Cross-Cultural Key Terms Flashcards
Cross cultural research
A research methodology that tests the cultural parameters of psychological knowledge.
Cross-cultural psychology
A subdiscipline within psychology that examines the cultural foundations of psychological processes and human behavior.
Universal
A psychological process that is found to be true or applicable for all people of all cultures.
Culture specific
A psychological process that is considered to be true for some people of some cultures but not for others.
Deviation from temperate climate
The degree to which the average temperature of a given region will differ from what is considered to be the relatively “Easiest” temperature to live in, which is 22°C (about 72°F).
Arable land
The type of land that can sustain life by food production of some sort.
Population density
The number of people living within a given unit of space.
Latitudinal psychology
A perspective that understands group differences in mental processes and behaviors according to a combination of distance from the equator and affluence.
Shared intentionality
Knowledge about motivations concerning behaviors that are common among people in a group.
Ratchet effect
The concept that humans continually improve on improvements, that they do not go backward or revert to a previous state.
Culture
A unique meaning and information system, shared by a group and transmitted across generations, that allows the group to meet basic needs of survival, pursue happiness and well-being, and derive meaning from life.
Values
Trans-situational goals that serve as a guiding principle in the life of a person or group (e.g., kindness, creativity).
Sacred values
Values considered to be nonnegotiable. They differ from normal values because they incorporate moral beliefs that drive action in ways dissociated from prospects for success.
Beliefs
A proposition that is regarded as true.
Social axioms
General beliefs and premises about oneself, the social and physical environment, and the spiritual world.
Belief in a zero-sum game
The proposition that social relations are basically antagonistic—that one person’s gain occurs at the expense of others’ losses.
Religion
Organized systems of beliefs that tie together many attitudes, values, beliefs, worldwide views and norms.
Norms
A generally accepted standard of behavior within a cultural or subcultural group.
Rituals
Culturally prescribed conduct or any kind of established routine or procedure.
Etiquette
Culturally prescribed code of behavior that describes expectations for polite behavior.
Tightness vs looseness
A dimension of cultural variability that refers to the variability within a culture of its members to norms.
Attitudes
Evaluations of objects occurring in ongoing thoughts about the objects, or stored in memory.
Cultural worldviews
Culturally specific belief systems about the world.
Self-concept
The cognitive representations of who one is, that is, the ideas or images that one has about oneself, especially in relation to others, and how and why one behaves.
