PSYCH352 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Cultural Psychology, 2-Step Garage, Random Assignment
2 Feb 2013
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Document Summary
Studying psychological phenomena is challenging in general much more so when studying it cross-culturally. We have trouble accessing our own psychological states, never mind trying to study someone else"s. Choosing which cultures to study depends on the research question. Process-oriented approach: if the goal is to see if x (e. g. , individualism) shapes y (e. g. , preference for uniqueness), then find two cultures that vary on x. If the goal is to see universality of x (e. g. , theory of mind), then find two cultures that are maximally different on many dimensions: similarities between them suggest high level of universality. Researchers must understand cultural norms and practices of the cultures being studied, especially in relation to the psychological phenomenon in question. If not, researchers risk drawing conclusions based on faulty information and assumptions. Such understanding is accomplishing through use of ethnographies, foreign collaborators, and immersion in culture of interest: combination of these methods is ideal.
