Title: 11.8 Cultural Understandings of Personality - Psychology 2e | OpenStax
Headings: 11.8
Cultural Understandings of Personality

11.8 Cultural Understandings of Personality
Learning Objectives
Personality in Individualist and Collectivist Cultures
Approaches to Studying Personality in a Cultural Context

Content: 2013). One explanation for the regional differences is selective migration (Rentfrow et al., 2013). Selective migration is the concept that people choose to move to places that are compatible with their personalities and needs. For example, a person high on the agreeable scale would likely want to live near family and friends, and would choose to settle or remain in such an area. In contrast, someone high on openness would prefer to settle in a place that is recognized as diverse and innovative (such as California). Further, Rentfrow, Jost, Gosling, & Potter (2009) noted an overlap between geographical regions and personality characteristics that goes beyond the often-used explanations of religion, racial diversity, and education. Their research suggests that the psychological profile of a region is closely related to that of its residents. They found that levels of openness and conscientiousness in a state may predict voting patterns, indicating that there are correlations between geographic regions and personality differences between liberals and conservatives relating to political views, levels of economic vitality, and entrepreneurial rates. Personality in Individualist and Collectivist Cultures
Individualist cultures and collectivist cultures place emphasis on different basic values.