title: Perceptions of Americans and the Iraq Invasion: Implications for Understanding National Character Stereotypes.
abstract: This study examines perceptions of the "typical American" from 49 cultures around the world. Contrary to the ethnocentric bias hypothesis, we found strong agreement between in-group and out-group ratings on the American profile (assertive, open-minded, but antagonistic); Americans in fact had a somewhat less desirable view of Americans than did others. Within cultures, in-group ratings were not systematically more favorable than out-group ratings. The Iraq invasion had a slight negative effect on perceptions of the typical American, but people around the world seem to draw a clear distinction between U.S. foreign policy and the character of the American people. National character stereotypes appear to have a variety of sources and to be perpetuated by both cognitive mechanisms and socio-cultural forces.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Personality & Cognition, National Institute on Aging, NIH, DHHS Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terracciano
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: McCrae