How Culture affects your Personality

Practical Psychology

17 Aug 201906:24

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThis video script explores the impact of culture on personality, highlighting two key cultural spectrums: individualism versus collectivism and approach versus avoidance. It explains how cultural values shape behaviors and decisions, with individualist cultures emphasizing self-improvement and collectivist cultures valuing group harmony. The script also delves into uncertainty avoidance, revealing how cultures respond to change and ambiguity, with some being conservative and others more open to diversity. The video encourages viewers to reflect on their cultural upbringing and its influence on their comfort levels and decision-making.

Takeaways

🧬 Personality is influenced by more than just genetics; cultural upbringing plays a significant role in shaping who we are.
👶 Manners and behaviors are initially learned from our culture, with politeness being encouraged and rudeness being discouraged.
🌐 Cultural values can vary greatly, with some promoting loud and competitive behaviors, while others favor quiet, respectful, and humble conduct.
🌍 Culture is not strictly defined by national borders; it can be influenced by various factors such as occupation, class, and gender identity.
💡 Researchers have identified two key spectrums to define cultures: individualism vs. collectivism and approach vs. avoidance.
🏗️ Individualist cultures prioritize personal improvement and self-sufficiency, often valuing independence over collaboration.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Collectivist cultures focus on group needs and interdependence, with individuals deriving their identity from their role within the group.
🔍 The approach-avoidance spectrum helps to understand how cultures deal with conflict and uncertainty, influencing decision-making processes.
🚫 Uncertainty avoidance cultures tend to be conservative, with a preference for stability and traditional rules.
🌱 Cultures with low uncertainty avoidance are more open to change, diversity, and new ideas, often with less structured social systems.
📚 The script encourages viewers to reflect on their cultural upbringing and how it has influenced their approach to life and decision-making.
📝 The video also offers a free personality quiz to help viewers learn more about their own personality traits and tendencies.

Q & A

What is the main argument presented in the video script about personality and culture?
-The main argument is that personality is not solely determined by genes but is significantly influenced by the culture in which one is raised, affecting behaviors and values from an early age.
How does the script define individualism in a cultural context?
-Individualism in a cultural context is defined as a focus on the self, prioritizing personal needs and self-improvement over the needs of the community, with an emphasis on independence and self-reliance.
What are the typical characteristics of people from individualist cultures according to the script?
-People from individualist cultures tend to be self-sufficient, driven workers but may struggle with collaboration and teamwork, often psychologically and emotionally distancing themselves from others.
How is collectivist culture described in the video script?
-Collectivist culture is described as one where individuals are taught to prioritize the needs of the group over their own, associating their identity with their role in a larger group, valuing harmony and interdependence.
What challenges might people from collectivist cultures face?
-People from collectivist cultures might face challenges in individualistic settings, as they may have a 'we-versus-them' mindset and may look down upon or separate from those outside their group.
What is the concept of approach versus avoidance in cultural context?
-The concept of approach versus avoidance in a cultural context refers to how a culture teaches its members to move towards pleasurable things and away from negative or painful things, influencing decision-making and conflict resolution.
How does the script explain the idea of uncertainty avoidance in cultures?
-Uncertainty avoidance is explained as a measure of how a culture responds to novelty and uncertainty, dealing with ambiguity, and whether it favors change or stability, traditional rules, and customs.
Which countries and religions are associated with high uncertainty avoidance according to the script?
-Countries scoring high in neuroticism and uncertainty avoidance, along with religions like Catholicism, Islam, Judaism, and Shintoism, are associated with high uncertainty avoidance, favoring more formal systems and traditional gender roles.
What are the characteristics of cultures with low uncertainty avoidance?
-Cultures with low uncertainty avoidance tend to have fewer laws and regulations, citizens interested in politics, openness to change, tolerance of diversity, suppression of emotions, looser gender roles, and more open-minded learning environments.
Which religions are mentioned in the script as being associated with low uncertainty avoidance?
-Religions associated with low uncertainty avoidance include Protestantism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism.
What additional resource is offered to viewers interested in learning more about their own personality?
-A free three-in-one personality quiz is offered in the description below the video, which combines major personality tests and attempts to predict aspects of the viewer's political stances, relationship style, and health.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Cultural Influences on Personality

The first paragraph discusses how personality is shaped not only by genetics but also by cultural upbringing. It emphasizes the early learning of manners and behaviors that are considered polite or rude within one's culture. The paragraph explains how these cultural values subconsciously influence our behavior patterns and decision-making. It also introduces the concept of individual versus collectivist cultures, highlighting how individualist cultures prioritize self-improvement and self-sufficiency, while collectivist cultures focus on group needs and interdependence. The paragraph concludes by noting that cultural influences are not confined to national borders but can be derived from various social groups, including occupation, class, and gender identity.

05:01

🔍 Approach vs. Avoidance in Cultural Context

The second paragraph delves into the concept of approach and avoidance cultures, which originated in 1935 to help psychologists understand conflict resolution. It describes how humans naturally want to approach pleasurable things and avoid negative experiences, drawing a parallel to Freud's pleasure-pain principle. The paragraph then explores the idea of uncertainty avoidance, which measures a culture's response to novelty and ambiguity. Cultures with high uncertainty avoidance tend to be more conservative, emotional, and resistant to change, often valuing traditional gender roles and structured learning environments. In contrast, cultures with low uncertainty avoidance are more open to change, tolerant of diversity, and encourage questioning authority and emotional suppression. The paragraph concludes by inviting viewers to reflect on their own cultural upbringing and its influence on their comfort levels and decision-making.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Personality

Personality refers to the unique set of characteristics that shape an individual's behavior, thoughts, and emotions. In the video, it is discussed as being influenced by both genetic factors and the cultural environment in which a person is raised. The script mentions how manners and behaviors considered polite or rude in one's culture can shape one's personality.

💡Culture

Culture encompasses the values, customs, and social norms that are shared within a group of people and are transmitted across generations. The video emphasizes the role of culture in conditioning individuals to engage in certain behaviors and in shaping their personality traits, with examples of how different cultural values can lead to contrasting behaviors.

💡Individualism

Individualism is a cultural orientation that prioritizes personal goals and self-reliance over collective needs. The script explains that in individualist cultures, people are encouraged to focus on self-improvement and independence, which can lead to a stronger sense of self but potentially weaker collaboration skills.

💡Collectivism

Collectivism is the cultural emphasis on group goals and interdependence over individual desires. The video describes how collectivist cultures teach individuals to prioritize the needs of their group, leading to close-knit communities and a strong sense of belonging, but also potentially creating an 'us-versus-them' mentality.

💡Approach Culture

An approach culture is characterized by a tendency to seek out and move towards pleasurable or positive experiences. The script uses the concept of approach versus avoidance to discuss how different cultures influence decision-making and the way individuals respond to stimuli.

💡Avoidance Culture

An avoidance culture is one where individuals are inclined to stay away from or move away from negative or painful experiences. The video script explains this concept in the context of how cultures teach what to avoid, which can affect how people handle conflicts and make decisions.

💡Uncertainty Avoidance

Uncertainty avoidance refers to a cultural trait that reflects the extent to which members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations. The video describes how cultures with high uncertainty avoidance tend to have more formal systems of rules and are less open to change, while those with low uncertainty avoidance are more open to new experiences and ideas.

💡Neuroticism

Neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by emotional instability and a tendency to experience negative emotions. In the context of the video, countries scoring high in neuroticism are linked to high uncertainty avoidance, indicating a cultural preference for stability and a resistance to change.

💡Gender Roles

Gender roles are the societal norms dictating the behaviors, activities, and attributes considered appropriate for men and women. The script mentions that cultures with high uncertainty avoidance often have more traditional gender roles, which can influence personality development and expectations within those societies.

💡Educational Systems

Educational systems refer to the organized institutions and processes through which education is provided. The video discusses how different cultures have educational systems that either encourage questioning and open-mindedness or adherence to traditional knowledge and authority, reflecting the cultural values of approach and avoidance.

💡Religion

Religion is a cultural system of beliefs, practices, and moral codes that often influence the values and behaviors of its followers. The script connects certain religions with either high or low uncertainty avoidance, indicating how religious beliefs can shape cultural attitudes towards change and uncertainty.

Highlights

Personality is shaped not only by genetics but also by cultural influences.

Early cultural conditioning begins with learning manners and behaviors considered polite or rude.

Cultural values significantly influence our subconscious behavior patterns.

Different cultures encourage varying behaviors, from loud and competitive to quiet and humble.

Researchers have studied the link between culture and personality for a long time.

Cultures can be defined on two spectrums: individualism vs. collectivism and approach vs. avoidance.

Individualist cultures prioritize self-improvement and independence.

Collectivist cultures emphasize group needs and interdependence.

Cultural values are not strictly determined by geographical borders.

Approach cultures are more open to change and diversity, while avoidance cultures are more conservative.

Uncertainty avoidance measures how a culture responds to novelty and ambiguity.

High uncertainty avoidance cultures tend to be more formal and traditional.

Low uncertainty avoidance cultures are more open to change and new ideas.

Religions and cultural practices are associated with different levels of uncertainty avoidance.

Personality traits and behaviors are influenced by what a culture teaches to approach or avoid.

The video includes a free three-in-one personality quiz to explore viewers' own traits.

Transcripts

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How Culture affects your Personality

Takeaways

Q & A

What is the main argument presented in the video script about personality and culture?

How does the script define individualism in a cultural context?

What are the typical characteristics of people from individualist cultures according to the script?

How is collectivist culture described in the video script?

What challenges might people from collectivist cultures face?

What is the concept of approach versus avoidance in cultural context?

How does the script explain the idea of uncertainty avoidance in cultures?

Which countries and religions are associated with high uncertainty avoidance according to the script?

What are the characteristics of cultures with low uncertainty avoidance?

Which religions are mentioned in the script as being associated with low uncertainty avoidance?

What additional resource is offered to viewers interested in learning more about their own personality?