National Characteristics [Paperback]

Professor Peabody examines how different nationalities have different psychological characteristics in this 1985 study.In this illuminating comparative 1985 study of six nations, Professor Peabody focuses on how different nationalities have different psychological characteristics. Through extensive empirical studies, the author compares and contrasts this evidence with social scientific accounts of national character and concludes that psychological characteristics of different nationalities do differ in fundamental ways.In this illuminating comparative 1985 study of six nations, Professor Peabody focuses on how different nationalities have different psychological characteristics. Through extensive empirical studies, the author compares and contrasts this evidence with social scientific accounts of national character and concludes that psychological characteristics of different nationalities do differ in fundamental ways.Do different nationalities have different psychological characteristics? This question is often avoided as being too controversial, but it is squarely faced in this illuminating comparative study, first published in 1985. Dean Peabody focuses principally on six nations: Britain, Germany, France, Italy and the two world powers, Russia and America, where extensive empirical studies have been conducted to ascertain what ordinary people judge to be national characteristics (often dismissed as 'national stereotypes'). These results are compared and contrasted with those from social scientific accounts of 'national character', and there is a perhaps surprising level of agreement between the two. Moreover, as Professor Peabody's systematic cross-national survey demonstrates, the psychological characteristics of different nationalities do differ in fundamental ways.Preface; Acknowledgements; introduction; Part I. Judgements about National Characteristics: 1. National characteristics and group judgements; 2. Characteristics of persons; 3. Judgement princl#+