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The authors adapted a measure of apathy previously used with Japanese college students to investigate relations between this construct and personality traits among U.S. college students. Males and females reported similar levels of apathy, and both were significantly lower than those obtained from Japanese college students. Analyses demonstrate the construct validity of the apathy scales for use with English-speaking participants, and highlight interesting similarities and differences between North American and Japanese students. Results (a) suggest a differentiation between apathy and other personality constructs, (b) demonstrate that apathy is comprised of emotional, social, and goal-oriented components, and (c) point to cultural differences in the transition from adolescence to adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]