Cross‐cultural Studies of Personality Development

Abstract

The maturational processes that shape personality development are likely to be guided by a combination of biological, environmental, and social factors. Cross-cultural studies can test to what extent these factors contribute to personality development given that people grow up in environmental and social contexts that vary greatly across nations. Yet, a growing body of research indicates that the pattern of personality development is remarkably similar across cultures. In most samples from every continent, older adults are generally more emotionally stable, introverted, close-minded, agreeable, and conscientious than adolescents and younger adults. Although some cross-cultural differences are found, it is still uncertain whether these differences are reliable. Even stereotypical beliefs about the personality of adolescents and older adults are similar across cultures, albeit these stereotypes exaggerate the actual age differences. Future research could benefit from longitudinal studies in more diverse samples, especially from Arabic, African, and Asian cultures.