CULTURE

Personality as a product of biological and socio-cultural influences

CULTURE PERSONALITY

“Personality is completely interdependent with the meanings and practices of particular sociocultural contexts. People develop their personalities over time through their active participation in the various social worlds in which they engage. A cultural psychological perspective implies that there is no personality without culture; there is only a biological entity.“ (Markus & Kitayama, 1998)

“We are forced to conclude that human nature is almost unbelievable malleable, responding accurately and contrastingly to contrasting cultural conditions.” (Mead, 1935, p. 280)

But Mead (1954) also observed that “… the individual’s inclination to respond in a certain ways is relatively stable when the cultural context is understood.”

CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY helps us at ‘seeing’ personality

PERSONALITY CULTURE

… and there is no culture without personality.

Personality meaning resides within/between people as well as in artifacts they use (e.g., living spaces, consumer preferences, preferred icons, etc.) and institutions they support (Hollywood, capitalism, etc.). [personality culture]

Commercial brands living spaces cultural icons music

preferences(Aaker & Benet-Martinez, 2001) (Gosling et al., 2002) (Hong et al., 2000)

(Rentfrow & Gosling, 2003)The use and availability of these cultural products, in turn, perpetuates particular behavioral, affective, and cognitive tendencies (personality). [culture personality]

Cultural Studies in Personality PsychologyCultural Studies in Personality PsychologyKEY GENERAL QUESTIONS:KEY GENERAL QUESTIONS:

As people of varying cultures and As people of varying cultures and ethnicities, how are we different and how ethnicities, how are we different and how are we alike?are we alike?

[[DIFFERENCESDIFFERENCES]] CROSS-CULTURAL CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGYPSYCHOLOGY

How do culture and ethnicity shape our How do culture and ethnicity shape our identities and personalities?identities and personalities?

How does personality/behavior influence How does personality/behavior influence culture?culture?

[PROCESSES][PROCESSES] CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGYCULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

Benefits of cultural Benefits of cultural social/personality studies:social/personality studies:

= help elucidate how macro- and micro-= help elucidate how macro- and micro-contextual factors mediate and moderate contextual factors mediate and moderate personality outcomes personality outcomes (e.g., Schimmack, Radhakrishnan, (e.g., Schimmack, Radhakrishnan, Oishi, Dzokoto, & Ahadi, 2002; JPSP)Oishi, Dzokoto, & Ahadi, 2002; JPSP)

= help dispel shaky cultural stereotypes = help dispel shaky cultural stereotypes (e.g., (e.g., Terracciano, McCrae, Brant, & Costa, 2005; Science)Terracciano, McCrae, Brant, & Costa, 2005; Science)

= Test the generalizability of our theories = Test the generalizability of our theories (e.g., (e.g., Benet Martinez & John, 1998; JPSP). Benet Martinez & John, 1998; JPSP).

= Are methodologically fun! -> reliance on = Are methodologically fun! -> reliance on multiple languages, samples, and covariates multiple languages, samples, and covariates (Benet-Martinez, 2007; HRMSP). (Benet-Martinez, 2007; HRMSP).

Schimmack et al. (2002, JPSP)Schimmack et al. (2002, JPSP)

Benet-Martinez & Karakitapoglu (2003). Benet-Martinez & Karakitapoglu (2003). The interplay of cultural The interplay of cultural values and personality in predicting life-satisfaction.values and personality in predicting life-satisfaction. Journal of Cross-Journal of Cross-Cultural PsychologyCultural Psychology

• Examine interplay between personality and cultural syndromes in

predicting subjective well-being (SWB) among Anglos and Asians:

Do cultural syndromes predict variations on personality traits, which in turn predict SWB?

(‘Cultural valuesPersonality SWB’ model) PHENOTYPIC VIEW

OR

Do personality traits drive the internalization of cultural syndromes, which in turn predict SWB? (‘Personality Cultural values SWB’ model) GENOTYPIC VIEW

• Ethnic differences in these processes? (e.g., individualism as stronger predictor of SWB among Caucasians)

European-American

N = 122

Asian-American

N = 199

1st Gener. N = 99

2nd Gener. N = 100

M

SD

M

SD

M

SD

F

Cultural Syndromes

Individualism 4.79 a .60 .68 4.49 b .69 4.56 b .66 .75 6.59** Collectivism 4.42 a .64 .70 4.82 b .71 4.82 b .66 .76 13.98***

Personality

Extraversion 3.33 a .79 .86 2.99 b .89 3.14 ab .82 .88 4.55** Agreeableness 3.69 .63 .78 3.63 .66 3.69 .58 .76 .24 Conscientiousness 3.38 b .61 .77 3.78 a .71 3.76 a .69 .82 12.80*** Neuroticism 3.06 .81 .84 3.25 .78 3.21 .72 .80 2.06 Openness 3.95 a .62 .89 3.67 b .67 3.74 ab .68 .83 5.46**

Subjective Well-Being

Self-Esteem 5.26 a .97 .87 4.84 b 1.12 4.85 b 1.03 .89 6.22*** Family Satisfaction 5.28 1.49 -- 5.11 1.48 5.30 1.43 -- .51 Friend Satisfaction 5.51 1.20 -- 5.34 1.25 5.39 1.23 -- .54 Life Satisfaction 4.84 a 1.19 .84 3.99 b 1.28 4.28 b 1.34 .87 13.05***

Differences support cross-national studies (Oyserman et al., 2002; Kwan et al., 1997)

Do cultural syndromes predict variations on personality traits, which in turn predict SWB?

(‘Cultural syndromesPersonality SWB’ model)

OR

Do personality traits drive the endorsement of cultural syndromes, which in turn predict SWB? (‘Personality Cultural syndromes SWB’ model)

---method: multi-group SEM analyses

Individu.

Collecti.

Friends Satisfac.

Self-Esteem

Family Satisfac

.

Life Satisfac

.

Cons.

Neur.

Open.

Extr.

Agre.

.29

.57

-.53

.21

.20 .21

.23

.60

.17

.44

.27

.44

.63

-.41

-.24

Final Model: Cultural values Personality traits SWBRMSEA = .060, CFI = .96 MULTI-GROUP RESULTS

[competing personality-culture model of SWB = RMSEA = .14, NNFI = .67, CFI = .82]

ConclusionsConclusions• ‘‘Cultural valuesCultural valuesPersonalityPersonalitySWB’ model fitted the data SWB’ model fitted the data

better than ‘Pbetter than ‘PCCSWB’ modelSWB’ model

– Cultural norms & values influences the endorsement and Cultural norms & values influences the endorsement and expression of personality traitsexpression of personality traits

• Individualism (vs. collectiv.) & self-esteem (vs. relational-Individualism (vs. collectiv.) & self-esteem (vs. relational-esteem) were strongest predictors of personality & life-esteem) were strongest predictors of personality & life-satisfaction (respectively) for both groups. satisfaction (respectively) for both groups.

• All the All the processes worked similarlyprocesses worked similarly across Asian-and across Asian-and European-Americans (despite the large ethnic mean-European-Americans (despite the large ethnic mean-level differences).level differences).– Indicative of a particular Asian-American bicultural identity stage? Indicative of a particular Asian-American bicultural identity stage?

(internalization of US-specific psychosocial processes while keeping (internalization of US-specific psychosocial processes while keeping Asian features)Asian features)