Rachael Schreffler
PSY 450
April 9, 2012
Instructor: Stefanie Krasner
Introduction to Cross-Cultural Psychology Paper Cultural psychology is to discover links between psychology and culture of those who live in the culture (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Cross-cultural psychology is a comparative and critical study of cultural effects on human psychology. The relationship between cultural and cross-cultural psychology is studying how culture and psychology are linked. Meta-thinking in cross-cultural psychology is a set of skills promoted to think critically, meta-thoughts are thoughts about thought in problem-solving (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Research methodology in cross-cultural psychology is divided into two categories; quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative research involves measuring aspects of human activity from a comparative perspective, through observation. Qualitative research is conducted in a natural setting, primarily, and the participants carry out his or her daily activities in a non-research atmosphere (Shiraev & Levy, 2010).
Define Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology A culture is a set of attitudes, symbols, or behaviors shared by a family or group of people who communicate from one generation to the next. Attitudes include beliefs, such as religious, political, or moral values. Superstitions, stereotypes, and opinions are the general knowledge, empirical, or theoretical of the group. Behaviors include roles, norms, traditions, practices, and habits of the group. Symbols represent ideas bestowed upon them, which can be anything; a building, a slogan, or a sound (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Cultural psychology is to discover links between culture and psychology of those who live in the culture (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Cultural psychology focuses on the study of how, when, and where individuals in a particular culture internalize the specific culture’s qualities (Shiraev & Levy, 2010).
References: Marcello, M. (January, 2011). Translated Identities: Cross-Cultural Psychology. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 5(9), p. 191-201. doi: 18331882-73151251 Shiraev, E. B. & Levy, D. A. (2010). Cross-cultural psychology: Critical thinking and contemporary applications (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn Bacon. Triandis, H. C. & Brislin, R. W. (August, 1983). Cross-Cultural Psychology. Education resources information center. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov