Personality and Relationship Satisfaction Across Cultures: A Comparative Review of Collectivist and Individualist Contexts

Raj, Amin

doi:10.22034/jmp.2025.517949.1138

Personality and Relationship Satisfaction Across Cultures: A Comparative Review of Collectivist and Individualist Contexts

Document Type : Review Article

Author

Amin Raj

M.Sc. Graduate of psychology, Department of psychology , khyyam University, Mashhad, Iran

10.22034/jmp.2025.517949.1138

Abstract

Objective: This review examines how personality traits, particularly those outlined in the Five-Factor Model (FFM), impact relationship satisfaction across diverse cultural contexts. The study highlights the cultural dimensions of collectivism and individualism in shaping how traits such as conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, and neuroticism affect relational outcomes.
Methods: A comparative analysis of Persian and Western literature was carried out to evaluate how personality traits predict satisfaction in romantic, familial, and parent-child relationships. The review integrates meta-analytical findings, theoretical frameworks such as self-construal theory, and cross-cultural assessments using tools such as the NEO-FFI and EPQ, while addressing methodological challenges in cross-cultural measurement.
Finding: Neuroticism was found to have a universally negative effect on relationship satisfaction across cultures. In a collectivist context such as Iran, conscientiousness and agreeableness emerged as the strongest predictors of relational harmony, while in individualist cultures, extraversion and personal autonomy played more significant roles. The study also revealed measurement biases and the underrepresentation of non-romantic relationships in prior research.
Conclusion: Cultural values profoundly moderate the impact of personality on relationships. This review underscores the importance of culturally sensitive assessment tools and intervention strategies. It calls for future research involving direct cross-cultural comparisons, mixed-methods approaches, and broader relational contexts to build more inclusive psychological models and effective clinical practices.

Keywords

Cross Cultural Psychology

Five-Factor Model

Personality Traits

Relationship Satisfaction

Subjects

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