Ethnicity and Personality in a Canadian Context

Abstract

Personality differences between respondents representing Eastern (i.e., Chinese, Japanese, Indo-Pakistani) versus Western (i.e., Anglo and European) cultural traditions in a Canadian context were explored by analyzing the Personality Research Form (PRF) protocols of 635 University of Toronto students as a function of their sex and ethnicity. Respondents were classified into Asian, European, or Anglo categories of ethnicity on the basis of their surname. Analyses of the PRF scales revealed effects for both ethnicity and sex. Those belonging to Asian ethnic groups scored higher than those of Anglo or European background on needs for order, harm-avoidance, and social recognition but lower on needs for dominance, exhibition, nurturance, and affiliation. Interaction effects on several PRF scales also suggested greater gender-role differentiation among those classified in the Asian category.