Hi With respect to Swiss, Mccrae and colleagues do distinguish between German and French Swiss. With respect to Neuroticism, for example, French Swiss tend to be high (like the French) and German Swiss low (like Germans). We were near Lake Geneva this summer for a week and it really is quite striking the difference between Swiss in north and south with respect to "superficial" qualities (e.g., language, food).
Take care Jim James M. Clark Professor of Psychology 204-786-9757 204-774-4134 Fax [EMAIL PROTECTED] Department of Psychology University of Winnipeg Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9 CANADA >>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 30-Aug-08 9:38 AM >>> On 29 Aug 2008 at 19:50, Jim Clark wrote: >> > So I think the individual bits of information are probably correct > (again subject to the article being published, as Stuart states), but > the author appears to have missed a fundamental distinction in the > literature. Also curious that the headline announces that "Indians and Canadians see themselves as agreeable" (which of course piqued my interest) but nowhere does anything relating to either group appear in the body of the article. This prevents me from repeating two of my favourite personality-type comments about Canadians: 1) A Canadian is someone who says "sorry" when someone steps on his toes (so we _are_ agreeable!) 2) In a contest which allegedly took place (the CBC is fingered), listeners were reminded that something characteristic of the USA is said to be "as American as...apple pie". They were asked for a similar saying for Canadians, "As Canadian as...". The winner was "As Canadian as possible under the circumstances". Regarding the validity of such national characteristics studies in general, it seems to me that a major problem is the diversity of the groups so characterized. The supposedly conscientious Swiss, for example, mentioned in the article. Switzerland has at least three diverse ethic/cultural groups, German and French and Italian. Are they all similarly conscientious? And don't get me started on all the ways Canada can be subdivided (some certainly want to around here), and even Francophones and Anglophones come in many varieties and shapes and sizes and socio-economic levels and educations. How valid, then, are claims for a national personality? But if we do have a national personality, perhaps it's this. In a quip attributed to Stuart Keate, the publisher of the Vancouver Sun, we're ''the vichyssoise of nations - cold, half-French and difficult to stir.'' Stephen ----------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Emeritus Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 2600 College St. Sherbrooke QC J1M 1Z7 Canada Subscribe to discussion list (TIPS) for the teaching of psychology at http://flightline.highline.edu/sfrantz/tips/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
