CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGYDamen in his Culture Learning define Culture as the divided patterns of behavior and interactions and affective down the stairsstanding wise(p) through the process of socialization (Damen, 1987). Psychology is simply a knit of bailiwick that concerns itself with behavior. Cross ethnic psychological science is therefore the scientific take of human behavior and mental behavior and process, including two variability and in chance variable, under diverse ethnical conditions, (Ho, Wu, 2001). It is a branch of psychology that studies the human relationship betwixt goal and human behavior (Matsumoto, 2000). This type of psychology delves in investigatory studies to recognize ethnical variation in behavior and such opposite variables as language and meanings. harmonise to Walter J Loner while committal to writing in the Journal Eye on Psi Chi Cross, heathen psychology is not an in restricted expanse within the entire athletic field of psychology that revolves around in-depth examination of emotions, language acquisition, ainity, social behavior, family and social relationship Eye on Psi SChi 4(3). 22-26.Cross ethnic psychology not and encompasses studies in both the standardizedities and the differences in psychological functioning in divers(a) cultural and ethnic even up ups but also the relationships betwixt such key variables as psychological, socio-cultural, ecological and biological. It considers culture as necessary for functioning, phylogeny and behavior in a cultural context. Diverse forms of comparative inquiry are the major actions/exercises in understanding queer cultural psychology focused at making any distinctions in cultural factors in a flash colligate to development and behavior. According to Berry et al 1997, these researches seek rise of how culture can be taken as a set of variables, contextual or independent that affects various aspects of individual behavior.Cross cultural psychology need not to be confused with cultural. Though related to roughly extent, some distinctions separate the two. The relationship in the midst of cultural and chase after-cultural psychology like any other comparative studies, the relationship between cultural and fussy-cultural psychology entail differences and similarities. These comparisons are discussed below.DifferencesWhile sign cultural psychology studies strive to determine any possible shared behavior and mental processes in cultures, cultural psychology is a field within psychology that hold the view that human behavior is dependent on individuals unique culture. Differences in interpretation of culture account for the differences between cross-cultural psychology and cultural psychology. They differ in two focussings, although they sometimes overlap and are taken as synonymous by some psychologists (Lonner, 2000).Cultural psychology focuses on various ethnic roots such as African-Americans. Cross-cultural psychology, in con trast, emphasizes differences between two or more cultures. Besides, cultural or ethnic psychology root in the United States has a briefer history than cross cultural psychology does.SimilaritiesDespite the afore-mentioned evident differences in cultural psychology and cross culture, the two cannot be divorced from for each one other since they both share certain commonalities. Both studies are rooted from cultural studies of psychology which as discussed earlier, entail behavioral and mental digest in context of varied cultural environment. While cultural psychology seeks to explore certain behavioral characteristics within a specific culture, cross cultural psychology compare these characteristic from one culture to another. These both studies focus on similar elements of culture. Also both studies employ similar techniques quantitative and qualitative. For this reason almost often the research approaches are about similar.The role of critical thinking in cross-cultural psych ologyAccording to Shiraew Levy, critical thinking in cross cultural psychology is the most vital and indispensable component of learning. To describe a phenomena in a cultural contexts, social phenomena such as a peoples language reflects their personal values, biases, likes, prejudices etc. This results in their language coded in such a means that the language exit reveals much about the cultures events, individuals or whatever group they are trying to describe (Shiraew Levy 2010).Through intuition, people mechanically compare their own mental representation to identify or essay a wedded phenomena, i.e. they set their cultural values and believe systems as the standards to judge a given phenomena. This biased perspective results in lose of objectivity in assessing behavior and specific phenomena in other cultures. Psychologists have that all cultures suffer from this problem. This apologises intercultural conflicts in the society.Critical thinking in cross cultural psychol ogy is not only a subject of study in examining cultures, but also a tool in analyzing and evaluating the way people think critically and behave in a given culture.The methodology associated with cross-cultural researchBeing a behavioral study, cross cultural psychology lacks a clear and scientific research technique which poses the study with a serious problem (Escotet, March 25-27 1973). While scientific approaches depict modern trends, the evaluation of cultures has pose complicated and highly subjective. Matsumoto Vijver, (2010) entreat that regardless of the method of measurement and approach, one of the basic issues researchers may become aware of is the relationship among cultural distance and the probability of generating differences Depending on the reputation of the study, contextual factors such as education, age or socio-economic status of the participants affects the asperity research approach and findings. Including such factors in a study will not only enhance th e validity, but also help in eliminating any biases. Matsumoto Vijver (2010).Shiraev Levy advises purport there are two major divisions of research in these fields qualitative and quantitative. While qualitative approaches uses median, mode, variance and standard deviation etc to describe human behavior, qualitative technique uses unperceivable human behavior such as dreams. Shiraew Levy (2010).ConclusionIn conclusion, to understand the heart of human behavior and cognitions across cultures, cross cultural psychology is perfect tool of evaluation. Differentiating cross cultural psychology from cultural is the stepping stone to evaluating cultures. While cultural psychology seeks to find out how culture causes variation in psychology, cross cultural seeks to justify or explain objective description and subjective evaluations of cultures.