Assignment 7: Extraversion and Culture Robert McCrae & Paul Costa’s Five-Factor Model is the most universally accepted explanation for the core personality traits that exist in all humans across cultures (Schultz & Schultz, 2013). The factors of this model are Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to new experiences, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. For the purposes of this research, cultural differences in the personality trait of extraversion will be examined more carefully. In this first study, Hana and Nahyun (2012) considered a convenience sample of 430 college students from Korea and America. Their purpose was to evaluate the relationship between the five-factor model personality traits and what they called information competency.
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Their research concluded that only three of the five-factor model traits were significant predictors of information competency in either culture. Of these three, conscientiousness and openness to experience were significant with both samples, whereas extraversion only correlated to higher levels of information competency in the American sample (Hana & Nahyun, 2012). Hana & Nahyun attributed the higher scores of American students on extraversion and conscientiousness, to the higher American scores on information competency as well. Hana & Nahyun (2012) point out the obvious limitation of their study: although they measured their data with a reliable personality inventory, it was self-reported. According to Hofstede’s four dimensions of cultural characteristics, the fact that Koreans are more collectivist and Americans more individualist in nature could confound the validity of the data. These cultural backgrounds may profoundly impact how the members of these samples …show more content…
His study ties the two attributes together into a hereditable dimension of personality, called engagement, which would contribute to emigration, suggesting that personality shaped culture versus the other way around. Olson (2007) proposed that those with higher levels of engagement were more likely to go out in search of new experiences and places. He hypothesized that this was the reason for people to have higher levels of these traits in some countries as opposed to others. Using existing literature and studies to support his hypothesis, Olson (2007) makes a strong case for his hypothesis of “emigration as engagement”, even for the least supporting of evolutionary theory (p.8). Olson (2007) acknowledges the uniquity of his research in utilizing prehistoric behavior and emigration patterns to explain modern day personality traits. However, he also admits to the need for more research from several different angles of study to resolve the debates regarding which human origin model is the most likely to be correct. Olson’s method of literature review is the best choice for this particular endeavor, as the hypothesis requires some data that is only available from previous studies outside of the field of Psychology. Olson makes excellent suggestions that research like his might have a reverse illumination effect on other
Their research concluded that only three of the five-factor model traits were significant predictors of information competency in either culture. Of these three, conscientiousness and openness to experience were significant with both samples, whereas extraversion only correlated to higher levels of information competency in the American sample (Hana & Nahyun, 2012). Hana & Nahyun attributed the higher scores of American students on extraversion and conscientiousness, to the higher American scores on information competency as well. Hana & Nahyun (2012) point out the obvious limitation of their study: although they measured their data with a reliable personality inventory, it was self-reported. According to Hofstede’s four dimensions of cultural characteristics, the fact that Koreans are more collectivist and Americans more individualist in nature could confound the validity of the data. These cultural backgrounds may profoundly impact how the members of these samples …show more content…
His study ties the two attributes together into a hereditable dimension of personality, called engagement, which would contribute to emigration, suggesting that personality shaped culture versus the other way around. Olson (2007) proposed that those with higher levels of engagement were more likely to go out in search of new experiences and places. He hypothesized that this was the reason for people to have higher levels of these traits in some countries as opposed to others. Using existing literature and studies to support his hypothesis, Olson (2007) makes a strong case for his hypothesis of “emigration as engagement”, even for the least supporting of evolutionary theory (p.8). Olson (2007) acknowledges the uniquity of his research in utilizing prehistoric behavior and emigration patterns to explain modern day personality traits. However, he also admits to the need for more research from several different angles of study to resolve the debates regarding which human origin model is the most likely to be correct. Olson’s method of literature review is the best choice for this particular endeavor, as the hypothesis requires some data that is only available from previous studies outside of the field of Psychology. Olson makes excellent suggestions that research like his might have a reverse illumination effect on other