It is possible for cross-cultural differences to exist regardless of whether the existence of cultural equivalence is in the big five structure. In this light, personality might be a reflection of both universal as well as specific elements of a particular culture. For instance, different studies suggest that the dimensions of the personality of a given group or individual express themselves depending on the context. One of the dimensions of personality is extraversion. One of the personality characteristics of extroverts is based on the idea that they make fast decisions. Conversely, extroverts are comfortable taking risks and performing several tasks simultaneously (Weiner, 2003). Based on the identified personality characteristics of extroverts, it is possible to indicate that they tend to heighten their arousal through engaging with social as well as stimulation-related domains.
Mark Schaller and Damian Murray (2008) conducted a study seeking to answer the question regarding why the personalities of individuals vary depending on their geographical clump. To answer this question, the researchers focus on the determining the extent to which the prevalence of infectious diseases influences cross-cultural differences in personality. Extraversion is one of the cross-cultural personality traits they examine. In their assessment, the researchers indicate that disease transmission risks increase with the number of people that an individual interacts with (Schaller & Murray 2008). Based on this provision, the authors argue that it is possible to associate extraversion to the increased risk of disease transmission. They validate their argument through literature reviews from different sources. Contrary to this argument, they indicate that their regional level analysis provides that the expectation is that low levels of extraversion can be associated with high disease levels.
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To answer the question regarding whether disease prevalence in a particular region can be used to predict regional differences in extraversion, Schaller and Murray (2008) conduct a conceptual analysis that suggests that extraversion is a risky trait in regions where infectious diseases are pervasive. In spite of this finding, the researchers use several other metrics to examine whether the predictive effects of the prevalence of infectious diseases on extraversion could also be used for the other big five traits. Even though their conceptual analyses are varied, it is not difficult to follow their arguments that they use to validate their findings and conclusions. For instance, in the discussion section, the authors provide speculations regarding the possible role of the mechanisms they look into in their study. They explain that the results from their methodology have supported all their hypotheses, meaning that it is possible to validate their finding.
Sopagna Eap and David S. Degarmo et al . (2008) also conducted a study on the personality difference between Asian American and European American men. The researchers emphasize the idea that cultural values are pivotal in connecting cultural contexts and personality (Eap et al ., 2008). The researchers hypothesize that given that high collectivism can characterize Asian cultures, their personality trait might be associated with their social context. Based on this theory, the researchers indicate that cultural groups that show this trait tend to scow low on extraversion. This finding reveals that the researchers use cultural values observed in a particular region, such as individualism and collectivism, to make their assessment of the personalities of different groups. To validate their conclusions, the researchers conducted their study by using a sample of 526 men, 320 of which were Asian American, and 242 European Americans (Eap et al ., 2008).
To complete their study, the measures that the researchers took included the use of the loss of face (LOF) questionnaire, a tool that highly relates to the behavior of individuals. The congruence coefficients revealed that European Americans scored highly in extraversion compared to Asian Americans. They confirm that the results derived from their study are consistent with previous studies, leading to the conclusion that European Americans scored higher on extraversion (Eap et al ., 2008). For this reason, it is possible to indicate that cultural values that are associated with collectivism and individualism could be used to assess the levels of extraversion in individuals. For this reason, the differences assessed in their study are a reflection of the importance of considering cultural context to assist in the understanding of personality differences.
The research study is followed scientific methods that bring forth desired results on the study. In this regard, the researchers observe the need to use statistical provisions and spread their sample to capture the true nature of the relationship between the cultural values of a particular group with their personalities. On the other hand, the researchers use scientific sources, both in the discussion section and when laying claims regarding the association between culture and personality. The process used to come up with the conclusion is also supported by references to publications and research done by other researchers. For this reason, it is possible to indicate that the results obtained from the study are valid.
References
Eap, S., DeGarmo, D., Kawakami, A., Hara, S., Hall, G., & Teten, A. (2008). Culture and Personality among European American and Asian American Men. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology , 39 (5), 630-643. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022022108321310
Schaller, M., & Murray, D. (2008). Pathogens, personality, and culture: Disease prevalence predicts worldwide variability in sociosexuality, extraversion, and openness to experience. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 95 (1), 212-221. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.95.1.212
Weiner, I. B. (2003). Handbook of psychology: 5 . Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
