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Toward a Geography of Personality Traits

Patterns of Profiles across 36 Cultures

University of Tartu

Robert R. McCrae

National Institute on Aging, NIH

It has long been believed that personality traits vary by geographicallocation, but few studies have examined the worldwide distribution of personality profiles. Using the five-factor model of personality—a comprehensive and apparently universal trait structure—we conducted secondary analyses of data from 36 cultures. Distance from the equator and mean temperature were not meaningfully related to personality factors. However, cluster analysis showed that geographically proximatecultures often have similar profiles, and multidimensional scaling showed a clear contrast of European and American cultures with Asian and African cultures. The former were higher in extraversion and openness to experience and lower in agreeableness. A second dimension reflected differences in psychological adjustment. Observed differences between cultures may be the result of differences in gene pools or in features of culture; acculturation studies and the analyses of other natural experiments are needed to understand the origins of geographical differences in personality traits.

Key Words: five-factor model • cluster analysis • multidimensional scaling

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Vol. 35, No. 1, 13-28 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/0022022103260382


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