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Brief Contents
Preface xvii
Author Bios xxv
References 370
Author Index 411
Subject Index 419
This page intentionally left blank
Detailed Contents
Preface xvii
Author Bios xxv
References 370
Author Index 411
Subject Index 419
This page intentionally left blank
Preface
human nature: selfish, greedy, and violent. To be sure, some progress has occurred.
But many countries remain split and feuding along ethnic and religious lines. Interna-
tional terrorism poses an increasingly treacherous problem. Minority groups around
the world continue to be ostracized, threatened, and assaulted. Millions of people
belonging to these various ethnic and religious groups continue to be the target of sys-
tematic violence. Local politicians and military rulers in many countries reject pleas
addressing human rights in their countries and label these appeals cultural “expan-
sionism” of the liberal West. Rather than blending together, diverse groups perpetuate
tensions. Consider Syria, Libya, Sierra Leone, Timor, Sudan, Iraq, Kashmir, Afghani-
stan, Cyprus—is there any valid reason to believe that the list won’t continue to grow?
Can psychologists and other educated professionals make a difference in this global
but disunited world?
Even if the world is becoming smaller, what does this mean? To some indi-
viduals, “smaller” implies a sense of community, connectedness, and camaraderie.
Meanwhile to others, it is tantamount to being cramped, crowded, and confined.
To some, the phrase “we the people” calls for us to merge together. To others, we
are getting more disunited and intolerant of one another than ever. Who is right?
Who is wrong? Can we find a middle ground between these two views? Can we
use the psychological knowledge gained in one country to understand the people
in others?
In searching for answers to questions such as these, we discovered an enor-
mous body of theories, research, books, journal articles, and websites. Upon closer
examination, however, what emerged was not particularly encouraging or even
useful: lots of unsupported theories, lots of contradictory findings, lots of defen-
siveness and emotionally charged posturing, and lots of thinking that was a great
deal less than clear. How does one even begin to sort through all of it? Is there a
way to separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff? By what means can we make
informed decisions?
These are some of the questions that we, the authors, have been struggling with
for some time and, in a nutshell, largely what prompted us to write this book. The
story leading to our collaboration is worth noting in several respects. Although we
both are of a similar age and share a number of common characteristics (from career
choice to tastes in music), we grew up in very different worlds. The first author (Eric)
was born and raised in the city of Leningrad in the former Soviet Union, where he
obtained his first academic degrees before moving to California and then Virginia. He
is a professor, author, and coauthor of 15 books. The second author (David) is from
Southern California, where he received his formal education and training and where
he currently works as a psychology professor, licensed psychotherapist, author, and
researcher.
Thus, each of us brings a distinctly unique set of experiences and perceptions to
this project. We were struck by both the similarities and differences in our respective
backgrounds, and we sought to utilize these complementary contributions to their
maximum effect. In discussing our past, we discovered that as we were entering col-
lege, neither of us knew very much about cross-cultural psychology. By the time we
started graduate school (Eric at Leningrad State University and David at UCLA), our
interest had begun to grow. But the real fascination with cross-cultural psychology
emerged much later, specifically when each of us spent an extended period of time
teaching in the other’s home country. The appeal has never waned and continues to
this day.
Preface xix
Intended Audiences
This book was designed with the following readers in mind:
Contents
The book consists of 12 chapters. Chapter 1 reviews the key theories and approaches
in the field of cross-cultural psychology. Chapter 2 introduces principles of crit-
ical thinking and applies these tools directly to topics in cross-cultural psychology
by identifying common errors and providing useful antidotes. Chapter 3 presents
and explains research methods in cross-cultural psychology. Chapter 4 focuses on
cross-cultural aspects of sensation, perception, and states of consciousness. Chapter 5
is devoted to the interface of cross-cultural psychology and intelligence. Chapters 6
and 7 comprise cross-cultural analyses of emotion and motivation, respectively. Issues
related to human development and socialization are examined in Chapter 8. Chapter 9
focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and explanation of psychological disorders from
cross-cultural perspectives. Chapter 10 highlights key issues of social perception and
interaction. Chapter 11 addresses cross-cultural accounts of personality, social cog-
nition, and the self. Finally, Chapter 12 identifies several applied problems of cross-
cultural psychology.
xx Preface
Website
The website www.routledge.com/9781138668386 contains tools for classroom prepa-
ration and management for instructors and study materials for students. The instruc-
tor’s section includes a robust test bank that contains multiple choice, true and false,
short answer, and essay questions and answers for every chapter as well as a complete
set of tables and figures from the text. The student’s section includes chapter out-
lines, flashcards of key terms, and links to further resources and the authors’ Face-
book page, which features updates, commentaries, and discussions of topics related
to cross-cultural psychology.
Acknowledgments
No project of this magnitude could have been realized without the invaluable contri-
butions, assistance, and support of scores of individuals. We have benefited from the
insightful feedback and advice of colleagues and reviewers, from the diligent efforts of
research assistants, and from the patience and understanding of family members and
friends. In particular, we wish to acknowledge Lyndsay Brooks, Tamara Levy Eromo,
Elizabeth Laugeson, Maykami L. McClure, Briana Levy, Jacob Levy, Mary J. Tebbe,
Jonathan “JP” Perpich, Steve Nevil, Zorro Levy, Emma Levy, Dmitry Shiraev, Dennis
Shiraev, Nichole Shiraev, Alex Shiraev, Oh Em Tee, Thomas Szasz, Fuji Collis, Don
Preface xxiii
Kilburg Evangeline Wheeler, Alex Main, Susan Siaw, Gerald Boyd, Vladislav Zubok,
Elena Vitenberg, Anthony Galitsky, Diana Smith, Mary Jo Carnot, Beverly A. Farrow,
Bruno Bornet, Urszula Jakubowska, Yola Ghammashi, Buraq Amin, Alexandra Tyson,
Alicia Hooper, Janett Chavez, Jason Smith, Sondra Saterfield, Joseph Morris, Judith
Farell, Rita Chung, Michele Lewis, Fred Bemak, Sergei Samoilenko, Martijn Icks,
and Jane McHan. A special notice of thanks and appreciation goes to Sandy Sayah-
Pedram, whose extraordinary talents and remarkably wide range of contributions
were invaluable in the revision of this book.
We would also like to thank the reviewers who provided input on the revision
plan for the sixth edition: Steven L. Berman (University of North Florida), Graciela
Espinoza-Hernandez (University of North Carolina Wilmington), Lauren Mizock
(Fielding Graduate University), Mia Palmer (Mesa Community College), Douglas
Paton (University of Tasmania, Australia), and David B. Richards (Bridgewater State
University). We would also like to thank the reviewers of previous editions, includ-
ing Denis Sukhodolsky, Yale University; Sergei Tsytsarev, Hofstra University; Cheryl
Koopman, Stanford University; James Sidanius, Harvard University; William W.
Lambert, Cornell University; Elaine P. Adams, Houston Community College; Karen
L. Butler, Johnson C. Smith University; L. Kevin Chapman, University of Louisville;
Kevin Chun, University of San Francisco; Fuji Collins, Central Washington Univer-
sity; McLin Dawn, Jackson State University; Chandler Gilbert Community College;
G. William Hill, Kennesaw State University; Thomas Hodgson, SUNY-Empire State
College; Corrine Lim-Kessler, Monmouth College; Na’im Madyun, University of Min-
nesota Twin Cities; Alex Main, Murdoch University; Pamela Mulder, Marshall Univer-
sity; Jill Norvilitis, SUNY College at Buffalo; Belinda Ramos, B. James Starr, Howard
University; Yvonne Wells, Suffolk University; Evangeline Wheeler, Towson State Uni-
versity; and Leonard Wilhelm, Lakeland College for their insightful comments.
A special word of appreciation is due to the administrations, faculty, staff, and
students at our respective academic institutions, where we have consistently been pro-
vided with an abundance of encouragement, assistance, and validation. Thank you,
Debra Riegert, Senior Editor at Taylor & Francis for believing in us and in this project
from the start. We also would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the tremen-
dous support we received at virtually every stage of this project’s development from
our production team at Taylor & Francis, including Rachel Severinovsky and others,
as well as Sheri Sipka and the staff at Apex CoVantage. On a more personal note, we
wish to express our mutual feelings of thankfulness for our relationship to each other
as collaborators, colleagues, comrades, and friends. The journey continues . . .
This page intentionally left blank
Author Bios
Dr. Eric B. Shiraev is a professor, researcher, and author. He took his academic degrees
at St. Petersburg University in Russia and completed a postdoctoral program in the
United States at UCLA. He served at various positions at St. Petersburg University,
NVCC, Oregon State University, George Washington University, and George Mason
University. His research interests are diverse. He is an author, coauthor, and coeditor
of 12 books and numerous publications in the fields of global studies, history of sci-
ence, cross-cultural studies, and political psychology. In his publications, he develops
a distinct multidisciplinary approach to analyzing human behavior. Besides teach-
ing and scholarly work, Eric Shiraev writes opinion essays for the media around the
world. He resides near Washington, D.C. Visit his site: www.ericshiraev.com
Dr. David A. Levy has extensive experience as a teacher, therapist, writer, and
researcher. He is professor of psychology at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School
of Education and Psychology, where he has been teaching graduate courses since
1986. He received his BA degree in theater arts from UCLA, an MA degree in psy-
chology from Pepperdine University, a second MA degree in psychology from UCLA,
and his PhD in psychology from UCLA, where he specialized in social psychology,
with minors in psychological assessment and personality psychology. He served as
visiting professor of psychology in the Soviet Union, where he delivered lectures and
workshops in psychology and psychotherapy at Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) State
University, the Leningrad Academy of Science, and the Bekhterev Psychoneurological
Institute. He was honored as a Harriet and Charles Luckman Distinguished Teaching
Fellow at Pepperdine and was a recipient of the Shepard Ivory Franz Distinguished
Teaching Award and Charles F. Scott Fellowship at UCLA. Dr. Levy holds professional
licenses both in psychology and in marriage and family therapy. He has worked in a
wide range of private practice and inpatient psychiatric settings, he has supervised
clinical interns, and he has utilized his expertise in psychological testing (particularly
the MMPI) in forensic cases.
His numerous theoretical and empirical research studies have been published
in scientific journals and presented at professional conferences. His book, Tools of
Critical Thinking: Metathoughts for Psychology, garnered widespread acclaim in both
academic and clinical settings for its innovative approaches to improving think-
ing skills. Levy coauthored (with Eric Shiraev) Cross-Cultural Psychology: Critical
Thinking and Contemporary Applications, which became an internationally best-
selling textbook. Levy is the author of Family Therapy: History, Theory, and Practice,
which was the first textbook on the topic available to Russian readers. His Levy
Optimism-Pessimism Scale (LOPS) has been utilized internationally in a variety of
research contexts, and he is a member of the Board of Editors for the Journal of
Humanistic Psychology.
Levy is also the author of numerous satirical articles, including “The Emper-
or’s Postmodern Clothes: A Brief Guide to Deconstructing Academically Fash-
ionable Phrases for the Uninitiated,” “How to Be a Good Psychotherapy Patient,”
xxvi Author Bios
Remember that all things are only opinions and that it is in your power to think as
you please.
Marcus Aurelius (112–180 c.e.)—Roman emperor
and Stoic philosopher
The West can teach the East how to get a living, but the East must eventually be
asked to show the West how to live.
Tehyi Hsieh (1884–1972)—Chinese
educator and diplomat
N
OW THEY ACTUALLY saw the devastating consequences of the tsunami
right before their eyes. Two psychologists, Fred and Rita, had rushed imme-
diately to Thailand as soon as the reports about the tsunami reached America.
Both of these professionals had seen a lot in their careers, but what they witnessed
now was more than heartbreaking. The deadly impact of the wave was immediate. The
destruction afterward was indescribable. The human suffering seemed endless.
Natural disasters affect all of us, regardless of our nationality or ethnic affilia-
tion. Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, and typhoons reap destruction and
havoc on our lives, inflicting immediate, acute, as well as long lasting psychological
impact. With this in mind, how are professionals to help people best overcome their
emotional pain?
Fred Bemak has tried to tackle this question for years. As a professor, he devel-
oped several therapeutic methods of psychological intervention to help victims of
large-scale disasters. These methods worked well in the laboratory, but their effec-
tiveness in the real world is more complex. Is such therapy helpful to the poor, who
are usually hardest hit by disasters? What about migrant Latino communities, Abo-
riginal peoples in Australia, and Native-American reservations? Do these methods
work in Africa and Southeast Asia? Bemak founded Counselors without Borders, a
nongovernmental organization focused on studying and alleviating suffering around
the world, and has worked with his wife, Rita Chung, for over 17 years to implement
various forms of psychological assistance to the victims of natural disasters. One of
their main concerns and challenges remains: Can research methods and psycholog-
ical interventions developed in one part of the world be effectively applied in other
cultures? We know that sociocultural factors impact the way people act, think, and
feel and that the same scientific study may yield different results in different groups.
What remains unanswered is how substantial these differences are. If these differences
are negligible, then regardless of where we are born and raised, human behavior and
psychological experience should be based on similar, universal mechanisms. If, on the
other hand, these differences are significant, then as scholars or researchers we need
2 Chapter 1 Understanding Cross-Cultural Psychology
to pay closer attention to differences that distinguish people from dissimilar back-
grounds. Psychology, as a field, cannot yet draw definitive conclusions regarding these
different perspectives because of myriad issues that remain unresolved with regard
to psychology as a field worldwide. A few of these issues are outlined in this chapter.
Most important, the current state of psychological research lacks diversity.
Research published in the United States has focused too narrowly on Americans, who
comprise less than 5 percent of the world’s population. A detailed analysis of peer-
reviewed publications in leading academic journals in psychology showed that more
than 90 percent of research samples came from a small group of countries represent-
ing only 12 percent of the world’s population (Henrich et al., 2010). Further, under-
graduate college students composed almost two-thirds of research samples from the
United States and more than three-quarters of samples in studies conducted in other
countries. Summarized succinctly, the present state of psychological research does not
adequately represent the global population (Arnett, 2008).
Further, English is the most acknowledged international language of psychol-
ogy. Scores of prominent journals appear in English and international conferences
use English as their official language. Researchers who have limited proficiency with
English consequently have diminished opportunity to promote their research and
hence enrich global psychological diversity. In addition to being limited by the use of
English, diversity in psychological research is limited by the most prominent psycho-
logical research historically having been developed in a relatively small selection of
countries: the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and a very short list of other
European nations. Scientists from these countries have made the most influential
contributions to psychology. However, there are no less noteworthy and outstand-
ing contributions from many other parts of the world—including China, Indonesia,
India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, Iran, and Mexico, to name a few—which
go unacknowledged by a majority of professional psychologists (Shiraev, 2011).
Cross-cultural psychology attempts to resolve these issues by identifying and
exploring people’s similarities and differences, with the ultimate goal of uniting people
worldwide through mutual understanding, curiosity, and appreciation.
CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
Culture Individuals
CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY
Culture Culture
A B
4 Chapter 1 Understanding Cross-Cultural Psychology
Basic Definitions
Culture
Culture is simply how one lives and is connected to history by habit.
Le Roi Jones (1934–2014)—American writer and
civil rights advocate
For the purpose of this book, we define culture as a set of attitudes, behaviors, and
symbols shared by a large group of people and usually communicated from one gen-
eration to the next. Attitudes include beliefs (political, ideological, religious, moral,
etc.), values, general knowledge (empirical and theoretical), opinions, superstitions,
and stereotypes. Behaviors include a wide variety of norms, roles, customs, tradi-
tions, habits, practices, and fashions. Symbols represent things or ideas, the meaning
of which is bestowed on them by people. A symbol may have the form of a material
object, a color, a sound, a slogan, a building, or anything else. People attach specific
meanings to specific symbols and pass them to the next generation, thus producing
cultural symbols. For example, a piece of land may mean little for a group of people
living a few miles away. The same land, nevertheless, may be a symbol of unity and
glory for the people living on this land (Brislin, 2000).
Cultures can be described as having both explicit and implicit characteristics.
Explicit characteristics are the set of observable acts regularly found in this culture.
These are overt customs, observable practices, and typical behavioral responses, such
as saying “Hello” to a stranger. Implicit characteristics refer to the organizing princi-
ples that are inferred to lie behind these regularities on the basis of consistent patterns
of explicit culture. For example, grammar that controls speech, hidden norms of bar-
gaining, or particular behavioral expectations in a particular situation may be viewed
as examples of implicit culture.
Please remember that no society is culturally homogeneous. No two cultures are
either entirely similar or entirely different.
TABLE 1.2 U.S. Population in 2010 and 2050 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, Estimates)
state recognized by other countries. For example, those who acquire the status of a
national of the United States (that is, become citizens) are either born in the United
States or obtain their national status through a naturalization process.
Religious affiliation indicates an individual’s acceptance of knowledge, beliefs,
and practices related to a particular faith. Europe, North America, and South Amer-
ica are predominantly Christian. Almost two-thirds of Muslims live in Asia. Since
the beginning of polling almost 70 years ago, about 95 percent of Americans consis-
tently report believing in God. However, the strength of their faith varies. Further,
about one-quarter of American adults have changed their religious affiliation since
childhood, and 25 percent of young adults under age 30 claim no affiliation with any
religious institution (Pew, 2008). Overall, there 78 percent of the U.S. population is
Christian. Every year, more people identify themselves as Buddhist or Muslim, though
these groups are relatively small: each is less than 1 percent of the total population.
Less than 2 percent identify themselves as Jewish. Atheists or agnostics account for
4 percent of the total population (for global estimations of major religious affiliations,
check the textbook’s website). Religious teachings have a relatively similar impact on
individuals, regardless of their religious affiliation, inspiring honesty, modesty, and/
or kindness within human beings. While scientific discoveries spread relatively fast
across the globe, culture and religion have the advantage of having deep psychological
roots, backed by ruling elites and the social institutions endorsing them.
There is a great deal of confusion in the way people across countries use the
terms “race,” “ethnicity,” “religious identity,” and “nationality.” Christian Arabs resid-
ing in Israel, for example, don’t call themselves Israeli Christian Arabs. Although they
are Israeli citizens, Arabs commonly see their Israeli identity as a civic or legal one, not
as cultural. On the other hand, for most of the Jewish population, Israeli citizenship
Chapter 1 Understanding Cross-Cultural Psychology 7
serves as both legal and cultural identity (Horenczyk & Munayer, 2007). What is often
labeled as “race” or “ethnicity” in the United States is termed “nationality” in other
countries.
A CASE IN POINT
Ethnicity and Nationality: How They Are Understood in the United States
(excerpted from Shiraev & Boyd, 2008)
There are different ethnic groups within most nations, and the United States is not an
exception. Similarly, there can be different national groups within any particular ethnic
group.
Same nationality, different ethnic groups: Martha and Martin are both U.S. citizens.
In terms of their nationality, they are both Americans. However, ethnically, Martha is
Brazilian because her parents emigrated from Brazil when she was a little girl and she
received her U.S. citizenship a few years ago. Martin is a seventh-generation New Yorker.
His ethnic roots are mixed: Irish, French, German, and Russian.
Same ethnic groups, different nationality: Hamed and Aziza are both Palestinian
exchange students living in New Jersey. Hamed’s parents live in Tel-Aviv, and both he
and his parents are Israeli citizens. Aziza is a Jordanian national and holds a Jordanian
passport.
CROSS-CULTURAL SENSITIVITY
Fairfax Hospital emergency room was busy as usual on a typical Saturday afternoon.
In nearly every emergency room the patient has little privacy, and whatever one says is
heard by anyone who happens to be around. A young doctor was busily examining newly
arrived patients, a usual routine to determine the seriousness of their symptoms. He just
finished questioning a woman—she was apparently in satisfactory condition—and was
about to move on to the next patient waiting nearby.
“Doctor, where did you go to school?” the woman asked.
“Wake Forest,” the doctor replied.
“And what’s your nationality?” the curious woman continued.
“I am American,” replied the doctor with a smile.
“No, no, what is your nationality?” insisted the lady, putting an emphasis on the last
word. “You look Chinese or Vietnamese to me.”
“Ma’am, I am American, I was born here. My parents came from China, but they are
U.S. nationals too. You can call me Chinese American.”
“Oh, I see,” concluded the lady loudly. “I knew I was right. You are Chinese!”
Some people still associate the word “American” with a particular “European” look
and “TV-anchor” accent. For some, it is hard to comprehend that the United States has
always been—and will continue to be—a multiethnic community. Skin color, name, and
hair texture do not automatically determine a person’s nationality or religion. “It’s really
not a big deal,” said the doctor to one of the authors who witnessed this conversation
and asked the doctor if he was offended by the woman’s comments. “For as long as
I live, I will always be correcting people’s remarks about my ethnicity. Some people do not
get it. They will never change.” We know that doctors are not supposed to make wrong
predictions. However, our hope is that this prediction will eventually prove to be incorrect
(or at least mostly incorrect).
8 Chapter 1 Understanding Cross-Cultural Psychology
We should not forget that human groups are constantly moving and mixing with
others. Some countries prohibit a person from changing his or her religious affiliation.
In contrast, in the United States cultural diversity is encouraged, and people have free-
dom to choose the group(s) with which they want to identify, with ethnic, religious,
or national identity becoming increasingly dynamic and a matter of individual choice.
T H E A N A LY T I C A L S C I E N C E .
HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY.
. . . . . . . Soon had his crew
Opened into the hill a spacious wound,
And digged out ribs of gold . . . .
Anon out of the earth a fabric huge
Rose like an exhalation, with the sound
Of dulcet symphonies and voices sweet,
Built like a temple.
Milton. Paradise Lost, i.
CHAPTER I.
5 Lemery, p. 25.
6 Macquer, p. 19.
12 P. 117.
It has been said, 13 that in the adoption of the phlogistic theory, that
is, in supposing the above-mentioned processes to be addition
rather than subtraction, “of two possible roads the wrong was
chosen, as if to prove the perversity of the human mind.” But we
must not forget how natural it was to suppose that some part of a
body was destroyed or removed by combustion; and we may
observe, that the merit of Beccher and Stahl did not consist in the
selection of one road or two, but in advancing so far as to reach this
point of separation. That, having done this, they went a little further
on the wrong line, was an error which detracted little from the merit
or value of the progress really made. It would be easy to show, from
the writings of phlogistic chemists, what important and extensive
truths their theory enabled them to express simply and clearly.