Mariana Gomes is the co-founder of Personality Quizzes, an online app dedicated to offering scientifically-backed personality tests and insights for self-growth.

5 Cultural Diversity Aspects That Could Influence the Results of Personality Tests

Personality tests are valuable tools in understanding individuals' behaviors, strengths, and preferences. Whether it's the Big Five, DISC, or StrengthsFinder, these assessments offer insights that can be used for personal growth, team development, and career guidance. However, it's essential to recognize that cultural contexts can significantly influence the results of these tests.

While personality assessments aim to provide objective measurements of traits like extraversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability, cultural backgrounds play a crucial role in shaping how individuals express these traits. Below, we explore five cultural diversity aspects that can impact the accuracy and interpretation of personality test results.

1. Collectivism vs. Individualism

Cultural values around collectivism and individualism can shape how people approach personality assessments [1,2]. In individualistic cultures, such as those in many Western countries, personal achievement, independence, and self-expression are highly valued. As a result, people from these cultures may score higher on traits like extroversion or assertiveness, as these qualities are often celebrated.

In contrast, collectivist cultures—common in many Asian, African, and Latin American societies—emphasize group cohesion, harmony, and respect for authority. In these cultures, introversion or agreeableness may be more highly valued, and people might score differently on traits like extroversion, even if they are just as outgoing in a group setting. For example, a student from a collectivist culture might appear less extroverted on a test, but excel at supporting others in a team.

Additional Examples:

• In the United States, a personality test might positively frame statements like "I prefer to work independently" or "I stand out from the crowd," whereas in Japan, these same qualities might be seen as potentially disruptive to group harmony.
• Research shows that Chinese employees often rate themselves more modestly on self-evaluations compared to American counterparts with similar performance levels, reflecting the collectivist value of humility [4].
• During team-building exercises, Scandinavian participants might emphasize individual contributions to problem-solving, while Filipino participants might focus more on ensuring everyone's voices are heard.

2. Communication Styles

Communication styles differ greatly across cultures, influencing how people answer personality test questions [3]. In high-context cultures, such as in Japan or the Middle East, communication is often indirect, relying on shared understanding rather than explicit statements. People from these cultures might respond more cautiously, particularly when describing their feelings or actions, as they avoid direct confrontation or expressing strong opinions.

On the other hand, low-context cultures, such as in the U.S. or Northern Europe, encourage clear and direct communication. Individuals from these cultures are more likely to respond confidently, which may result in higher scores for individualistic traits like assertiveness. These differences in communication can make it difficult to compare responses across cultures without considering the cultural norms surrounding self-expression.

Additional Examples:

• In Finland, directness and minimal small talk are valued as signs of honesty and efficiency. A Finnish professional might answer a personality question about communication preferences very differently from someone from Brazil, where relationship-building conversation is essential before business discussions.
• In Arab cultures, refusing a request directly is often considered rude [5]. Instead, expressions like "I'll see what I can do" might actually indicate a polite "no." This indirect communication style might lead to scoring differently on agreeableness or openness scales.
• American professionals tend to use more self-promotion in interviews and assessment contexts ("I led," "I achieved"), while Japanese professionals might emphasize group efforts ("We accomplished," "Our team succeeded").

3. Power Distance and Authority

Power distance refers to how a culture views and accepts power inequalities in society [1]. In cultures with high power distance, such as many Asian and Latin American countries, hierarchy and respect for authority are emphasized. People from these cultures may be less likely to assert themselves in professional settings and might score lower on traits like leadership or assertiveness, even if they display these traits more comfortably in informal environments.

In contrast, in low power distance cultures like the U.S. or Scandinavia, equality and challenging authority are valued. People from these cultures might score higher on traits like assertiveness or independence, as these behaviors are encouraged in social and professional settings. Understanding the role of power distance helps ensure that personality test results are interpreted without cultural bias.

Additional Examples:

• In South Korea, junior employees might hesitate to contradict senior colleagues even when they have valuable insights, which could lead to lower scores on traits like assertiveness despite having strong opinions [7].
• German work environments often encourage direct feedback across hierarchical levels, while in Indonesia, criticism typically flows downward but rarely upward, affecting how people from these cultures might respond to questions about conflict management.
• Swedish organizations commonly use flat hierarchies where even interns might address the CEO by first name, creating a context where speaking up is normalized regardless of position.

4. Cultural Attitudes Toward Emotions

Cultural attitudes toward emotional expression can influence how individuals respond to personality tests that measure emotional stability or neuroticism [3]. In cultures that value emotional restraint, such as many East Asian or Mediterranean societies, individuals may downplay negative emotions like anxiety or frustration. As a result, they might appear more emotionally stable on tests, even if they are actually experiencing similar feelings.

Conversely, in cultures where emotional expression is more accepted, such as in parts of Latin America or the Caribbean, people may feel more comfortable expressing their emotional struggles. This could lead to higher scores for traits like neuroticism, though it may simply reflect the cultural norm of openly expressing emotions rather than an actual emotional issue.

Additional Examples:

• In British culture, the "stiff upper lip" tradition values emotional restraint, while in Italian culture, emotional expressiveness is more accepted [6]. A British person might downplay emotional responses on a test, while an Italian might acknowledge them more readily.
• Finnish culture emphasizes emotional independence and personal space, even having a concept called "sisu" (stoic determination). Finns might score higher on emotional stability not necessarily because they feel less, but because cultural norms discourage emotional displays.
• In many Middle Eastern cultures, expressing joy and happiness is encouraged, while in some Northern European contexts, excessive enthusiasm might be seen as immature or inauthentic.

5. Social Roles and Gender Expectations

Cultural views on gender roles also play a significant role in how people approach personality assessments [2]. In many cultures, traditional gender expectations influence behavior, with men often encouraged to display traits like leadership and assertiveness, while women may be expected to be nurturing and cooperative. These social roles can lead to gender-based differences in how people score on various traits.

In more gender-equal societies, such as some Western countries, these stereotypes may be less pronounced, and individuals might feel freer to express traits that don’t conform to traditional gender expectations. This can lead to more authentic results, but understanding the impact of cultural gender norms is essential for interpreting personality tests in a way that doesn’t reinforce outdated stereotypes.

Additional Examples:

• In traditional South Asian cultures, women might downplay leadership ambitions on personality assessments despite having them, as assertiveness in women can be viewed negatively in some contexts.
• In Scandinavian countries, paternity leave is normalized and encouraged, creating environments where nurturing traits are valued in men as much as women, potentially leading to more balanced personality test responses across genders.
• Research shows that in societies with stronger gender norms like Japan, women tend to score higher on agreeableness and lower on assertiveness compared to women in more gender-equal societies like Iceland, even when controlling for individual differences [4].

Personality assessments are invaluable tools in educational psychology, helping us understand individual traits and predict behavior. However, to make these assessments more accurate and culturally inclusive, it’s essential to recognize the role of cultural diversity in shaping responses.

References:

1. Hofstede, G. (2020). Culture's Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations. Sage Publications.
2. Triandis, H. C. (2018). Individualism and Collectivism: New Directions in Social Psychology. Routledge.
3. Matsumoto, D., & Juang, L. (2021). Culture and Psychology (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.
4. Schmitt, D. P., et al. (2017). "Personality and National Culture: Predicting Global Trait Differences." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3), 491–510.
5. Nisbett, R. E. (2021). The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently... and Why. Free Press.
6. McCrae, R. R., & Terracciano, A. (2020). "Universal Features of Personality Traits Across Cultures." Annual Review of Psychology, 71, 515–539.
7. House, R. J., et al. (2019). Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies. Sage Publications.