Personality profiles of cultures can be operationalized as the mean trait levels of culture members. College students from 51 cultures rated an individual from their country whom they knew well (N = 12,156). Aggregate scores on Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) scales generalized across age and sex groups, approximated the individual-level 5-factor model, and correlated with aggregate self-report personality scores and other culture-level variables. Results were not attributable to national differences in economic development or to acquiescence. Geographical differences in scale variances and mean levels were replicated, with Europeans and Americans generally scoring higher in Extraversion than Asians and Africans. Findings support the rough scalar equivalence of NEO-PI-R factors and facets across cultures and suggest that aggregate personality profiles provide insight into cultural differences.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Psychology
Research Group:	Social and personality psychology
Research Field:	Personality and individual differences
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding knowledge in human society
UTAS Author:	Shakespeare-Finch, JE (Dr Jane Shakespeare-Finch)
ID Code:	38495
Year Published:	2005
Web of Science® Times Cited:	444
Deposited By:	Psychology
Deposited On:	2006-03-08
Last Modified:	2006-03-08
Downloads:	0