Geographical psychology.

Geographical psychology is an area of research aimed at mapping the spatial organization of psychological phenomena, identifying the mechanisms responsible for their organization, and understanding how individual characteristics, social entities, and physical features of the environment contribute to their organization. Investigations of geographical variation in personality have revealed geographical differences in personality between and within nations. Three mechanisms that contribute to geographical variation are selective migration, social influence, and ecological influence. Results from studies in North America and Europe indicate that regional differences in personality are linked to political, economic, and health indicators. More work is necessary to understand the causal nature of the links between personality and macro-level outcomes, as well as the scale and impact of person-environment associations over time.