Personality Variables affect Cooperative Behaviour in Britain and Malaysia

Abstract

Little research has been undertaken in examining the relationship of personality variables on cooperation levels. Studies have not yet examined the Five-Factor Model (FFM) personality dimensions, but instead cooperation's associations with type-A personality and sensation seeking (Boone, De Brabander & van Witteloostuijn, 1999). To test the hypotheses about the nature of the FFM personality on cooperative behaviour, subjects from Britain and Malaysia played either the dictator game (DG) or the ultimatum game (UG), taking into account these personality dimensions. An ANCOVA between nationalities showed that Britons in general cooperate to a greater extent than Malaysians and overall cooperative levels are affected by extraversion, conscientiousness and neuroticism. These result can be viewed in terms of the gene-culture coevolutionary theory which suggests that he genetic aspects of personality interact with the cultural transmission of personality and the cultural evolution of a culture to produce different levels of cooperation in individuals.