National Character

National character comprises the characteristics considered to be typical of a nation or national group. It may include values, traits of character, and similar contents. It rests on the assumption that nations represent a meaningful subdivision of the world, and that they are different in systematic ways; it is, therefore, only appropriate in an ideological context of nationalism. This entry outlines some empirical investigations of national character and examines how judgments of national character can be influenced by the perceiver’s degree of national identification and the context in which these judgments are made.