Prospects for an integrated trait and cultural psychology

Abstract

Church (2000) discussed a possible integration of trait and cultural psychology perspectives, two dominant theoretical approaches in the study of culture and personality. In this article, I summarise the results of cross‐cultural studies we have conducted to test elements of this integrated perspective, discuss prospects for an integrated approach, and note future research needs. The studies address the measurement of implicit theories regarding the traitedness versus contextuality of behaviour; culture, method, and the content of self‐concepts; culture and explanations of everyday behaviours; accuracy and self‐enhancement in trait assessments; cross‐role consistency and its relation to adjustment; and cross‐situational consistency and trait prediction of daily behaviour. Our results, and those of other researchers, indicate that an integration of trait and cultural psychology perspectives has potential. However, some findings suggest that cultural psychology hypotheses may be more consistently supported in comparisons of Americans with selected Asian cultures than in comparisons of individualistic and collectivistic cultures more generally. Thus, an integrated perspective may need to be recast using theoretical perspectives that go beyond individualism–collectivism. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.