Degree of Authoritarianism Across 56 Countries is Predicted by the Average Personalities of Their Populations

Degree of Authoritarianism Across 56 Countries is Predicted by the Average Personalities of Their Populations


Using data on average big 5 personality traits in 56 countries from Schmitt et al. (2007), I tested the hypothesis that the higher order personality traits stability (made up of conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability) and plasticity (openness and extraversion) (e.g. Wang et al. 2013) would emerge via factor analysis. I then tested the hypothesis that the degree of civil liberties across these countries (as scored by freedomhouse.org) would be predicted by the average scores on stability and plasticity in the populations of these countries. Both hypotheses were supported, and up to 73% of differences in authoritarianism across these countries was explained by the average scores on stability and plasticity in these countries. 


Hypothesis 1



Stability

Plasticity

Agreeableness

0.81

0.14

Conscientiousness

0.87

0.10

Neuroticism

-0.80

-0.20

Openness

0.02

0.86

Extraversion

0.32

0.69


Hypothesis 2



Stability

Plasticity

Agreeableness

0.81

0.14

Conscientiousness

0.87

0.10

Neuroticism

-0.80

-0.20

Openness

0.02

0.86

Extraversion

0.32

0.69

Civil Liberty

-0.68

0.52


References


  1. Schmitt et al. (2007) The geographic distribution of Big Five personality traits: Patterns and profiles of human self-description across 56 nations

  2. Wang et al. (2013) Observed Personality in Childhood: Psychometric and Behavioural Genetic Evidence of Two Broad Personality Factors


Supplemental Data


Average Big 5 Traits & Civil Liberty Score for Each Country


E

A

C

N

O

Civ. Lib

Argentina

49.1

42.75

48.18

55.05

50.83

49

Australia

48.98

47.51

45.87

50.82

50.07

57

Austria

50.61

45.9

46.73

49.69

49.29

56

Bangladesh

44.98

50.49

46.71

51.2

53.35

24

Belgium

45.99

45.07

43.03

53.6

54.59

57

Bolivia

49.34

49.62

45.08

50.29

50.71

39

Botswana

49.56

52.11

50.27

48.61

48.19

44

Brazil

45.89

45.86

45.38

53.14

49.16

43

Canada

48.32

49.14

49.05

50.58

48.75

58

Chile

47.55

47.02

49.72

51.39

54.69

55

Congo

51.19

54.82

55.71

44.58

46.23

15

Croatia

51.7

45.2

46.02

46.16

48

49

Cyprus

49.1

51.16

48.49

51.44

49.36

56

Czech

50.22

44.09

42.87

51.02

50.59

55

Estonia

50.41

49.58

45.84

46.99

53.17

56

Ethiopia

47.11

51.82

54.36

46.12

47.15

13

Fiji

49.68

49.27

46

48.03

47.21

36

Finland

49.84

49.46

51.6

47.84

50.33

60

France

45.44

46.64

49.26

52.29

48.09

52

Germany

50.31

45.08

46.52

50.29

47.8

55

Greece

48.6

52.42

47.45

53.19

51.53

50

Hong

46.91

42.69

41.53

52.41

41.64

37

India

47.42

50.43

47.36

50

48.48

33

Indonesia

51.25

46.38

47.19

49.73

48.01

29

Israel

48.65

49.44

52.4

49.27

50.95

43

Italy

49.8

46.52

48.62

51.66

50

54

Japan

46.73

42.21

37.82

57.87

41.53

56

Jordan

48.35

53.73

49.77

49.86

47.1

23

Latvia

49.39

43.79

44.21

51.11

49.91

52

Lebanon

48.32

46.1

44.56

53.35

49.4

30

Lithuania

49.71

42.61

44.56

51.87

49.04

52

Malaysia

50.03

48.55

47.08

48.14

47.61

30

Malta

50.45

49.56

45.97

52.35

50.66

55

Mexico

50.24

49.51

45.72

48

52.26

34

Morocco

48.81

48.95

45.22

50.87

49.1

24

Netherlands

49.75

46.08

43.91

48.61

49.94

58

NewZealand

50.61

46.83

44.18

49.59

49.49

59

Peru

48.35

43.64

47.36

53.39

51.29

42

Philippines

48.12

47.96

43.14

51.41

49.34

31

Poland

49.12

46.74

46.15

51.8

49.06

48

Portugal

48.06

49.52

47.75

50.21

50.29

57

Romania

50.33

45.31

48.1

48.03

53.13

48

Serbia

51.95

47.64

47.53

50.17

52.44

42

Slovakia

49.05

47.38

42.44

51.57

52.53

53

Slovenia

50.54

50.18

49.24

45.28

50.5

56

SouthAfrica

49.61

49.97

49.61

49.01

49.01

46

SouthKorea

44.86

44.11

40.6

53.99

44.3

50

Spain

49

45.26

46.8

54.03

49.64

53

Switzerland

50.47

47.69

45.03

48.72

52.62

57

Taiwan

47.75

44.74

42.52

53.13

45.7

56

Tanzania

49.19

49.26

53.27

47.73

48.19

22

Turkey

51.59

47.89

48.71

49.88

52.7

16

Ukraine

46.45

39.05

43.89

48.02

42.06

34

UnitedKingdom

49.79

47.31

46.89

51.39

45.97

54

UnitedStates

50

50

50

50

50

51

Zimbabwe

48.69

49.77

51.75

48.26

48.52

17


Stability & Plasticity Factor Scores for Each Country


Stability

Plasticity

Argentina

-1.263

0.38

Australia

-0.252

0.18

Austria

-0.123

0.44

Bangladesh

-0.045

-0.20

Belgium

-1.690

0.48

Bolivia

-0.047

0.40

Botswana

1.396

-0.23

Brazil

-0.812

-0.77

Canada

0.512

-0.36

Chile

-0.232

0.72

Congo

3.213

-0.38

Croatia

0.317

0.47

Cyprus

0.527

-0.05

Czech

-1.162

0.73

Estonia

0.364

1.19

Ethiopia

2.349

-1.16

Fiji

0.624

-0.27

Finland

1.184

0.31

France

0.006

-1.21

Germany

-0.240

0.06

Greece

0.134

0.29

Hong

-1.074

-1.98

India

0.566

-0.63

Indonesia

0.086

0.31

Israel

1.027

0.11

Italy

-0.142

0.33

Japan

-2.438

-1.98

Jordan

1.435

-0.79

Latvia

-0.988

0.34

Lebanon

-0.940

-0.09

Lithuania

-1.148

0.24

Malaysia

0.625

-0.11

Malta

-0.246

0.65

Mexico

0.254

0.95

Morocco

-0.086

-0.07

Netherlands

-0.354

0.42

NewZealand

-0.336

0.53

Peru

-1.038

0.30

Philippines

-0.586

-0.14

Poland

-0.390

0.00

Portugal

0.334

-0.08

Romania

-0.051

1.17

Serbia

-0.095

1.41

Slovakia

-1.012

0.80

Slovenia

1.341

0.57

SouthAfrica

0.910

0.00

SouthKorea

-1.441

-1.94

Spain

-0.876

0.10

Switzerland

-0.210

1.13

Taiwan

-1.081

-0.96

Tanzania

1.551

-0.35

Turkey

0.118

1.34

Ukraine

-0.608

-2.00

UnitedKingdom

0.069

-0.51

UnitedStates

0.743

0.30

Zimbabwe

1.314

-0.38

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