Russians, Mokshans and Erzyans: Analysing Projections of National Characters

Meshcheryakov B.G.; Shamanina E.A.; Allik J.

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Cultural-Historical Psychology

Publisher: Moscow State University of Psychology and Education

ISSN (printed version): 1816-5435

ISSN (online): 2224-8935

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/chp

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Started in 2005

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Cultural-Historical Psychology
2013. Vol. 9, no. 1, 33–44
ISSN: 1816-5435 / 2224-8935 (online)

Russians, Mokshans and Erzyans: Analysing Projections of National Characters ¹⁸²⁷

Meshcheryakov B.G., Doctor of Psychology, Professor at the Psychology chair, The «Dubna» University, Dubna, Russia, borlogic1@gmail.com
Shamanina E.A., PhD student at the Chair of Psychology, Dubna International University of Nature, Society and Man
Allik J., PhD in Psychology, Professor, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia, juri.allik@ut.ee

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This research covered three ethnic groups (Russians, Mokshans and Erzyans) and all participants (140 per- sons) were students of the same Mordvinian university. Their task was to evaluate personality traits of the fol- lowing 'evaluation objects' using the National Character Survey: 1) Russian in general; 2) Russian living in Mordovia (regional Russian); 3) Mordva; 4) Erzya; 5) Moksha; 6) oneself. Although there seemed to be no sig- nificant characterological differences between the three ethnic groups of respondents, there certainly were con- siderable differences in their auto- and, most importantly, heterostereotypes. The paper reflects on how posi- tively perceived values in self-descriptions (low Neuroticism, high Openness for Experience, Agreeableness etc.) transform into less positive ones in auto- and heterostereotypes. As it is concluded, ethnocultural close- ness and acquaintanceship between the nations do not guarantee a better understanding of each other's nation- al characters.

Keywords: ethnic stereotypes, National Character Survey, Big Five, Mordva, Moksha, Erzya, Russian

Column: Crosscultural and Ethnopsychological Researches

For Reference

Meshcheryakov B.G., Shamanina E.A., Allik J. Russians, Mokshans and Erzyans: Analysing Projections of National Characters. Kul'turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya [Cultural-Historical Psychology], 2013. Vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 33–44. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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