Chapter Two: Theories of Personality

The Cultural Tradition

INTRODUCTION

Culture includes both the shared rules that govern behavior in a society, but the shared values, and beliefs and attitudes of people in a society. You may be surprised at some of the ways in which culture affects our characteristic ways of behaving.

WHAT'S AHEAD

• How does belonging to an individualist or collectivist culture influence your personality -- and even whether you think you have a stable "self"?
• Why might an Arab and a Swede agree on everything the other is saying --and still feel uncomfortable with each other?
• Why are punctuality and tardiness more than just individual personality traits?

KEY CONCEPTS

Culture and Personality
Evaluating Cultural Theories

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Culture and Personality [p.52]

INTRODUCTION

Ethnocentrism is the belief that our culture is superior.

KEY CONCEPTS EXPLAINED

.Individualist versus Collectivist Cultures

• Individualistic culture's influence on the concept of "Self"

  • "Self" regarded as autonomous.
    
    
  • Self = collection of individual personality traits.

  • "I am a third grade teacher."

  • Sense of self remains stable across situations.

• Collectivist culture's influence on the concept of "Self".
  • Group harmony more important than the individual.
    
    
  • "Self" is defined in terms of relations.
    
    
  • "I am the fourth son of Emily of the Swift Water Clan, and whose maternal uncle is Bob of the Slow Talker Clan."
    
    
  • Sense of self varies across social situations.

• Behaviors that are due to cultural processes rather than individual personality:
  
  
  • Conversational Distance

    • Northern European countries maintain the greatest distance, and the Latin American and Arab countries standing the closest.

  • Cleanliness standards vary by culture.

  • Punctuality/tardiness
    • Monochronic cultures
    • Time is linear, schedules and punctuality is valued.
    • Polychronic cultures
    • Time organized along parallel lines with need of friends and family superseding appointments.
    • Time notions produce problems in culturally diverse North America

GLOSSARY

		culture
		individualist culture
		collectivist culture
		monochronic cultures
		polychronic cultures

LINKS About Culture's Effects on Personality

• www link: Overview of the Minnesota Twin Studies.
• www link: Is jealousy related to individualist cultures?
• www link: Does culture play a role in the cockpit of airlines?
• www link: Another link to culture in the cockpit.
• www link: This cockpit stuff must be important for aviation safety.
• www link: A list of cultural differences for managers to consider.
• www link: US and Japanese cultural differences.
• www link: Cultural communication.
• www link: Understanding the Martians.

Evaluating Cultural Theories [p.54]

While cultural influences do affect personality, we must be careful not to stereotype people in other cultures. fast forward to stereotypes in Chapter 9.

Next Topic - The Psychodynamic Tradition.......... ..................... Chapter Contents