The role of dispositional traits in accounting for country and ethnic group differences on adjustment.
Country and ethnic group differences on adjustment have been demonstrated numerous times, and the source of these differences has been typically interpreted as cultural. We report two studies in which country (Study 1) and ethnic group (Study 2) differences on depression, anxiety, optimism versus pessimism, well-being, and self-esteem are mediated by dispositional traits. These findings provide an alternative explanation for previously reported country and ethnic group differences on these variables and encourage researchers to consider multiple sources, including traits, in their models and studies.
Matsumoto
David
D
Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA. dm@sfsu.edu
Nakagawa
Sanae
S
Estrada
Aaron
A
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology; D001213:Asian / Q000208:ethnology; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008877:Middle East / Q000208:ethnology; D010551:Personality; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult