Running head: CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

Cross-Cultural Psychology
Charlene Marasco
PSY/450
Sally Fleming

March 28, 2011

Cross-cultural psychology Cultural psychology is an interdisciplinary program of research that explores the relationship between individual minds and the complex environments in which they are deployed. The approach focuses on the contribution that content-rich, complex environments – ranging from workplaces to cultural traditions to nation states – make in shaping basic cognitive processes. The comparative approach, or cross-cultural approach, uses experimental methods to compare and contrast groups in their performance on a range of psychological tasks with the objective of demonstrating cultural difference and commonality on some psychological aspect in the lab and field (Cultural Psychology., n.d).
Cross-cultural psychology Cross-cultural psychology is a comparative study of cultural effects on human psychology, from different cultural groups, which looks at the psychological diversity and the underlying reasons for such diversity. Meaning how people in groups relate to the environment and the world around them, like feelings, thoughts, how and where they live, and how cultural groups at one point interact with another group. Cultural psychology is contributing significant insights into higher-order cognitive processes of central concern to cognitive science. According to Shiraev & Levy (2010) Cross-Cultural psychology is the critical and comparative study of cultural effects on human psychology. Any study in cross-cultural psychology draws its conclusions from at least two samples that represent at least two cultural groups. Because cross-cultural psychology is all about comparisons, and the act of comparison requires a particular set of critical skills, this study is inseparable from critical thinking. Cross-cultural psychology examines psychological diversity and the underlying reasons for such diversity (Shiraev & Levy (2010, p., 2). However, Cultural psychology is entirely devoted with finding the connection between an individual’s mind and the environment around them this type of psychology helps explains the people’s relationships or groups and their culture to the environment. The core of culture psychology is the norms arise within human behavior is connected to society and cannot be separated. Both cultural and cross cultural psychology aspects involve the use of “serial reproduction” (in the terms used by Bartlett), the use of stereotypes (as ways of categorizing, coding, and perpetuating shared beliefs), the existence of “cultural lag” to explain dysfunctional norms (such as interpersonal and intergroup violence), and the process of psychological acculturation, which follows contact between individuals from differing cultural backgrounds (Berry, 2004).
Critical Thinking The expression think outside the box is associated to critical thinking; it’s a different way of thinking to find a solution. Critical thinking is to examine, evaluate, and understand events, solve problems, and make decisions on the basis of sound reasoning and valid evidence developing by asking questions to expand your knowledge to come across a solution with the information that you already have. The thought principles or metal thoughts (literally, “thoughts about thought”) contained in this chapter are cognitive tools that provide the user with specific strategies for inquiry and problem solving in cross-cultural psychology. In this way, they serve as potent antidotes to thinking Critical thinking compares several perspectives on a question, creates more than one potential outcome, and use a rational process of thought to the evidence (Shiraev & Levy, 2010, p.,2). Determining the similarities and differences between any two cultural groups, is reliant on the perspectives from which you choose to view them. The foundations of cross cultural psychology that are needed for a critical appraisal of ... the knowledge and principles established earlier on to consider how cross-cultural psychology can contribute ... and work, communication and training, health behaviour, and the role of psychology (Berry W. J., Poortinga H. Y., Segall H.M., & Dasen R.P., 2002).
Methodology
Methodology in cross-cultural psychology can be divided into two categories: quantitative and qualitative. Methodology in cross-cultural psychological studies are the popular methods used by cross-cultural psychologists and offers critical proposals about the process of gathering facts and interpreting data in comparative studies(Shiraev & Levy, 2010, p.,28). Qualitative research is carrying out mainly in a natural setting, where the research participants carry out their daily activities in a non-research atmosphere. Qualitative studies are also conducted when there are difficulties in measuring variables, in situations when the subjects cannot read or use answer scales or when there are no standardized measurement instruments available. Qualitative research is also useful in situations in which variables are not completely conceptualized or operationally defined. The qualitative method can be useful when the experiences and priorities of the research participants heavily influence the research (Shiraev & Levy, 2010, p., 29). Quantitative methodology is a measure of correlation in research conducted in cross-cultural psychology. Cross cultural psychology often needs to establish correlations, or the relationships between two or among several variables. However, correlations may provide us with accurate and useful information regarding “what” relationships exist, but they cannot be counted onto answer the question, “why?” Even in those circumstances in which a correlation strongly implies causation, it does not prove causation (Shiraev & Levy, 2010, p., 90). Moreover, the researcher experienced a number of advantages of applying both quantitative and qualitative methods in this intercultural research. Quantitative methods ensured high levels of reliability of gathered data. Qualitative research allowed for obtaining more in-depth information about how the managers perceive intercultural communication competence and its relationship with the performance of multicultural teams.
Conclusion
To conclude, Cross cultural psychology is the very foundation of an assessment or a comparison of cultures which human behavior and a mental process of cognition, reasoning or perception that is among cultures. What is more, cultural psychology is separate from cross cultural psychology, meaning that cross cultural psychology field is an approach of assessments which studies the cultural effects on human psychology. Within the studies critical thinking can link the studies of the cultures by using metathinking. Moreover, in the field of cross cultural psychology researchers find that using qualitative and quantitative research, is more complete and where one method is weak the other is strong giving a platform to build a complete social and ever changing comparison in the field of cross cultural psychology (Matveev V. A., 2002).

References
Berry, J. (2004). Review of "The Psychological Foundations of Culture". Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne, 45(4), 315-316. doi:10.1037/h0087002
Berry W. J., Poortinga H. Y., Segall H.M., & Dasen R.P.(2002)Cross-Cultural Psychology: Research and Applications, Cambridge University Press.
Matveev V. A. (2002). Theory of Communication and Applied Communication, Issue 1 / Edited by I.N Rozina, Rostov-on-Don:Institute of Management, Business and Law Publishing, - 168 p. P. 59-67
Cultural Psychology. (n.d). Retrieved from EBSCOhost
Shiraev, E. B. & Levy, D. A. (2010). Cross-cultural psychology: Critical thinking and contemporary applications (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn Bacon.

Reiter, Sebastian; Stewart, Glenn; and Bruce, Christine, "Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches in Cross-cultural Research" (2010). AMCIS 2010 Proceedings. Paper 562.http://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2010/562