1. Cross Cultural Psychology:
Introduction

2. Course Outline
• Introduction
• Cross-Cultural research methods
• Culture and:
– Development
– Cognition
– Perception
– Language
– Social Interactions, Gender, and Emotions
• Intercultural Relations

3. Psychology
• Psychology: Scientific study of human behavior
and mental functions
– Scientific Study: Systematic, objective methods of
observing behavior and mental functioning
– Behavior: Activity that can be observed, recorded,
and measured
– Mental Functions: Infer from observable behavior
• Areas of Study: Perception, Cognition,
Development, Emotion, Personality, Motivation,
Interpersonal relationships
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos

4. Psychology
• Psychology: Study of behavior and mental processes
– Assumption: People are similar across cultures
• Hypothesize factors within cultures that influence mental processes
• Anthropology: Study of human beings in all places and at
all times
– Cultural Anthropology: Systematic comparison of different
cultures
– Assumption: People are different across cultures
• Needs Assessment: Studies that determine and address
gaps between current conditions and desired conditions
– Assess local opinions about development and aid projects
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos

5. Research Studies
– In cross-cultural psychology studies, the culture of
a participant may be an independent variable
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos

6. Cross-Cultural Psychology
• Cross-Cultural Psychology: Systematic
comparison of psychological variables under
different cultural conditions in order to:
– Identify universal aspects of human thought and
behavior
– Identify how culture influences human thought
and behavior
• Key Question: How does culture influence
human behavior and mental processes?
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos

7. Cross-Cultural Psychology
(Berry, Poortinga, Segall, & Dasen, 2002)
• Cross-cultural psychology is the study of:
– Similarities and differences in individual
psychological functioning in various cultural and
ethnocultural groups
– The relationships between psychological variables
and socio-cultural, ecological, and biological
variables
– The ongoing changes in psychological, socio-
cultural, ecological, and biological variables
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos

8. Goals of Cross-Cultural Psychology
• Test the generality of psychological
knowledge and theories
• Discover cultural and psychological variations
in non-Western cultures
• Integrate results of general and specific
psychological findings to a universal
psychology that is valid for a broad range of
cultures
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos

9. Perspectives in Cross-Cultural
Psychology
• Absolutism: All psychological variables are the same in all
cultures
– Assess constructs using the same methods and instruments
across cultures
• Relativism: All psychological constructs are culturally
influenced
– No comparisons can be made between cultures
• Universalism: All psychological variables are common
between cultures but culture influences the development
and manifestation of psychological characteristics
– Comparisons can be made cautiously, but with modifications to
methods and instruments to make them culturally meaningful.
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos

10. Contributions of Cross-Cultural
Research to Psychology
• Knowledge: Findings of similarities and
differences of behavior and mental
functioning have added to the body of
psychological knowledge
• Critical Thinking: Psychological findings are
now analyzed to determine whether similar
results will be found in different cultures
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos

11. Cross-Cultural Psychology
• Because of cross-cultural research, the
following assumptions now must be made:
– All behavior is learned and occurs in a cultural
context
– Culture must be accounted for in psychological
theories
– More understanding of cultural influences on
behavior is necessary, which may change the way
behavior is studied
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos

12. Cross-Cultural Psychology
Modern Psychology
• Mental processes and
behavior are independent
from the context
• Purpose of psychology is to
isolate mental processes
from the context through
controlled experiments
Cultural-Historical Psychology
• Context influences mental
processes and behavior
• Purpose of psychology is to
understand how the mind
and culture mutually
influence each other
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos

13. Progression of Cross-Cultural Research
• Beginning: Document differences between
cultures
• Currently: Determine the cultural variables
that produce the differences
– Culture is replaced with specific, measurable
psychological variables hypothesized to account
for cultural differences
• Future: Universal theories of psychological
processes
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos