Cross-Cultural Psychology
Stephanie Sorrell
Psychology 450
February 24, 2014
Dr. Jenne Meyer

Cross-Cultural Psychology
Introduction
Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior. There are many different branches and fields of psychology. The field of psychology that will be discussed within this paper is called cross-cultural psychology. Cultural psychology will also be discussed. To begin these types of psychology will be defined and the so the differences and similarities between the two will also be discussed. In order to fully grasp an understanding of cultural and cross-cultural psychology, the role of critical thinking within this scientific study as well as the methodology used in this field of psychology will also be discussed. In the conclusion of this paper, a deep understanding of cultural psychology and cross-cultural psychology should be attained. This is yet another way in which people can attempt to understand why people, specifically groups of people, act the way they act, uphold certain traditions that they uphold and maintain certain customs that each culture has. It is only when a full knowledge of all similarities and differences amongst human beings is attained, that we can learn to work together as one for better of this world that we call home.
Cultural Psychology
In order to define cultural psychology, a definition of culture must first be stated. Culture is defined by the attitudes, behaviors, and symbols shared among a large group of people (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). These attitudes, behaviors and symbols are passed down from one generation to the next. Attitudes consist of beliefs, values, stereotypes, superstitions, opinions and general knowledge. Behaviors are where customs and traditions come from within the group. Behaviors are also what determine the cultural norms and the roles in the people of that particular culture play. As far as cultural symbols are concerned, these can be in many forms. Some families have certain material objects that get passed own from one generation to the next (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Other cultures might pass down certain sayings or slogans from one generation to the next. There are certain cultures that pass down even property from one generation to the next (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). All these are examples of cultural symbols. Cultures all around the world have certain explicit characteristics. An example of this would be to say hello and goodbye. All cultures do this, but the way in which it is done is different from one culture to the next. The observable behaviors of a culture are called explicit characteristics, whereas those behaviors within a culture that are not presented out in the open are called implicit characteristics of the culture. Implicit characteristics of a culture include expected behavior of the people within that culture. This is the definition of a culture. Cultural psychology is is the study of a certain culture and the psychology of the individuals that live within that culture. Cultural psychologists seek to understand when and how the cultural beliefs and attitudes are internalized by the individuals living in the culture.
Cross-Cultural Psychology
Cross-cultural psychology studies the cultural effects on human psychology. In order to examine cross-culturally, the psychologist would need to compare two cultures with one another (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Cross-cultural psychology studies the diversity in norms and behaviors within a culture and how these diversities influence human behavior. Equally, cross-cultural psychology seeks to find the similarities among different cultures. This helps to develop certain universal norms that are expressed in many or even all cultures of the world. One of these universal aspects would be the development of the human personality (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). There are certain traits of the human personality that are simply the same no matter what culture a person grows up in. Cross-cultural psychology must be studied carefully and as the time changes and our world because more modernized or technologically dependent, the findings of cross-cultural psychology must also change to keep up with the changing times. For the most part, cultures have more freedom than they had back when cross-cultural psychology first became a scientific study. Cultures are mixing together more and more as humans become more interested in living outside of what they are use to or have always done (Johannson, 2013). The freedom to mix in this nature opens the door for what use to be considered cultural norms to create new cultural norms.
Critical Thinking and Methodology in Cross-Cultural Psychology
As stated earlier, cross-cultural psychology is the scientific comparison of two completely different cultures. In order to compare two or more things with one another, one must possess a certain set of critical thinking skills (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Therefore, the ability to think critically is necessary in order to do any type of research in cross-cultural psychology. Many of the questions that research in cross-cultural psychology tries to answer include such things like how different cultures or people within that culture react to similar situations (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). An example would be when an earthquake has hit certain cultures. If we were to look at how people in California handle or react to earthquakes and then look at how the people of Haiti react to an earthquake, we would find out how differently these cultures react to the same devastation. That does not mean though, that the same type of help would not be beneficial to both of these very different cultures. In order to conduct this research, a psychologist has to have the knowledge necessary to find the answers to their questions.
Conclusion
Cultural and cross-cultural psychologies both examine how varying cultures affect the human beings within the culture. In order to conduct the proper research, the psychologist must have great critical thinking skills and the scientific knowledge of how the comparison of two cultures must be done. This type of psychology conducts such research not only to figure out the differences among human behaviors, but to also determine the universal behaviors among the varying cultures. Personality traits are one of the many universals found during cross-cultural psychological research. Using this research can help psychologist determine what form of therapies can best help all populations instead of just one particular culture. In order to help everyone, a psychologist has to determine how human beings react to the same type of traumatic experiences. Examining human behaviors across different cultures will ultimately help psychologist to a better job in their field. The more we understand about one another, the more likely we are to tolerate each other.

References
Johannson, F. (Speaker). (2013). The Mixing of Cultures Drives Innovation [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.talarforum.se/article/pdf/63/the_mixing_of_cultures_drives_innovation.pdf
Plous, S. (2013). Cultural Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.socialpsychology.org/cultural.htm
Shiraev, E. B., & Levy, D. A. (2010). Cross Cultural Psychology. Critical Thinking and Contemporary Applications (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.