Universal Features of Personality Traits From the Observer's Perspective: Data From 50 Cultures.
Open accessAbstract
To test hypotheses about the universality of personality traits, college students in 50 cultures identified an adult or college-aged man or woman whom they knew well and rated the 11,985 targets using the 3rd-person version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. Factor analyses within cultures showed that the normative American self-report structure was clearly replicated in most cultures and was recognizable in all. Sex differences replicated earlier self-report results, with the most pronounced differences in Western cultures. Cross-sectional age differences for 3 factors followed the pattern identified in self-reports, with moderate rates of change during college age and slower changes after age 40. With a few exceptions, these data support the hypothesis that features of personality traits are common to all human groups.
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In early studies that found larger personality differences in the West, authors found associations with individualism and data quality stronger than later GEP correlations.
“In the early studies that found larger personality differences in the West, authors considered several such confounds across countries (8–10), finding associations with individualism (8, p. 329), and data quality (10, p. 554; r = 0.71 in both cases) stronger than later GEP correlations.”
From Simpson’s gender-equality paradox (2025) · cites this paper as [10]
The results that Western countries had larger gender differences on the most employed measures were established before the introduction of the evolutionary interpretation for GEP and its focus on gender equality and development.
“Indeed, the results that Western countries had larger gender differences on the most employed measures were established before the introduction of the evolutionary interpretation for the GEP and its focus on gender equality and development (8–10; see also ref. 29).”
From Simpson’s gender-equality paradox (2025) · cites this paper as [10]
The proposed evolutionary account is an interpretation of correlations that had already been found.
“Further, the proposed evolutionary account is an interpretation of correlations that had already been found (8–10).”
From Simpson’s gender-equality paradox (2025) · cites this paper as [10]
The data quality problem identified already in the early studies has not been overcome.
“Thus, the data quality problem identified already in the early studies (10), has not been overcome.”
From Simpson’s gender-equality paradox (2025) · cites this paper as [10]
Translations of English-language measures based on the five-factor model of personality, such as the NEO Personality Inventory, have consistently found the same five-factor structure in different cultures.
“Translations of English-language measures based on the five- factor model of personality, such as the NEO Personality In- ventory (NEO-PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992), have consistently found the same five-factor structure in different cultures”
From Implications of an Emerging Integration of Universal and Culturally Specific Psychologies (2006) · cites this paper as McCrae et al., 2005
There is an emerging consensus that there are largely universal dimensions along which individuals differ, but that there are also culturally specific antecedents to personality-based reactions, and that there is culturally specific content to the behavioral expression of universal traits.
“There is an emerging consensus that there are largely universal dimensions along which individuals differ, but that there are also culturally spe- cific antecedents to personality-based reactions, and that there is culturally specific content to the behavioral expression of universal traits.”
From Implications of an Emerging Integration of Universal and Culturally Specific Psychologies (2006) · cites this paper as McCrae et al., 2005
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- Authors
- McCrae, R. R., 78 Members of the Personality Profiles of Cultures Project, & Terracciano, A.
- Affiliations
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 2005-03
- Volume
- 88
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 547-561
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W2156237672
- Cited by
- 1,326
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 43 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 70 · 2021: 64 · 2020: 180 · 2019: 66 · 2018: 76 · 2017: 75 · 2016: 56 · 2015: 67 · 2014: 84 · 2013: 66 · 2012: 65
- FWCI
- 40.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eCite Digital Repository (University of Tasmania) (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- IRIS (submittedVersion)
- PUB – Publications at Bielefeld University (Bielefeld University) (submittedVersion)
- Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld (Universität Bielefeld) (submittedVersion)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
- SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (Z99 AG999999)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Cultural Differences and Values
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Psychological Testing and Assessment
- Keywords
- personality traits, cross-cultural comparison, observer ratings, third-person perspective, NEO-PI-R, Big Five personality traits, sex differences, age differences
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Attitude, Cross-Sectional Studies, Culture, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personality, Personality Inventory, Observation
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