As my readers know, I am originally from the East Coast but was living on the West Coast for the past 17 years. I returned to the East Coast this summer to be closer to family, and although it’s my home, it is taking some getting used to. It’s been a big readjustment going from California to Pennsylvania, and not only because any big change is hard–there are some real cultural differences between the West and East coasts. On top of that, there are major differences in geography and weather, but this post is more about the psychology of the people and how they differ. (Note that in this post, when I say “East Coast,” I really mean the northeast, as I feel that the southeast has a very different culture than the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions.)

Stereotypes

Most folks would agree that people on the two coasts have different general styles, personalities, and temperaments. Of course, every region, state, and city is diverse–all people in one location are not the same–but that said, there are trends. Movies, TV, and other media are full of stereotypical depictions of the laid-back California surfer or hippie versus the Type A New Yorker, patrician Main Line heir, or uptight New Englander. And just spending time in California, Oregon, and Washington State and then hanging on the East Coast (particularly the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions) will give most people a real-life experience of the differences in overall culture.

I wanted to do a little reading, though, to see if there is some science to support the stereotypes. After all, not all stereotypes are accurate. In fact, most are not completely accurate, or we wouldn’t call them stereotypes. So, I did a little Googling (looking for reliable sources, of course, not just opinion pieces) and found an interesting study.

Different Regions of the USA Have Different Personality Types

A 2013 study mapped clusters of personality traits in the United States and found that there were marked regional differences. The authors, Rentfrow and colleagues, were most interested in whether geographic personality trends were a factor in other trends, such as economics, politics, and health.

Personality Dimensions

Rentfrow et al. studied the “Big Five” dimensions of personality: extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. The five basic personality traits is a theory developed in 1949 by D. W. Fiske and later expanded on by other researchers. When we examine these traits, we are looking at a spectrum of low to high; in other words, we can measure whether a person has a lot of the elements of the trait, just a few of them, or is somewhere in the middle.

Openness includes having a lot of imagination and insight. Highly open people are eager to learn and experience new things. They are creative and able to think more abstractly. People lower in openness are more traditional, less creative, more rigid, and less comfortable with new things and situations.

Conscientiousness is defined as being thoughtful and goal-directed, with high impulse control. People who are highly conscientious are structured and organized, good planners, and able to analyze their own behaviors and their impact. Those lower on this scale dislike structures and schedules and are more likely to procrastinate and fail to follow through on tasks.

Extraversion refers to being energized by socializing with other people and includes talkativeness, assertiveness, and high amounts of emotional expressiveness. People who are lower on the spectrum of this trait are typically called introverts.

Agreeableness includes having higher degrees of trust, altruism, kindness, and affection. Highly agreeable people tend to be more cooperative and more inclined to do things that help others. On the opposite end of this spectrum are people with a pattern of disagreeableness: manipulation, lack of caring, low empathy, and competitiveness.

Neuroticism is defined as having higher degrees of sadness, anxiety, moodiness, and emotional instability. This includes a tendency to worry, overthink, and have trouble relaxing. The opposite of neuroticism is emotional resilience and stability, with a greater ability to relax and cope with stress.

Regional Profiles

In Rentfrow and colleagues’ study, distinct psychological and personality profiles emerged that coincided with different parts of the United States. The authors defined three main “clusters”: “Friendly and Conventional,” “Relaxed and Creative,” and “Temperamental and Uninhibited.” These traits were correlated with political affiliation.

As you can see in the diagram, the study showed clear differences in personality types between the West Coast and the northeast. The West Coast, labeled “Relaxed and Creative,” has a psychological profile marked by low Extraversion and Agreeableness, very low Neuroticism, and very high
Openness. There are disproportionate numbers of people of color, people with higher education, wealthy people, and folks who are economically innovative in this region. Acceptance of cultural diversity and alternative lifestyles is high, and the politics are more liberal.

Looking at the northeast personality cluster, “Temperamental and Uninhibited,” we find people who have traits of low Extraversion, very low Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, very high Neuroticism, and moderately high Openness. This configuration of qualities is found in reserved, aloof, impulsive, irritable, and inquisitive people–sounds a lot like Philadelphia and New York City! There are disproportionate numbers of older adults and women in this region, in addition to affluent and college-educated individuals. The politics tend to be liberal.

So, although there are some areas of overlap (people on both coasts are more reserved and open than those in the Mid-West, and people on both coasts are more creative), there are clear differences as well. For instance, West Coasters tend to be more innovative, empathetic, cooperative, and relaxed than their East Coast counterparts, who are more competitive, less empathetic, more organized and structured, and more anxious.

As this post is about differences between the East and West coasts, I’m not really too concerned with the Mid-West. But in the interest of being thorough, I will share what the study showed about region, labeled the “Friendly and Conventional” cluster. People here have moderately high levels of Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness, moderately low Neuroticism, and very low Openness. This group of traits is present in people who are sociable, considerate, dutiful, and traditional, with conservative politics.

Summing It Up

I found this study really interesting, as it puts more data and detail to the stereotypes. Did anything in this article surprise you?

I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon related to social media: People make assumptions about others based on their posts. Nothing surprising about that, and I am certainly not the first or only person to make this observation. After all, social media is a way to share with others in a public way. So, it makes sense that we look at what others are posting and make assumptions. And, this phenomenon has been widely studied.

Why am I writing about this, you might ask? One reason is that as a psychologist providing mental health services to college students, I frequently hear about how making assumptions about social media can be damaging. The main reason is because of a psychological concept called social comparison theory. This theory posits that people constantly evaluate themselves and others in areas such as success, attractiveness, wealth, and intelligence. They typically make these evaluations about themselves by looking at others and what they perceive about them. People see others’ photos (which are often altered) and feel less attractive than that person. Folks read others’ posts about going to exclusive events, buying homes, going on vacations, their kids winning awards, getting promotions, and feel inadequate in comparison. And studies show that the more one uses social media, the more likely they are to feel down about themselves.

It’s important to remember that while there is some truth to what you are reading or seeing (hopefully, unless all your social media friends are pathological liars), it’s a carefully chosen and curated truth. And, as noted earlier, it may be a heavily edited and beautified truth. Your friend may not have teeth that straight and white, skin that clear, a waistline that slim but just appears so due to the magic of phone filters and PhotoShop. And while it’s true that your friend probably did go on that tropical vacation or get that promotion, they also had days when they felt sad, lonely, inadequate … days when they fought with their partner, the kid had a tantrum, they couldn’t pay all the bills, they sat on the couch consuming a whole bag of potato chips and feeling crappy about their life. Most people are not posting about all the bad stuff.

Well, some people do post about the bad days, pet peeves, and struggles. And some do not. This brings me to the second reason I was thinking about social comparison theory and social media: Sometimes my social media friends make comments on my posts such as “Wow, you look like you’re doing great!” or “Glad to see how happy you are!!” I always have mixed feelings about comments such as these. On the one hand, I chose to post a photo of myself on a beautiful hike or at a gathering of smiling friends. I chose to highlight something interesting, fun, or happy that I did. So, why should anyone assume I’m not loving life? I guess the other side of the coin is that even though I often choose not to post about my struggles, I’ve had many, especially in the past few years, and it’s hard when others assume I haven’t.

So, when you’re scrolling the ‘Gram or looking at Facebook and starting to feel like your life sucks compared with your friends’ lives (or even worse, you’re comparing yourself to celebs and influencers), just remember that you’re only seeing part of the story. We all have our joys and struggles–even celebrities! It’s best to try to get away from comparing yourself to others, especially if you come up short. Unless it’s a way to help yourself grow and move forward, of course. A little comparison, with some honest and constructive self-reflection, can be helpful. But only to a point. Be kind to yourself! And consider cutting back on your social media time if it’s contributing to feeling down on yourself.

And remember that your friends are having good and bad days, too. They may be posting about all of it, or they may be choosing to only show the highlights. So, don’t assume. And be kind in the assumptions you make about your friends–you may not know about all the struggles that are going un-posted.