Toward a new approach to the study of personality in culture.
Top Cited Papers
- 1 October 2011
- journal article
- review article
- Published by American Psychological Association (APA) in American Psychologist
- Vol. 66 (7), 593-603
- https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022389
Abstract
We review recent developments in the study of culture and personality measurement. Three approaches are described: an etic approach that focuses on establishing measurement equivalence in imported measures of personality, an emic (indigenous) approach that studies personality in specific cultures, and a combined emic-etic approach to personality. We propose the latter approach as a way of combining the methodological rigor of the etic approach and the cultural sensitivity of the emic approach. The combined approach is illustrated by two examples: the first with origins in Chinese culture and the second in South Africa. The article ends with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of the combined emic-etic approach for the study of culture and personality and for psychology as a science.Keywords
Funding Information
- Hong Kong Government (CUHK4333/00H; CUHK4326/ 01H; CUHK4333/00H; CUHK 4259/03H; CUHK 4715/06H; CUHK441609)
- Chinese University of Hong Kong (2020662; 2020745; 2020871; 2020933)