Are Mexicans more or less sociable than Americans? Insights from a naturalistic observation study

Stereotypes about Mexicans are that they are outgoing, talkative, sociable, and extraverted. However, in self-reports, Mexicans rate themselves as less extraverted than Americans. To resolve this paradox, we measured self-reported sociability using a personality questionnaire, and behavioral sociability using the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) in Mexican and American students. The results showed that Mexicans saw themselves as less sociable than Americans, but they behaved more sociably in their everyday lives. The results also showed that expressions of sociability differed across cultures in accordance with manifestations of interdependent–independent selves. Whereas Mexicans socialized more often in public environments and by interacting with a person who is immediately present, Americans socialized more in private environments and by interacting with remote persons.