Title

Measuring individual and cultural differences in implicit trait theories

Department/School

Psychology, Professional

Date of this version

2003

Document Type

Article

Abstract

A new measure of implicit theories or beliefs regarding the traitedness versus contextuality of behavior was developed and tested across cultures. In Studies 1 (N = 266) and 2 (N = 266), these implicit beliefs dimensions were reliably measured and replicated across U.S. college student samples and validity evidence was provided. In Study 3, their structure replicated well across an individualistic culture (the United States; N = 249) and a collectivistic culture (Mexico, N = 268). Implicit trait and contextual beliefs overlapped only modestly with implicit entity theory beliefs and were predicted by self-construals in ways that generally supported cultural psychology hypotheses. Implicit trait beliefs were fairly strongly endorsed in both cultures, suggesting that such beliefs may be university held.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.332

Volume

85

Issue

2

Published in

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Citation/Other Information

Church, A. T., Ortiz, F. A., Katigbak, M. S., Avdeyeva, T. V., & Emerson, A. M. (2003). Measuring individual and cultural differences in implicit trait theories. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(2), 332-347. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.332

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