Advancing the cultural study of personality and identity: models, methods, and outcomes

Abstract

Personality and identity are overlapping but distinct constructs. This article describes the three-level model of personality and, specifically, how identity fits within it. Importantly, identity operates at multiple levels of personality, depending on whether the focus is on domain-specific identity development processes or the integrated life story on a broad scale. The strength of the three-level model of personality is then described with respect to a) how it provides an ideal framework for cultural psychological inquiries into universality and specificity, b) how it is well suited for mixed methods research that combines quantitative and qualitative methods, and c) how different levels of personality may be related to psychological outcomes.