ABSTRACT
The terms personality and temperament are variously defined, but the former seems more congenial to those who study the social sciences, whereas the latter probably appeals to those with an interest in biology. Cross cultural research would seem to provide an ideal opportunity to showcase the importance of social factors in determining adult development, but to date the major conclusion from cross-cultural studies has been that personality development proceeds in much the same way in every culture. The more personality development is examined across cultures, the more personality begins to look like temperament.
