Personality

Question 1

What are the approaches towards studying personality?

Answer 1

1. emic approach
2. etic approach
3. combined emic-etic approach

Question 2

Explain the perceptions of national character.

Answer 2

National character creates stereotypes about one’s own culture. These stereotypes are not correlated with actual aggregate personalities, but they do maintain national identity.

Question 3

Explain the trait approach.

Answer 3

The trait approach is an (imposed) etic approach. This approach looks at the culture-level score differences. Mean-level differences between cultures are small, but differences within cultures are large.

Question 4

Explain the limitation of the emic approach.

Answer 4

1. over-emphasis on cultural uniqueness.
2. initially lacked methodological rigour.
3. need for incremental validity.

Question 5

Describe the studies in the emic approach.

Answer 5

1. Ashanti personality: personality corresponds to date of birth.
2. Ubuntu: size of social network determines status.
3. Amea: basis of relationships and can be translated into personality characteristics.

Question 6

Explain the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory CPAI.

Answer 6

This an emic approach of Chinese personalities. This approach found the following dimensions: dependability, Chinese traditions, interpersonal relatedness, social potency and individuality.
Later renamed to the Cross-cultural personality assessment inventory CPAI-2.

Question 7

Explain the South African Personality Inventory SAPI.

Answer 7

1. phase 1: emic approach / psycholexcial approach.
2. phase 2: instrument development phase / will the items translate well?
3. phase 3: cross-cultural phase / testing validity across cultures.