Research indicates that personality traits are unevenly distributed geographically, with some traits being more prevalent in certainplaces than in others. The majority of research in this field has focused on cross-national comparisons, while less attention has beengiven to variations in personality traits within countries (Rentfrow, Jokela & Lamb, 2015). More recently, regional personalitydifferences have been mapped in both United States and Great Britain (Rentfrow, Gosling, Jokela, Stillwell, Kosinki & Potter,2013; Rentfrow, Kokela & Lamb, 2015). The aim of the present study is to map regional personality differences in Sweden. Usinga representative sample of Swedish residents (N = 6154), we mapped the geographical distribution of the Big Five Personality traitsacross eight national areas (e.g. Stockholm, East Middle Sweden, South Småland and the Islands, South Sweden, West Sweden,North Middle Sweden, Middle Norrland and Upper Norrland). The result revealed statistically significant associations on nationalareas and the degree of agreeableness [F (7, 6154) = 4.63, p < .01, partial ƞ² =.005]. Employing the Bonferroni post-hoc test,significant differences (p < .01) were found between South Sweden (M = 2.74) and the Upper Norrland (M = 2.93), and betweenSouth Sweden and North Middle Sweden (M = 2.88). Descriptive statistics illustrate a stepwise change toward higher degree ofagreeableness, from the South of Sweden to the North of Sweden (Figure 1). The result revealed statistically significant associationson national areas and the degree of conscientiousness (F (7, 6164) = 2,51, p < .05, partial ƞ² =.003). Employing the Bonferronipost-hoc test, significant (p < .05) differences were found only between Stockholm (M = 2.94) and the Upper Norrland (M = 3.06).Insights about regional personality differences within a nation are useful, because such differences are associated with political,economic, social and health outcomes and thereby linked to a regions history, culture and ability to change.
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2nd World Conference on Personality Psychology, March 31 to April 04, 2016, Búzios, Brazil