A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Social Psychology

Social Psychology
Historically European-North American Product
Study of social psychologists from other cultural traditions: dissatisfaction traditional social psychology.

All humans are ethnocentric, at least to some extent

Dont know they have a culture (universal) Judge harshly those from other side of the mountain

See their culture as a standard

Social psychology: true in our culture universal truth

Social Psychology
Social psychology of each culture are different
India vs. America: widow women example (Collectivism vs. Individualism) Ethnocentric universalism and false consensus effect
For example: Smoking is dangerous or not

Definitions
Culture is to society what memory is to individuals.
Generation to generation Shared perspective Human made

Two types of culture:

Individualism vs. collectivism

Individualism vs. Collectivism

Individualists Independent of groups Priority to personal goals Behavior:attitudes Relationship: profitable Collectivists Interdependent Priority to group goals Behavior: norms Relationship: satisfy group needs

Universal and Culture Specific

A level of generality of phenomena Level 4: personality differences
Behaviors: strong individual differences due to genetic, situational or cultural factors Study individual differences by keeping culture and situation constant-personality psychology

Level 3: specific cultures

Culture-specific manifestations of fundamental dimensions of cultural variations Specify the culture and situation Indigenous social psychology

Universal and Culture Specific

Level 2: large groups
Fundamental dimensions of cultural variations (cultural complexity, tightness, individualism, collectivism etc.) Domains of cross cultural psychology

Level 1: all humans

Universal psychological laws, reflect biological-genetic influences Among all humans and many mammals Domain of neurophysiologic psychology

Level 1: Universal Psychologies

Humans have much common with other animals.
Animals: territoriality Humans: association vs. dissociation
Association: love, support, admire
Extreme: to marry

Dissociation: fight with, avoid, attack

Extreme: to kill

Basic behaviors can also be seen in animals.

Example: among chimpanzees
First order categories of behavior (36 specific acts) Second order categories of behavior (friendly, aggressive, show avoidance etc.) Third order level (behavior sequences: friendly and then aggressive)

Level 1: Universal Psychologies

Animals: Packing orders Humans: super ordination vs. subordination
Super ordination: give order, instruct, criticize, supervise Subordination: obey, ask for help, accept advice

Animals have definable social structures.

Patriarchal (roe deer, baboons) Matriarchal (sheep)

Level 1: Universal Psychologies

Animals: division of labor
Doing hunting while others caring the new born

Humans: role differentiation

Predictability of social behavior
Culture Civilization Norms, taboos, standard operating procedures

Ecosystem distrust : dog-eat-dog relationship

Level 2: Psychologies that include differentiation

Different ecologies cultural differences Most important dimensions of ecological variation:
Homogeneity of population Population density Extent to which economic activities require interdependent actions

Level 2: Psychologies that include differentiation

Homogeneous culture: Norms are clear Deviation from norms punishment Punished slight deviation = tight culture Unpunished deviation = loose culture Heterogeneous culture: Different norms Difficult to be very tight Where density is high: Norms are needed Tightness is often very high Sparsely populated culture: Arctic, deserts etc. Allow others to deviate from norms

Level 2: Psychologies that include differentiation

Cultures: Very tight + simple = collectivist cultures Loose + complex = individualistic cultures Cultural Syndromes: Individualism: autonomy of individual Collectivism: importance of collective Tightness: rejection of deviation from norms Cultural complexity: large number of different social structures, political systems, beliefs Cultural syndromes are detected: Widely shared beliefs, attitudes, norms and values Particular language Specific historic period Definable geographic region

Level 2: Psychologies that include differentiation

When role differentiation is functional: difference in power Hierarchically differentiated people: vertical culture Vertical collectivism or vertical individualism When role differentiation is not functional: cooperative working and equality No hierarchy: horizontal culture Horizontal collectivism or horizontal individualism In every culture, people use all four of these patterns but with different probabilities India, China, Africa, Latin America: vertical collectivist Israeli kibbutz: horizontal collectivist USA, England, France, Germany: vertical individual Sweden, Australia: horizontal individual

Level 2: Psychologies that include differentiation

In level 2, universal variable of level 1 acquire specific meanings in each culture.
For example: Social distance is universal dimension( L1) Exact form depends on ecology, history and culture(L2)
Golf club acceptance vs. touching kitchen utensils

In sum,
Different culture= different social psychologies Location of culture helps to make prediction

Level 3: Indigenous Psychologies

People favor in-group members in all culture, but in different way.
Japan: amai Greece: philotimo Hispanics: simpatia Chinese: confucian dynamism

Level 3: Indigenous Psychologies

Traditional social psychology is largely Western
Cultures: High individualism and low collectivism Applicable only to the West: Indigenous social psychology

Triandas Vassilou and Nassiskou(1968):

In traditional societies (Greece):
Behavior is consequence of norms and roles much more than attitudes. Interactions with In-group and out-group members are very different.

In individualistic cultures
Determinants of behavior are usually attitudes and beliefs.

Level 3: Indigenous Psychologies

Determinants of social behavior are weighted differently in each society. Different social psychologies in: Individualistic cultures of West Collectivist cultures of East Traditional cultures of Africa General links between collectivism and individualism (L2) Specific social psychological manifestations of different kinds of collectivism and individualism(L3)

Level 4:Individual differences in behavior

Personality emerges at this level.
For example: There are extroverted and introverted people in all cultures. But cultural standards may be different.(reflecting the differences in the ecology and history of the group)

Culturally Sensitive Methodologies

To measure social psychological phenomena at levels 2 and 3 we need measurements that reflect local conditions. To compare cultures we need measurements that have the same meaning in each culture. These needs resulted in methodologies that used both universal and culture-specific ideas in each culture.

Social Behavior
The influence of culture on social behavior can be studied by using models. Triandis model: Specifies how elements of culture shape social behavior.
Rewarded repetitions of this behavior become habits and later customs Circular causation: culture influences social behavior and social behavior shapes culture.

The rate of interaction among individuals and sharing the elements of culture..
Increase when demographic factors are similar Decrease when demographic factors are different

Concluding Comment
Social psychology emerged in the West and under the influence of cross- cultural psychology it is broadening to develop an integrated framework for placing indigenous social psychologies. This theory is held together by universal patterns of social behavior, but allows each indigenous social psychology to develop in its own way.

Concluding Comment
The major contributions of cross-cultural social psychology are two:
The development of culture-sensitive methodologies that allow the identification of indigenous social psychology. The comparison of these social psychologies and the development of better understanding of cultural syndromes.

Concluding Comment
The realization that ethnocentrism is a consequence of the total immersion of humans in their own culture, which makes their own culture the standard against which other cultures are judged, is perhaps the most important insight of cross-cultural social psychology and that will permit the reduction of ethnocentrism.

Concluding Comment
Ways of reducing ethnocentrism:
Humans are exposed to thier cultures and see strengths in these cultures that their own culture does not have. By teaching people to see the world the way people other cultures see the world Cross cultural training can help us aviod such misunderstanding.

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