A cross-cultural comparison of five dimensions of personality: examining acutual and perceived traits within and between Australia and the United States

The study was designed to examine five dimensions of personality on a cross-cultural comparison between Australia and the United States. Personality traits, including sociability, activity, aggression-hostility, impulsive sensation seeking, and neuroticism-anxiety, were measured using the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire. The participants, 155 college students, were randomly selected to complete one of three separate questionnaires, which asked them to either respond personally to each given scenario, how they feel that the "average" person within their society would respond, or how they feel a typical member of the opposite society would react to the given situations. Results on the actual levels of the personality traits revealed main effects of sex on both Activity and Neuroticism-Emotionality, with women scoring higher on both, and an interaction between country and gender on the Neuroticism Emotionality factor; in both countries, women scored higher than men, but these differences were larger within the Australian sample. Cross-cultural comparisons also revealed differing perceptions between the American and Australian samplesHonors College, Washington State UniversityAnthony, Loni M. A cross-cultural comparison of five dimensions of personality: examining acutual and perceived traits within and between Australia and the United States, Washington State University Honors College thesis, Spring 2004, 27 p