ABSTRACT
Most people hold beliefs about personality characteristics typical of members of their own and others' cultures. These perceptions of national character may be generalizations from personal experience, stereotypes with a "kernel of truth," or inaccurate stereotypes. We obtained national character ratings of 3989 people from 49 cultures and compared them with the average personality scores of culture members assessed by observer ratings and self-reports. National character ratings were reliable but did not converge with assessed traits. Perceptions of national character thus appear to be unfounded stereotypes that may serve the function of maintaining a national identity.
Subject(s)
Character , Culture , Ethnicity , Personality , Adolescent , Adult , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Female , Humans , Male , Personality Assessment , Reproducibility of Results , Social Perception , Stereotyping , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Because of reports of the potential risk of maternal hyperthermia to a developing embryo or fetus, studies were done to determine the length of time a woman must stay in a hot tub or sauna before her temperature reaches 38.9 degrees C. The vaginal temperatures of 20 nonpregnant women of childbearing age were recorded while they sat in hot tubs set at 39.0 degrees C or 41.1 degrees C and in a sauna with an average temperature of 81.4 degrees C. Five women were able to remain in the 39.0 degrees C tub and six in the 41.1 degrees C tub until their temperature reached 38.9 degrees C, but in none did their temperature reach that level before 15 minutes in the 39.0 degrees C tub or 10 minutes in the 41.1 degrees C tub. The remainder left in discomfort while their body temperatures were lower. This indicates that the usual use of hot tubs is unlikely to raise a woman's body temperature to potentially teratogenic levels, although prolonged use may. None of the women were able to remain in the sauna long enough for their temperature to reach 39.9 degrees C.
