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Personality in Cultural Context: Methodological Issues
Author(s) -
Van De Vijver Fons,
Leung Kwok
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/1467-6494.696173
Subject(s) - psychology , equivalence (formal languages) , personality , social psychology , exploratory research , taxonomy (biology) , cross cultural studies , sociology , social science , philosophy , linguistics , botany , biology
Methodological issues in cultural and cross‐cultural personality research are described. A taxonomy of these studies is presented, based on whether a study is exploratory or tests hypotheses, and whether or not contextual information is measured. Core methodological issues are bias and equivalence; a taxonomy and a brief overview of statistical procedures to examine equivalence are presented, with a focus on procedures for assessing structural equivalence (i.e., similarity of meaning of an instrument across cultures). Examples are given of studies in which cultural and cross‐cultural approaches, often seen as antithetical, have been fruitfully integrated. Finally, multilevel models are described in which personality characteristics are examined at individual and cultural level.