Team Performance and Error Management in Chinese and American Simulated Flight Crews: The Role of Cultural and Individual Differences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Donald D.; Bryant, Janet L.; Tedrow, Lara; Liu, Ying; Selgrade, Katherine A.; Downey, Heather J.

2005-01-01

This report describes results of a study conducted for NASA-Langley Research Center. This study is part of a program of research conducted for NASA-LARC that has focused on identifying the influence of national culture on the performance of flight crews. We first reviewed the literature devoted to models of teamwork and team performance, crew resource management, error management, and cross-cultural psychology. Davis (1999) reported the results of this review and presented a model that depicted how national culture could influence teamwork and performance in flight crews. The second study in this research program examined accident investigations of foreign airlines in the United States conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The ability of cross-cultural values to explain national differences in flight outcomes was examined. Cultural values were found to covary in a predicted way with national differences, but the absence of necessary data in the NTSB reports and limitations in the research method that was used prevented a clear understanding of the causal impact of cultural values. Moreover, individual differences such as personality traits were not examined in this study. Davis and Kuang (2001) report results of this second study. The research summarized in the current report extends this previous research by directly assessing cultural and individual differences among students from the United States and China who were trained to fly in a flight simulator using desktop computer workstations. The research design used in this study allowed delineation of the impact of national origin, cultural values, personality traits, cognitive style, shared mental model, and task workload on teamwork, error management and flight outcomes. We briefly review the literature that documents the importance of teamwork and error management and its impact on flight crew performance. We next examine teamwork and crew resource management training designed to improve teamwork. This is followed by discussion of the potential influence of national culture on teamwork and crew resource management. We then examine the influence of other individual and team differences, such as personality traits, cognitive style, shared mental model, and task workload. We provide a heuristic model that depicts the influence of national culture and individual differences on teamwork, error management and flight outcomes. The results demonstrate the usefulness of the model for future research.

Reflections of Cultural Values in Advertising: A Cross-Cultural Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, Niaz

2001-01-01

Contributes to the debate on standardized versus specialized approaches to international advertising. Compares print advertising from the United States and India and examines how cultural values are manifest in advertising. Finds significant differences in the way these two countries produced advertising messages and that different cultural values…

Exploring Cultural Differences in the Recognition of the Self-Conscious Emotions.

PubMed

Chung, Joanne M; Robins, Richard W

2015-01-01

Recent research suggests that the self-conscious emotions of embarrassment, shame, and pride have distinct, nonverbal expressions that can be recognized in the United States at above-chance levels. However, few studies have examined the recognition of these emotions in other cultures, and little research has been conducted in Asia. Consequently the cross-cultural generalizability of self-conscious emotions has not been firmly established. Additionally, there is no research that examines cultural variability in the recognition of the self-conscious emotions. Cultural values and exposure to Western culture have been identified as contributors to variability in recognition rates for the basic emotions; we sought to examine this for the self-conscious emotions using the University of California, Davis Set of Emotion Expressions (UCDSEE). The present research examined recognition of the self-conscious emotion expressions in South Korean college students and found that recognition rates were very high for pride, low but above chance for shame, and near zero for embarrassment. To examine what might be underlying the recognition rates we found in South Korea, recognition of self-conscious emotions and several cultural values were examined in a U.S. college student sample of European Americans, Asian Americans, and Asian-born individuals. Emotion recognition rates were generally similar between the European Americans and Asian Americans, and higher than emotion recognition rates for Asian-born individuals. These differences were not explained by cultural values in an interpretable manner, suggesting that exposure to Western culture is a more important mediator than values.

Exploring Cultural Differences in the Recognition of the Self-Conscious Emotions

PubMed Central

Chung, Joanne M.; Robins, Richard W.

2015-01-01

Recent research suggests that the self-conscious emotions of embarrassment, shame, and pride have distinct, nonverbal expressions that can be recognized in the United States at above-chance levels. However, few studies have examined the recognition of these emotions in other cultures, and little research has been conducted in Asia. Consequently the cross-cultural generalizability of self-conscious emotions has not been firmly established. Additionally, there is no research that examines cultural variability in the recognition of the self-conscious emotions. Cultural values and exposure to Western culture have been identified as contributors to variability in recognition rates for the basic emotions; we sought to examine this for the self-conscious emotions using the University of California, Davis Set of Emotion Expressions (UCDSEE). The present research examined recognition of the self-conscious emotion expressions in South Korean college students and found that recognition rates were very high for pride, low but above chance for shame, and near zero for embarrassment. To examine what might be underlying the recognition rates we found in South Korea, recognition of self-conscious emotions and several cultural values were examined in a U.S. college student sample of European Americans, Asian Americans, and Asian-born individuals. Emotion recognition rates were generally similar between the European Americans and Asian Americans, and higher than emotion recognition rates for Asian-born individuals. These differences were not explained by cultural values in an interpretable manner, suggesting that exposure to Western culture is a more important mediator than values. PMID:26309215

Different perspectives of cultural mediation: implications for the research design on studies examining its effect on students' cognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teo, Tang Wee

2013-06-01

In this forum, I extend Tao, Oliver, and Venville's paper Chinese and Australian children's understanding of the earth: a cross cultural study of conceptual development to discuss the different views on culture and cultural mediation. I tease out nuances in the viewpoints to suggest three ways to theoretically frame studies examining cultural mediation of students' cognition. Specifically, cultural mediation may be attributed to innate psychological attributes, an accretion of cultural elements, or the social interaction process. Each of these ideas represents a theoretical lens and has implications for the research design of studies relating cultural mediation to cognition. In the final section of this forum paper, I show how a study conducted from the symbolic interactionist viewpoint underscoring cultural mediation as a social interaction process might unfold.

Cultural Differences in Social Interaction during Group Problem Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabrenya, William K., Jr.; Barba, Lourdes

Cross-cultural psychology has begun to analyze cultural differences on collectivism and the implications of these differences for social processes such as group productivity. This study examined natural social interaction during a problem-solving task that required discussion and the establishment of a consensus. The relationship of collectivist…

Cultural Conceptions of Morality: Examining Laypeople's Associations of Moral Character

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vauclair, Christin-Melanie; Wilson, Marc; Fischer, Ronald

2014-01-01

Whether moral conceptions are universal or culture-specific is controversial in moral psychology. One option is to refrain from imposing theoretical constraints and to ask laypeople from different cultures how "they" conceptualize morality. Our article adopts this approach by examining laypeople's associations of moral character in…

Exploring cultural and linguistic influences on clinical communication skills: a qualitative study of International Medical Graduates.

PubMed

Verma, Anju; Griffin, Ann; Dacre, Jane; Elder, Andrew

2016-06-10

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) are known to perform less well in many postgraduate medical examinations when compared to their UK trained counterparts. This "differential attainment" is observed in both knowledge-based and clinical skills assessments. This study explored the influence of culture and language on IMGs clinical communication skills, in particular, their ability to seek, detect and acknowledge patients' concerns in a high stakes postgraduate clinical skills examination. Hofstede's cultural dimensions framework was used to look at the impact of culture on examination performance. This was a qualitative, interpretative study using thematic content analysis of video-recorded doctor-simulated patient consultations of candidates sitting the MRCP(UK) PACES examination, at a single examination centre in November 2012. The research utilised Hofstede's cultural dimension theory, a framework for comparing cultural factors amongst different nations, to help understand the reasons for failure. Five key themes accounted for the majority of communication failures in station 2, "history taking" and station 4, "communication skills and ethics" of the MRCP(UK) PACES examination. Two themes, the ability to detect clues and the ability to address concerns, related directly to the overall construct managing patients' concerns. Three other themes were found to impact the whole consultation. These were building relationships, providing structure and explanation and planning. Hofstede's cultural dimensions may help to contextualise some of these observations. In some cultures doctor and patient roles are relatively inflexible: the doctor may convey less information to the patient (higher power distance societies) and give less attention to building rapport (high uncertainty avoidance societies.) This may explain why cues and concerns presented by patients were overlooked in this setting. Understanding cultural differences through Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory can inform the preparation of candidates for high stakes bedside clinical skills examinations and for professional practice.

Exploring the Effects of Cultural Variables in the Implementation of Behavior-Based Safety in Two Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bumstead, Alaina; Boyce, Thomas E.

2005-01-01

The present case study examines how culture can influence behavior-based safety in different organizational settings and how behavior-based safety can impact different organizational cultures. Behavior-based safety processes implemented in two culturally diverse work settings are described. Specifically, despite identical implementation plans,…

Early Reminiscing in Cultural Contexts: Cultural Models, Maternal Reminiscing Styles, and Children's Memories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroder, Lisa; Keller, Heidi; Kartner, Joscha; Kleis, Astrid; Abels, Monika; Yovsi, Relindis D.; Chaudhary, Nandita; Jensen, Henning; Papaligoura, Zaira

2013-01-01

The present study examined conversations of 164 mothers from seven different cultural contexts when reminiscing with their 3-year-old children. We chose samples based on their sociodemographic profiles, which represented three different cultural models: (1) autonomy (urban middle-class families from Western societies), (2) relatedness (rural…

Cross-cultural differences in comorbid symptoms of children with autism spectrum disorders: an international examination between Israel, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

PubMed

Zachor, Ditza; Yang, Jae-Won; Itzchak, Esther Ben; Furniss, Frederick; Pegg, Elinor; Matson, Johnny L; Horovitz, Max; Sipes, Megan; Chung, Kyong-Mee; Jung, Woohyun

2011-01-01

To examine the relationship between culture and symptoms of comorbid psychopathology in those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) for each country and each sub-scale of the Autism Spectrum Disorders-Comorbid for Children (ASD-CC). Follow-up independent univariate analyses and post-hoc tests as needed. Separate samples from South Korea, the UK and Israel were compared to a sample from the US in order to examine cultural contributions, using the ASD-CC. Overall, few differences were found. Significantly, the US had significantly higher scores than South Korea on the avoidant sub-scale. Additionally, the US had significantly higher scores than Israel on the over-eating and tantrum sub-scales. No significant differences were found between the US and the UK. Cultural factors, such as views of typical behaviour, should be taken into account when examining symptoms of comorbidity in children with ASD.

Cultural misconceptions and public stigma against mental illness among Lebanese university students.

PubMed

Rayan, Ahmad; Fawaz, Mirna

2018-04-01

The purpose of this study was to examine cultural misconceptions about mental illness and how they are associated with the public stigma against mental illness among Lebanese university students. A sample of 203 participants completed the study. Data about cultural misconceptions, attitudes about mental illness, and public stigma of mental illness were obtained. The researchers examined the mean difference in public stigma according to cultural beliefs about mental illness. The majority of students believe that mental health professionals have inadequate knowledge and expertise to treat mental disorders. Various cultural misconceptions about mental illness were reported. Public stigma significantly differed based on these cultural misconceptions. Psychiatric nurses should play a vital role in reshaping the inappropriate cultural view about mental illness. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cross Cultural Differences of Parent Reported Social Skills in Children with Autistic Disorder: An Examination between South Korea and the United States of America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matson, Johnny L.; Worley, Julie A.; Kozlowski, Alison M.; Chung, Kyong-Mee; Jung, Woohyun; Yang, Jae-won

2012-01-01

Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders are universally accepted; however, the reported severity of symptoms may be sensitive to cultural differences. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine the differences in reported symptoms of appropriate and inappropriate social skills between children and adolescents from South Korea (SK) and…

Examining Cultural Intelligence and Cross-Cultural Negotiation Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groves, Kevin S.; Feyerherm, Ann; Gu, Minhua

2015-01-01

International negotiation failures are often linked to deficiencies in negotiator cross-cultural capabilities, including limited understanding of the cultures engaged in the transaction, an inability to communicate with persons from different cultural backgrounds, and limited behavioral flexibility to adapt to culturally unfamiliar contexts.…

"Express yourself": culture and the effect of self-expression on choice.

PubMed

Kim, Heejung S; Sherman, David K

2007-01-01

Whereas self-expression is valued in the United States, it is not privileged with such a cultural emphasis in East Asia. Four studies demonstrate the psychological implications of this cultural difference. Studies 1 and 2 found that European Americans value self-expression more than East Asians/East Asian Americans. Studies 3 and 4 examined the roles of expression in preference judgments. In Study 3, the expression of choice led European Americans but not East Asian Americans to be more invested in what they chose. Study 4 examined the connection between the value of expression and the effect of choice expression and showed that European Americans place greater emphasis on self-expression than East Asian Americans, and this difference explained the cultural difference in Study 3. This research highlights the importance of the cultural meanings of self-expression and the moderating role of cultural beliefs on the psychological effect of self-expression. 2007 APA, all rights reserved

Intellectual Assessment of Children from Culturally Diverse Backgrounds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armour-Thomas, Eleanor

1992-01-01

Examines assumptions and premises of standardized tests of mental ability and reviews extant theories and research on intellectual functioning of children from culturally different backgrounds. Discusses implications of these issues and perspectives for new directions for intellectual assessment for children from culturally different backgrounds.…

Crosscultural Perspectives of Musical Creativity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Patricia Shehan

1990-01-01

Examines music creativity from a cross-cultural perspective. Delineates the difference between creativity and re-creativity giving cultural examples of each. Discusses the differences between composition and improvisation and analyzes the language of musical expression. Describes the cultural traditions of musical creativity in India, China, Iran,…

Culture and Happiness.

PubMed

Ye, Dezhu; Ng, Yew-Kwang; Lian, Yujun

Culture is an important factor affecting happiness. This paper examines the predictive power of cultural factors on the cross-country differences in happiness and explores how different dimensions of cultural indices differ in their effects on happiness. Our empirical results show that the global leadership and organizational behavior effectiveness nine culture indices are all significantly related with happiness. Out of these nine indices, power distance (PDI) and gender egalitarianism (GEI) play the most important and stable role in determining subjective well-being (SWB). We further examine the relative importance of the various variables in contributing to the R-squared of the regression. The results show that PDI is the most important, accounting for 50 % of the contributions to R-squared of all variables, or equalling the combined contributions of income, population density and four other traditional variables. The contribution of GEI is 37.1 %, also well surpassing other variables. Our results remain robust even taking account of the different data for culture and SWB.

Differences between Australian and Japanese Students in Decisional Self-Esteem, Decisional Stress, and Coping Styles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radford, Mark H. B.; And Others

1993-01-01

Examines effects of culture on decisional self-esteem, decisional stress, and self-reported decision coping style for 743 Japanese and 309 Australian college students. Findings on coping styles in decision making are related to cross-cultural differences between the individualistic culture of Australia and the collectivistic culture of Japan. (SLD)

Examine Your LENS: A Tool for Interpreting Cultural Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Tracy Rundstrom

2013-01-01

One of the most commonly cited reasons students choose to study abroad is to experience a new culture. However, most students and, perhaps, most people do not fully recognize what culture is and the span of its influences. The pervasiveness and seeming incomprehensiveness of cultural differences often surprise and unsettle the traveler, and his or…

Culture and Psychiatric Symptoms in Puerto Rican Children: Longitudinal Results from One Ethnic Group in Two Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duarte, Cristiane S.; Bird, Hector R.; Shrout, Patrick E.; Wu, Ping; Lewis-Fernandez, Roberto; Shen, Sa; Canino, Glorisa

2008-01-01

Background: The development of youth psychopathology may be associated with direct and continuous contact with a different culture (acculturation) and to distress related to this process (cultural stress). We examine cultural experiences of Puerto Rican families in relation to youth psychiatric symptoms in two different contexts: one in which…

Cross-Cultural Counseling Concerns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahia, Chikezie Emmanuel

1984-01-01

Examines problems and concerns of cross cultural counseling and psychotherapy. Raises specific questions concerning research designs and approaches, differences in cosmology, epistemology, differences in nosology, and problems of evaluation or testing. (JAC)

The transmission and stability of cultural life scripts: a cross-cultural study.

PubMed

Janssen, Steve M J; Haque, Shamsul

2018-01-01

Cultural life scripts are shared knowledge about the timing of important life events. In the present study, we examined whether cultural life scripts are transmitted through traditions and whether there are additional ways through which they can be attained by asking Australian and Malaysian participants which information sources they had used to generate the life script of their culture. Participants hardly reported that they had used cultural and religious traditions. They more often reported that they had used their own experiences and experiences of relatives and friends. They also reported the use of comments of relatives and friends and the use of newspapers, books, movies and television programmes. Furthermore, we examined the stability of life scripts and similarities and differences across cultures. We found that life scripts are stable cognitive structures and that there are, besides cross-cultural differences in the content, small cross-cultural differences in the valence and distribution of life script events, with the Australian life script containing more positive events and more events expected to occur before the age of 16.

Parenting, self-control, and delinquency: examining the applicability of Gottfredson and Hirschi's general theory of crime to South Korean youth.

PubMed

Jo, Youngoh; Zhang, Yan

2014-11-01

Limited studies have examined whether self-control fully mediates the effect of parenting on deviant behavior beyond Western cultures. Using a sample of 882 South Korean middle and high schools students, this article examines the applicability of Gottfredson and Hirschi's argument about the role of parenting in self-control theory in the context of Asian culture. Results of structural equation modeling (SEM) suggest the relationships among parenting, self-control, and delinquency hold in South Korean culture: Parenting has only an indirect effect through self-control on delinquency. The findings of multigroup SEM, however, indicate that gender differences exist in the relationships among parenting, self-control, and delinquency. This study provides support for cultural invariance of self-control theory but suggests that more studies examining gender differences and interaction between gender and race in the theory are required. © The Author(s) 2013.

State-dependent cognition and its relevance to cultural evolution.

PubMed

Nettle, Daniel

2018-02-05

Individuals cope with their worlds by using information. In humans in particular, an important potential source of information is cultural tradition. Evolutionary models have examined when it is advantageous to use cultural information, and psychological studies have examined the cognitive biases and priorities that may transform cultural traditions over time. However, these studies have not generally incorporated the idea that individuals vary in state. I argue that variation in state is likely to influence the relative payoffs of using cultural information versus gathering personal information; and also that people in different states will have different cognitive biases and priorities, leading them to transform cultural information in different ways. I explore hunger as one example of state variable likely to have consequences for cultural evolution. Variation in state has the potential to explain why cultural traditions and dynamics are so variable between individuals and populations. It offers evolutionarily-grounded links between the ecology in which individuals live, individual-level cognitive processes, and patterns of culture. However, incorporating heterogeneity of state also makes the modelling of cultural evolution more complex, particularly if the distribution of states is itself influenced by the distribution of cultural beliefs and practices. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intergenerational Transmission Effects on Relationship Satisfaction: A Cross-Cultural Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoshida, Keitaro; Busby, Dean M.

2012-01-01

Although intergenerational transmission processes have been studied on various aspects of family life, cross-cultural comparisons have rarely been made. In the present study, the authors examine how intergenerational transmission processes on relationship satisfaction differ between individuals with different gender and cultural identities. A…

Exploring Cultural Variation in Eye Movements on a Web Page between Americans and Koreans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Changwoo

2009-01-01

This study explored differences in eye movement on a Web page between members of two different cultures to provide insight and guidelines for implementation of global Web site development. More specifically, the research examines whether differences of eye movement exist between the two cultures (American vs. Korean) when viewing a Web page, and…

Cultural and Social Interpretation of Chinese Addressing Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yin, Yahui

2010-01-01

This paper examines the influence of Chinese cultural factors on the addressing terms, together with the history of their use, the social dynamics involved in their use. Through the examination of exact terms, the author demonstrates to the reader, the deeply rooted cultural factors behind it and different ways that these terms can be used,…

Designed Curriculum and Local Culture: Acknowledging the Primacy of Classroom Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Squire, Kurt D.; MaKinster, James G.; Barnett, Michael; Luehmann, April Lynn; Barab, Sasha L.

2003-01-01

Examines four teachers implementing a project-based curriculum (Air Quality module) on a web-based platform (ActiveInk Network) in four very different settings. Discusses each case across two themes by examining how the project-level question was contextualized to meet local needs and the cultural context that surrounded the implementation of the…

The production and growth characteristics of yeast and mycelial forms of Candida albicans in continuous culture.

PubMed

Shepherd, M G; Sullivan, P A

1976-04-01

The growth characteristics of Candida albicans CM145,348 have been examined under aerobic conditions in continuous culture. At different steady states the environment was controlled with respect to the concentrations of dissolved oxygen, carbon and nitrogen, the pH, and the temperature. Dry matter, substrate concentration, yield, specific oxygen uptake, specific carbon dioxide release and respiration quotient were examined as a function of the dilution rate. The morphology depended on the carbon source. Maltose produced a mycelial morphology, whereas with lactate a yeast culture was obtained. With fructose or glucose as a carbon source a mixed morphology of yeast, pseudo-mycelial and mycelial forms was produced. A larger number of different growth conditions were examined in batch culture but a mixed morphology was always obtained.

Cultural context, obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms, and cognitions: a preliminary study of three Turkish samples living in different countries.

PubMed

Yorulmaz, Orçun; Işık, Bilgen

2011-04-01

Previous research findings have suggested that recent cognitive accounts of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are valid across different cultural contexts for both clinical and nonclinical samples; however, there is evidence that cultural differences may have an impact on a number of cognitive variables. For this reason, immigration provides an exceptional opportunity for an examination of the role of cultural context in cognitions and possible changes in cultural characteristics. To this end, the present study examined the interrelationships between thought-action fusion, thought control strategies and OCD symptoms in three nonclinical samples, taking the immigration factor into consideration. Thus, the current study included three Turkish sample groups: those who remigrated to Turkey from Bulgaria, those still living in Bulgaria, and those that have always resided in Turkey. The findings of the study supported the role of thought and action fusion and control strategies in OCD symptoms in a cross-cultural context. To illustrate, worry, as a thought control strategy for OCD symptoms, was a common factor in all three sample groups. However, differences were also noted between the groups, despite having the same ethnic origin. Although they immigrated back to Turkey and have been living there for a considerable period of time, the Turkish remigrants retained similar characteristics to the respondents in Bulgaria on cognitions in general. Consequently, it may be suggested that cultural context might have a relative impact on certain correlates. A replication of these findings using different immigration groups and examining various cultural factors is strongly encouraged.

East-West Perspectives on Elder Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tam, Maureen

2012-01-01

This paper describes and conceptualizes the meaning of lifelong learning from two cultural perspectives--East and West. It examines the different principles underpinning lifelong learning that explain why and how elders in the two cultures engage differently in continued learning. Finally, it discusses the cultural impact on elder learning by…

The role of social relationships and culture in the cognitive representation of emotions.

PubMed

Koh, Sharon; Napa Scollon, Christie; Wirtz, Derrick

2014-04-01

There are individual and cultural differences in how memories of our emotions are cognitively represented. This article examines the cognitive representation of emotions in different cultures, as a result of emotional (in)consistency in different cultures. Using a continuous semantic priming task, we showed in two studies that individuals who were less emotionally consistent across relationships have stronger associations of their emotions within those relationships. Further, we found (in Study 2) that in a culture characterised by higher levels of emotional inconsistency across relationships (Singapore), stronger associations between emotions within relationships were found than in a culture characterised by emotional consistency (USA). This cultural difference in cognitive representation was fully mediated by individual differences in cross-situational consistency levels.

When Age and Culture Interact in an Easy and Yet Cognitively Demanding Task: Older Adults, But Not Younger Adults, Showed the Expected Cultural Differences

PubMed Central

Na, Jinkyung; Huang, Chih-Mao; Park, Denise C.

2017-01-01

The interaction between age and culture can have various implications for cognition as age represents the effect of biological processes whereas culture represents the effect of sustaining experiences. Nevertheless, their interaction has rarely been examined. Thus, based on the fact that Asians are more intuitive in reasoning than Americans, we examined how this cultural difference might interact with age. Young and old participants from the US and Singapore performed a categorization task (living vs. non-living). To measure their reliance on intuition, we manipulated the typicality of targets (animate vs. inanimate). We showed that (1) RTs for inanimate organisms were slower than RTs for animate organisms (atypicality cost), (2) the cost was particularly large for older adults and (3) an age × culture interaction was observed such that cultural differences in the cost (Singaporeans > Americans) was found only among older participants. Further, we demonstrated that the age effect was associated with cognitive function and the culture effect among older adults was associated with cultural values. Finally, a moderated mediation analysis suggests that cognitive function and cultural values interact with each other in order to jointly influence one’s cognition. PMID:28396649

When Age and Culture Interact in an Easy and Yet Cognitively Demanding Task: Older Adults, But Not Younger Adults, Showed the Expected Cultural Differences.

PubMed

Na, Jinkyung; Huang, Chih-Mao; Park, Denise C

2017-01-01

The interaction between age and culture can have various implications for cognition as age represents the effect of biological processes whereas culture represents the effect of sustaining experiences. Nevertheless, their interaction has rarely been examined. Thus, based on the fact that Asians are more intuitive in reasoning than Americans, we examined how this cultural difference might interact with age. Young and old participants from the US and Singapore performed a categorization task (living vs. non-living). To measure their reliance on intuition, we manipulated the typicality of targets (animate vs. inanimate). We showed that (1) RTs for inanimate organisms were slower than RTs for animate organisms (atypicality cost), (2) the cost was particularly large for older adults and (3) an age × culture interaction was observed such that cultural differences in the cost (Singaporeans > Americans) was found only among older participants. Further, we demonstrated that the age effect was associated with cognitive function and the culture effect among older adults was associated with cultural values. Finally, a moderated mediation analysis suggests that cognitive function and cultural values interact with each other in order to jointly influence one's cognition.

Measurement Invariance in Mentoring Research: A Cross-Cultural Examination across Taiwan and the U.S.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Changya; Pellegrini, Ekin K.; Scandura, Terri A.

2011-01-01

Workplace mentoring in the international context is an emerging research area with significant potential for global integration. However, although measurement equivalence is a prerequisite for examining cross-cultural differences, this assumption has yet to be examined in mentoring research. This study contributes to the mentoring literature by…

A Multinational Study Examining the Cross Cultural Differences in Reported Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Israel, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matson, Johnny L.; Worley, Julie A.; Fodstad, Jill C.; Chung, Kyong-Mee; Suh, Dongsoo; Jhin, Hea Kyung; Ben-Itzchak, Esther; Zachor, Ditza A.; Furniss, Frederick

2011-01-01

Purportedly, there is a worldwide acceptance of diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD); however, cultural differences in regards to what is considered normal development may affect the diagnosis despite the biological basis for the condition. The aim of the current study was to examine the differences in reports of symptoms of ASD…

Medical Students Cultural Attitudes: The Health Belief Attitudes Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corley, James Earl; Massie, F. Stanford, Jr.; Medrano, Martha; Estrada, Carlos A.

2016-01-01

Cultural competent care is the ability to deliver effective medical care to people from different cultures. The lack of methodological rigor and paucity of psychometric properties information of the instruments limits the generalizability of cultural competency educational interventions. We examined cultural attitudes of first year medical…

The Effect of Social Support on Psychological Flourishing and Distress Among Migrants in Australia.

PubMed

du Plooy, Daniel R; Lyons, Anthony; Kashima, Emiko S

2018-05-04

We examine the access that culturally diverse migrant groups in Australia have to different sources of social support and how this access, or lack thereof, is associated with psychological flourishing and distress. A national online survey was conducted with 1334 migrants in Australia, examining 11 different sources of social support, including family, friends, relationship partner, acquaintances, work colleagues, health professionals, government agencies, community organisations, religious groups, social groups and online groups. We also examined migrants from different cultural groups. All sources of support were significantly associated with mental health, but somewhat differently for the dimensions of distress and flourishing. Flourishing was linked to higher support from all 11 sources, though not for all cultural groups. High psychological distress was linked to lower support only from family, friends, a partner, acquaintances, work colleagues and social groups, and only for some cultural groups. In particular, for distress, there was no link between migrants from Southern Asia and family support, as well as Confucian Asia groups and friend support. Understanding where migrants from different cultural origins draw their support from could help policymakers and support workers improve health and well-being in migrant populations, especially by focusing on sources of support that are linked to lower distress and greater flourishing, as indicated in this study.

Effects of Cultural Assimilation in a Cross-Border M&A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Satoshi; Tamiya, Toshihiko; Fujimura, Shuzo

2010-06-01

This paper examines a merger of two companies with respect to the assimilation of corporate culture differences, particularly quality culture. The study aims to clarify the root cause of declines in quality ratings from customers after a merger despite maintaining products and services as they were before the merger, and whether cultural differences affect decision-making in a newly merged company. Examination is reported of the relationship between actions taken to assimilate quality culture and the resulting quality ratings given by customers, and analyzed is the time required to address quality incidents and the progress of cultural assimilation. A total of 301 incidents in the 5 years after a merger were analyzed, focusing on the time required to resolve the incidents. These empirical analyses reveal that the extent of cultural assimilation is associated with the speed of organizational decision-making and affects the quality ratings given by customers.

Making a Case for a Cross-Cultural Approach to Literacy in Appalachia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thaller, Eva A.

An insider/outsider approach to Appalachian culture examines cultural differences of Appalachian people that necessitate cross-cultural educational studies usually reserved for ethnic and racial minority groups. An overview focuses on current economic conditions affecting the region's culture and some stereotypes of Appalachians that remain…

Physician and Patient Perceptions of Cultural Competency and Medical Compliance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohana, S.; Mash, R.

2015-01-01

To examine the relationship between the different perceptions of medical teams and their patients of the cultural competence of physicians, and the influence of this relationship on the conflict between them. Physicians' cultural competence (Noble A. Linguistic and cultural mediation of social services. Cultural competence of health care.…

Rationality as the Basic Assumption in Explaining Japanese (or Any Other) Business Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koike, Shohei

Economic analysis, with its explicit assumption that people are rational, is applied to the Japanese and American business cultures to illustrate how the approach is useful for understanding cultural differences. Specifically, differences in cooperative behavior among Japanese and American workers are examined. Economic analysis goes beyond simple…

Cross-Cultural Differences in Sibling Power Balance and Its Concomitants across Three Age Periods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buist, Kirsten L.; Metindogan, Aysegül; Coban, Selma; Watve, Sujala; Paranjpe, Analpa; Koot, Hans M.; van Lier, Pol; Branje, Susan J. T.; Meeus, Wim H. J.

2017-01-01

We examined cross-cultural differences in (1) sibling power balance and (2) the associations between sibling power balance and internalizing and externalizing problems in three separate cross-cultural studies (early childhood, late childhood, and adolescence). The "early childhood samples" consisted of 123 Turkish and 128 Dutch mothers…

Culture and Personality in International Schools: Are Trait Differences in Students' Personalities Attenuated or Amplified?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wurf, Gerald C.

2018-01-01

International schools provide a unique context for examining the influence of culture on adolescent personality and identity. In order to investigate whether intercultural education attenuates or amplifies known cultural differences in personality, the traits of 81 students from Chinese, North American, and mixed Chinese-North American cultural…

Indonesian Postgraduate Students Studying in Australia: An Examination of Their Academic, Social and Cultural Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novera, Isvet Amri

2004-01-01

Prior studies suggest that adjustment is a significant contributor to the academic success of international students, and cultural differences can lead to adjustment problems. However, while Australia takes many international students from Indonesia, and there are substantial cultural differences between Indonesia and Australia, there has been…

A Comparative Study of Value Orientations of Chinese and American Families: A Communication View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Guo-Ming

Because an understanding of the cultural value orientation leads to more effective communication with people from different cultures, this paper examines how the difference of cultural value orientations affects the communication process. The paper explores the dissimilarities of value orientations between Chinese and American families from the…

Language Learning Strategies of Turkish and Arabic Students: A Cross-Cultural Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Köksal, Dinçay; Ulum, Ömer Gökhan

2016-01-01

This study investigates the language learning strategy use of Turkish and Arabic students enrolled in middle schools and having different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Using a strategy inventory for language learning, the study examines the cross-cultural differences in strategy use of the mentioned students while learning English as a…

What Is a Bad Kid? Answers of Adolescents and Their Mothers in Three Cultures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crystal, David S.; Stevenson, Harold W.

1995-01-01

Examined behaviors and personality traits attributed to a "bad kid" by adolescents and mothers of American, Chinese, and Japanese cultures. Five domains of behavior likely to yield cross-cultural differences were society, family, school, interpersonal harmony, and self-control. Adolescents and mothers differed significantly in the…

Cross-Cultural Differences in Self-Reported Touch Avoidance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Tricia S.; Remland, Martin S.

Two hundred forty-eight male and female subjects from United States, Mediterranean, Near East, and Far East cultures completed a touch avoidance measure in a study examining cultural differences in touching behavior. Factor analysis of the instrument yielded four factors: opposite sex, other-directed same sex, kissing, and self-directed same sex.…

Cultural differences in hedonic emotion regulation after a negative event.

PubMed

Miyamoto, Yuri; Ma, Xiaoming; Petermann, Amelia G

2014-08-01

Beliefs about emotions can influence how people regulate their emotions. The present research examined whether Eastern dialectical beliefs about negative emotions lead to cultural differences in how people regulate their emotions after experiencing a negative event. We hypothesized that, because of dialectical beliefs about negative emotions prevalent in Eastern culture, Easterners are less motivated than Westerners to engage in hedonic emotion regulation-up-regulation of positive emotions and down-regulation of negative emotions. By assessing online reactions to a recent negative event, Study 1 found that European Americans are more motivated to engage in hedonic emotion regulation. Furthermore, consistent with the reported motivation to regulate emotion hedonically, European Americans show a steeper decline in negative emotions 1 day later than do Asians. By examining retrospective memory of reactions to a past negative event, Study 2 further showed that cultural differences in hedonic emotion regulation are mediated by cultural differences in dialectical beliefs about motivational and cognitive utility of negative emotions, but not by personal deservingness or self-efficacy beliefs. These findings demonstrate the role of cultural beliefs in shaping emotion regulation and emotional experiences.

Conversing across cultures: East-West communication styles in work and nonwork contexts.

PubMed

Sanchez-Burks, Jeffrey; Lee, Fiona; Choi, Incheol; Nisbett, Richard; Zhao, Shuming; Koo, Jasook

2003-08-01

Four experiments provided evidence that East-West differences in attention to indirect meaning are more pronounced in work settings compared with nonwork settings as suggested by prior research on Protestant relational ideology. Study 1 compared errors in interpreting indirect messages in work and nonwork contexts across three cultures. Studies 2 and 3 examined differences in self-reported indirectness with coworkers versus nonwork acquaintances across three cultures controlling for variation in individualism--collectivism. Study 4 examined self-reported indirectness in bicultural managers and experimentally manipulated the salience of Western versus Eastern culture. The results showed that Americans, but not East Asians, were less attentive to indirect cues in work than nonwork settings and that East-West differences in indirectness were greater in work than nonwork settings.

Depressive symptoms and positive affect in Chinese and United States breast cancer survivors: a cross-cultural comparison.

PubMed

Milbury, Kathrin; Kavanagh, April; Meng, Zhiqiang; Chen, Zhen; Chandwani, Kavita D; Garcia, Kay; Perkins, George H; McQuade, Jennifer; Raghuram, Nelamangala V; Nagarathna, Raghuram; Liao, Zhongxing; Nagendra, Hongasandra Ramarao; Chen, Jiayi; Guo, Xiaoma; Liu, Luming; Arun, Banu; Cohen, Lorenzo

2017-07-01

Research in the area of cultural response pattern on questionnaires in the oncological setting and direct cross-cultural comparisons are lacking. This study examined response pattern in the reporting of depressive symptoms in Chinese and US women with breast cancer. We hypothesized that Chinese women are less likely to endorse positive affect items compared to their US counterparts. Additionally, we explored cultural differences in the association between positive affect and QOL. Secondary analyses of baseline assessments of two mind-body intervention studies for women with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy in the USA (N = 62) and China (N = 97) are presented. All participants completed measures of depressive symptoms (CES-D) and cancer-specific QOL (FACT-B). We examined cultural differences on positive and negative affect items on the CES-D. Controlling for demographic factors, ANCOVA revealed a significant cultural difference in positive (F = 7.99, p = 0.005) but not negative affect (p = 0.82) with Chinese women reporting lower positive affect compared to US women (Chinese = 6.97 vs. US = 8.31). There was also a significant cultural difference (F = 3.94, p = 0.03) in the association between positive affect and QOL so that lower positive affect was more strongly associated with worse emotional well-being in Chinese (beta = 0.57, p < 0.0001) than US women (beta = 0.35, p < 0.01). Chinese women reported lower positive affect compared to US women and lower levels of positive affect were more strongly associated with worse QOL. Special attention is needed when examining mental health in different cultures to ascertain effective delivery of clinical services to those in need.

Depressive symptoms and positive affect in Chinese and United States breast cancer survivors: a cross-cultural comparison

PubMed Central

Milbury, Kathrin; Kavanagh, April; Meng, Zhiqiang; Chen, Zhen; Chandwani, Kavita D.; Garcia, Kay; Perkins, George H.; McQuade, Jennifer; Raghuram, Nelamangala V.; Nagarathna, Raghuram; Liao, Zhongxing; Nagendra, Hongasandra Ramarao; Chen, Jiayi; Guo, Xiaoma; Liu, Luming; Arun, Banu

2018-01-01

Purpose Research in the area of cultural response pattern on questionnaires in the oncological setting and direct cross-cultural comparisons are lacking. This study examined response pattern in the reporting of depressive symptoms in Chinese and US women with breast cancer. We hypothesized that Chinese women are less likely to endorse positive affect items compared to their US counterparts. Additionally, we explored cultural differences in the association between positive affect and QOL. Methods Secondary analyses of baseline assessments of two mind-body intervention studies for women with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy in the USA (N = 62) and China (N = 97) are presented. All participants completed measures of depressive symptoms (CES-D) and cancer-specific QOL (FACT-B). We examined cultural differences on positive and negative affect items on the CES-D. Results Controlling for demographic factors, ANCOVA revealed a significant cultural difference in positive (F = 7.99, p = 0.005) but not negative affect (p = 0.82) with Chinese women reporting lower positive affect compared to US women (Chinese = 6.97 vs. US = 8.31). There was also a significant cultural difference (F = 3.94, p = 0.03) in the association between positive affect and QOL so that lower positive affect was more strongly associated with worse emotional well-being in Chinese (beta = 0.57, p < 0.0001) than US women (beta = 0.35, p < 0.01). Conclusions Chinese women reported lower positive affect compared to US women and lower levels of positive affect were more strongly associated with worse QOL. Special attention is needed when examining mental health in different cultures to ascertain effective delivery of clinical services to those in need. PMID:28233122

Gender Differences in Human Cognition. Counterpoints: Cognition, Memory, and Language Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caplan, Paula J.; Crawford, Mary; Hyde, Janet Shibley; Richardson, John T. E.

Noting the fascination of both researchers and the general public with possible gender differences in human cognition and whether these differences originate in biology, childhood influences, or cultural stereotypes, this book summarizes research studies on gender differences in cognition. The book examines social and cultural implications of this…

Mental health literacy: a cross-cultural approach to knowledge and beliefs about depression, schizophrenia and generalized anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Altweck, Laura; Marshall, Tara C; Ferenczi, Nelli; Lefringhausen, Katharina

2015-01-01

Many families worldwide have at least one member with a behavioral or mental disorder, and yet the majority of the public fails to correctly recognize symptoms of mental illness. Previous research has found that Mental Health Literacy (MHL)-the knowledge and positive beliefs about mental disorders-tends to be higher in European and North American cultures, compared to Asian and African cultures. Nonetheless quantitative research examining the variables that explain this cultural difference remains limited. The purpose of our study was fourfold: (a) to validate measures of MHL cross-culturally, (b) to examine the MHL model quantitatively, (c) to investigate cultural differences in the MHL model, and (d) to examine collectivism as a predictor of MHL. We validated measures of MHL in European American and Indian samples. The results lend strong quantitative support to the MHL model. Recognition of symptoms of mental illness was a central variable: greater recognition predicted greater endorsement of social causes of mental illness and endorsement of professional help-seeking as well as lesser endorsement of lay help-seeking. The MHL model also showed an overwhelming cultural difference; namely, lay help-seeking beliefs played a central role in the Indian sample, and a negligible role in the European American sample. Further, collectivism was positively associated with causal beliefs of mental illness in the European American sample, and with lay help-seeking beliefs in the Indian sample. These findings demonstrate the importance of understanding cultural differences in beliefs about mental illness, particularly in relation to help-seeking beliefs.

Mental health literacy: a cross-cultural approach to knowledge and beliefs about depression, schizophrenia and generalized anxiety disorder

PubMed Central

Altweck, Laura; Marshall, Tara C.; Ferenczi, Nelli; Lefringhausen, Katharina

2015-01-01

Many families worldwide have at least one member with a behavioral or mental disorder, and yet the majority of the public fails to correctly recognize symptoms of mental illness. Previous research has found that Mental Health Literacy (MHL)—the knowledge and positive beliefs about mental disorders—tends to be higher in European and North American cultures, compared to Asian and African cultures. Nonetheless quantitative research examining the variables that explain this cultural difference remains limited. The purpose of our study was fourfold: (a) to validate measures of MHL cross-culturally, (b) to examine the MHL model quantitatively, (c) to investigate cultural differences in the MHL model, and (d) to examine collectivism as a predictor of MHL. We validated measures of MHL in European American and Indian samples. The results lend strong quantitative support to the MHL model. Recognition of symptoms of mental illness was a central variable: greater recognition predicted greater endorsement of social causes of mental illness and endorsement of professional help-seeking as well as lesser endorsement of lay help-seeking. The MHL model also showed an overwhelming cultural difference; namely, lay help-seeking beliefs played a central role in the Indian sample, and a negligible role in the European American sample. Further, collectivism was positively associated with causal beliefs of mental illness in the European American sample, and with lay help-seeking beliefs in the Indian sample. These findings demonstrate the importance of understanding cultural differences in beliefs about mental illness, particularly in relation to help-seeking beliefs. PMID:26441699

How negotiators get to yes: predicting the constellation of strategies used across cultures to negotiate conflict.

PubMed

Tinsley, C H

2001-08-01

Individualism, hierarchy, polychronicity, and explicit-contracting values explain why managers from Germany, Japan, and the United States use a different mix of strategies to negotiate workplace conflict. Hypotheses extend prior research in showing that conflict behavior is multiply determined and that each culture uses a variety of interests, regulations, and power-based conflict management strategies. Results of actual (rather than survey-based) conflict resolution behavior suggest several fruitful avenues for future research, including examining the inferred meaning of negotiation arguments, analyzing interaction effects of cultural value dimensions, studying the effectiveness of different strategies across cultures, and examining whether strategic adjustments are made during intercultural conflict management.

Association of acculturation with drinking games among Hispanic college students.

PubMed

Schwartz, Seth J; Zamboanga, Byron L; Tomaso, Cara C; Kondo, Karli K; Unger, Jennifer B; Weisskirch, Robert S; Ham, Lindsay S; Meca, Alan; Cano, Miguel Ángel; Whitbourne, Susan Krauss; Brittian, Aerika S; Des Rosiers, Sabrina E; Hurley, Eric A; Vazsonyi, Alexander T; Ravert, Russell D

2014-09-01

This cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate which components of acculturation relate to drinking games participation among Hispanic college students. We also sought to examine whether the relationships between acculturation and drinking games would differ from the associations between acculturation and other alcohol-related outcomes. A sample of 1,397 Hispanic students aged 18-25 (75% women; 77% US-born) from 30 US colleges and universities completed a confidential online survey. Associations among acculturative processes, drinking games participation, general alcohol consumption, and negative drinking consequences differed across gender. Most significant findings emerged in the domain of cultural practices. For women, US cultural practices were associated with greater general alcohol consumption, drinking games frequency, and amount of alcohol consumed while gaming, whereas for men, US cultural practices were associated with general alcohol consumption and negative drinking consequences. Hispanic and US cultural practices, values, and identifications were differentially associated with drinking games participation, and these associations differed by gender. It is therefore essential for college student alcohol research to examine US culture acquisition and Hispanic culture retention separately and within the domains of cultural practices, values, and identifications.

Cross-cultural differences in emotion suppression in everyday interactions.

PubMed

Huwaë, Sylvia; Schaafsma, Juliette

2016-05-11

Previous research suggests that in collectivistic cultures, people tend to suppress their emotions more than in individualistic cultures. Little research, however, has explored cross-cultural differences in emotion regulation in everyday interactions. Using a daily social interaction method, we examined whether people from collectivistic backgrounds (Chinese exchange students and immigrants from the Moluccas, Indonesia) living in the Netherlands differed from those from individualistic backgrounds (Dutch natives) in emotion suppression during everyday interactions. We also examined whether this depended on their relationship with the interaction partner(s). We found that Chinese participants suppressed positive and negative emotions more than Dutch and Moluccan participants and that this was related to differences in interdependent and independent self-construal across the samples. We also found that Chinese participants suppressed positive emotions less in interactions with close others, whereas Dutch participants suppressed negative emotions more with non-close others. No such differences were found for Moluccans. Our findings support the idea that people from collectivistic cultures suppress emotions more than those from individualistic cultures, but they also suggest that this depends on who the interaction partner is. Furthermore, they suggest that emotion suppression may change when people with collectivistic backgrounds have been raised in individualistic cultures. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

Culture and Biology in Emotional Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Kurt W.; Wang, Lianquin; Kennedy, Bruce; Chen, Ching-Ling

1998-01-01

Describes a biological and cultural framework that examines species-specific and culture-specific characteristics for the development of human emotions with evidence from Korea, China, and the United States. Discusses how emotions fall into broad families and dimensions across cultures, with both commonalities and differences. Notes that…

Culture and alexithymia: mean levels, correlates, and the role of parental socialization of emotions.

PubMed

Le, Huynh-Nhu; Berenbaum, Howard; Raghavan, Chitra

2002-12-01

Two studies examined the relationship between culture and alexithymia. In Study 1, mean levels and correlates of alexithymia were examined in 3 cultures: European American (EA), Asian American (AA), and Malaysian college students. Both Asian groups had higher alexithymia levels than the EA group. Somatization was more strongly associated with alexithymia in the Asian groups than in the EA group. Mood and life satisfaction were associated with alexithymia in similar ways across groups. In Study 2, the relations among culture, gender, retrospective reports of parental socialization of emotions, and alexithymia were examined among EA and AA college students. Cultural and gender differences were found in alexithymia and emotion socialization levels. Most important, parental emotion socialization mediated the relations among culture, gender, and alexithymia.

Development of Cross-cultural Sensitivity in Business Courses: The Culturelog.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starr-Glass, David

1995-01-01

Foreign students in a business administration and marketing program in Israel are required to keep a journal noting observations of cultural differences and examine them in relation to their own cultures and the Israeli culture. Non-Americans also note cross-cultural concepts raised by their American textbooks. The log helps students perceive,…

Cultural Variations in Mothers' Acceptance of and Intent to Use Behavioral Child Management Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mah, Janet W. T.; Johnston, Charlotte

2012-01-01

We examined cultural differences in mothers' acceptance of and intent to use behavioral parenting techniques for managing disruptive child behavior, and the possible roles of parenting styles and implicit theories in explaining these cultural differences. A community sample of 117 Euro-Canadian and Chinese-immigrant mothers of boys aged 4- to…

Assessing Parenting Behaviors in Euro-Canadian and East Asian Immigrant Mothers: Limitations to Observations of Responsiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Kathy; Penner, Kailee; Mah, Janet W. T.; Johnston, Charlotte

2010-01-01

The use of parenting measures that are developed for use with Western families without testing their validity among families from non-Western cultural backgrounds may not be appropriate. Similar parenting behaviors may affect child outcomes in different ways across different cultures. This study examined the cross-cultural validity of an…

Culture of bovine embryos on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microwell plate.

PubMed

Akagi, Satoshi; Hosoe, Misa; Matsukawa, Kazutsugu; Ichikawa, Akihiko; Tanikawa, Tamio; Takahashi, Seiya

2010-08-01

We fabricated a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microwell plate (PDMS-MP) containing 100 microwells with a rounded bottom and examined whether it can be used for culture of individual in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos or parthenogenetically activated zona-free embryos in cattle. In Experiment 1, we examined the in vitro developmental ability of IVF embryos cultured individually on PDMS-MP. After IVF, 20 embryos were transferred into 100 microl drops on PDMS-MP and cultured individually in each well of PDMS-MP (PDMS group). After 7 days of culture, the embryos in the PDMS group developed to the blastocyst stage at the same rate of those in the control group cultured in a group of 20 embryos without PDMS-MP. There were no differences in total number of cells and the ratio of inner cell mass to total cells between the PDMS and control groups. In Experiment 2, we examined the in vitro developmental ability of parthenogenetically activated zona-free bovine embryos cultured individually on PDMS-MP. The zona-free embryos were cultured individually in each well of a PDMS-MP or in each well produced by pressing a darning needle onto the bottom of a culture dish (WOW group). After 7 days of culture, the blastocyst formation rate and cell number of blastocysts in the PDMS group did not differ from those of the zona-intact embryos in the control group. Also, there were no differences in the blastocyst formation rate and cell number of blastocysts between the WOW and PDMS groups. These results suggest that the culture system using PDMS-MP is useful for individual embryos or zona-free embryos in cattle.

A Cross-Cultural Examination of Preschool Teacher Cognitions and Responses to Child Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pochtar, Randi; Del Vecchio, Tamara

2014-01-01

The associations among preschool teachers' attributions about child responsibility, intentionality, knowledge, and the seriousness of hypothetical displays of children's aggressive behavior are examined in United States ("N"?=?82) and Vietnamese ("N"?=?91) preschool teachers. The results suggest cross-cultural differences as…

Cultural Continuities: An Australian Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebbeck, Marjory

2001-01-01

Examined school attitudes of 101 mothers of preschoolers who were immigrants to Australia from Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, mainland China, and the Philippines; also examined views of 100 early childhood teachers. Found differences in views regarding the importance of maintaining family culture and first language, and the importance of sharing…

The influence of habitus in the relationship between cultural capital and academic achievement.

PubMed

Gaddis, S Michael

2013-01-01

Scholars routinely use cultural capital theory in an effort to explain class differences in academic success but often overlook the key concept of habitus. Rich, longstanding debates within the literature suggest the need for a closer examination of the individual effects of cultural capital and habitus. Drawing upon the writings of Pierre Bourdieu, I use a longitudinal dataset to examine the effects of multiple operationalizations of cultural capital on academic achievement and the mediating effects of habitus. Using first difference models to control for time-invariant unobserved characteristics, I find that typical operationalizations of cultural capital (i.e. high-arts participation and reading habits) have positive effects on GPA that are completely mediated through habitus. These results stress the importance of habitus in the relationship between cultural capital and academic achievement for disadvantaged youth. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Different types of multiethnic societies and different patterns of development and change in the prehistoric Near East.

PubMed

Frangipane, Marcella

2015-07-28

After briefly examining the forms of cultural contact in pre- and protohistoric societies in relation to the problem of the varying perception of territories and their "borders" as well as of "membership" in those societies, and after a brief reconsideration of the concept of culture and ethnicity in such archaic contexts, this paper then examines three examples of multiethnic societies in the Near East, and specifically in Upper Mesopotamia and Southeast Anatolia, in the fifth, fourth, and at the beginning of the third millennia before the common era (BCE), respectively. These examples are dealt with as emblematic cases of different models of society, types of interaction with alien groups, levels of integration, and development dynamics. Each of these cases is examined with respect to its socioeconomic context, the archeological evidence of "multiethnicity," the types of interaction between different components, the degree of cultural integration achieved, and the effects on the dynamics of change and the development of the societies examined. By analyzing and comparing these examples, the paper aims to show how interethnic contact impacted differently on different societies according to their types, the reasons and purposes of the interaction, and the degree of integration achieved.

Complexity of culture: the role of identity and context in bicultural individuals' body ideals.

PubMed

Guan, Mei; Lee, Fiona; Cole, Elizabeth R

2012-07-01

Culture plays an important role in shaping body image, and people from different cultures have different beliefs about what constitutes the "ideal" body type. This study examines the relationship between culture and body ideals in Asian-American and Black-American women. Results from two studies show that subjective cultural identity and situational cultural cues had different relationships with body ideals. Among Asian-American women, identification with Asian culture was related to a thinner body ideal, but exposure to Asian cultural cues (relative to American cultural cues) was related to a thicker body ideal. Among Black-American women, identification with Black culture was related to a thicker body ideal, but exposure to Black cultural cues (relative to American cultural cues) was related to a thinner body ideal. These results have theoretical and practical implications for understanding how internal and external manifestations of culture can differentially influence body image.

Parent socialization effects in different cultures: significance of directive parenting.

PubMed

Sorkhabi, Nadia

2012-06-01

In this article, the controversy of divergent findings in research on parental socialization effects in different cultures is addressed. Three explanations intended to address divergent findings of socialization effects in different cultures, as advanced by researchers who emphasize cultural differences, are discussed. These include cultural differences in socialization values and goals of parents, parental emotional and cognitive characteristics associated with parenting styles, and adolescents' interpretations or evaluations of their parents' parenting styles. The empirical evidence for and against each of these arguments is examined and an alternative paradigm for understanding and empirical study of developmental outcomes associated with parenting styles in different cultures is suggested. Baumrind's directive parenting style is presented as an alternative to the authoritarian parenting style in understanding the positive developmental effects associated with "strict" parenting in cultures said to have a collectivist orientation. Directions for research on the three explanations are mentioned.

Age differences in personal values: Universal or cultural specific?

PubMed

Fung, Helene H; Ho, Yuan Wan; Zhang, Rui; Zhang, Xin; Noels, Kimberly A; Tam, Kim-Pong

2016-05-01

Prior studies on value development across adulthood have generally shown that as people age, they espouse communal values more strongly and agentic values less strongly. Two studies investigated whether these age differences in personal values might differ according to cultural values. Study 1 examined whether these age differences in personal values, and their associations with subjective well-being, showed the same pattern across countries that differed in individualism-collectivism. Study 2 compared age differences in personal values in the Canadian culture that emphasized agentic values more and the Chinese culture that emphasized communal values more. Personal and cultural values of each individual were directly measured, and their congruence were calculated and compared across age and cultures. Findings revealed that across cultures, older people had lower endorsement of agentic personal values and higher endorsement of communal personal values than did younger people. These age differences, and their associations with subjective well-being, were generally not influenced by cultural values. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Cross-Cultural Differences in Cognitive Development: Attention to Relations and Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuwabara, Megumi; Smith, Linda B.

2012-01-01

Growing evidence indicates a suite of generalized differences in the attentional and cognitive processing of adults from Eastern and Western cultures. Cognition in Eastern adults is often more relational and in Western adults is more object focused. Three experiments examined whether these differences characterize the cognition of preschool…

High-Maintenance Parent or Cultural Differences?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez-Mena, Janet

2000-01-01

Examines the conflict which can arise when differing cultural practices of families and child care facilities clash. Presents a case study that exemplifies the potential conflict. Provides advice for child care practitioners on how to combine two differing perspectives and how to move from arguments and misunderstandings to common concerns. (SD)

Chinese Cultural Collectivism and Work-Related Stress: Implications for Employment Counselors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Randy K.; Kosinski, Frederick A., Jr.

1995-01-01

Employment counselors should take cultural issues into consideration as they provide consultation or counseling services. Stress is influenced by cultural and social variables. Examines the collectivism-individualism construct to measure cultural variables and attempt to explain the differences of some social behaviors between Eastern and Western…

Culturally Competent Counselors: A Self-Assessment Rubric.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ametrano, Irene Mass; Callaway, Yvonne L.; Stickel, Sue A.

This paper examines graduate counseling students' affective and cognitive development related to cultural competence. Counseling Process and Cross Cultural Counseling, two required courses in a master's degree program at a regional university in the Midwest, were designed to provide a knowledge-base about cultural differences and to project how…

Cultural Bridging through Shared Adventure: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Adventure Therapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, Christine L.; Hsieh, Chi-Mou

2011-01-01

This paper examines the importance of the therapeutic relationship and the need for cultural competence in adventure therapy. Cultural differences between therapist and client can sometimes result in possible misinterpretation and conflict, which can lead to problems in the therapeutic relationship and negatively affect treatment outcomes. This…

Socioemotional Development in Cultural Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Xinyin, Ed.; Rubin, Kenneth H., Ed.

2011-01-01

Filling a significant gap in the literature, this book examines the impact of culture on the social behaviors, emotions, and relationships of children around the world. It also explores cultural differences in what is seen as adaptive or maladaptive development. Eminent scholars discuss major theoretical perspectives on culture and development and…

Conceptual Diversity, Moderators, and Theoretical Issues in Quantitative Studies of Cultural Capital Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Cheng Yong

2017-01-01

The present study reviewed quantitative empirical studies examining the relationship between cultural capital and student achievement. Results showed that researchers had conceptualized and measured cultural capital in different ways. It is argued that the more holistic understanding of the construct beyond highbrow cultural consumption must be…

Deconstruction of Cultural Dominance in Korean EFL Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Heejin

2013-01-01

This article examines patterns of cultural representations embedded in Korean EFL textbooks, using a content analysis to investigate how different cultures are reflected in textbooks and whether or not cultural biases are present. In the revised Korean national English curriculum that has been implemented since 2009, English is viewed as a…

The Hydra-Headed Nature of Prejudice: Research Perspectives concerning Cross-Cultural Counseling with Elementary Age Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, John A.

1983-01-01

Defines and examines the nature of prejudice toward children, the psychiatrically impaired, the exceptional, and the culturally different and offers suggestions for elementary school counselors involved in cross-cultural counseling. Calls for empirical data on cross-cultural awareness and advocacy. (JAC)

Adherence to Asian Cultural Values and Cultural Fit in Korean American Undergraduates' Help-Seeking Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gloria, Alberta M.; Castellanos, Jeanett; Park, Yong Sue; Kim, Daniel

2008-01-01

Differences in and relationships of Asian cultural values, cultural congruity, perception of the university environment, and help-seeking attitudes for 1st- and 2nd-generation Korean American undergraduates (N = 228) were examined. Women reported significantly higher cultural congruity and more positive help-seeking attitudes than did men. Asian…

Gender-Fair and Gender-Congruent Practices for Young Children's Naturalist Intelligence: From the Perspective of Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate Practice (DCAP).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyun, Eunsook

Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate Practice (DCAP) is a culturally congruent and critical pedagogy that serves as a framework for early childhood education for all individuals. This paper examines young children's gender differences in learning and their gender-oriented culture and promotes developmentally and culturally appropriate…

An Exploration of Differences in Cultural Values in Teacher Education Pedagogy: Chinese English Language Teacher Trainees' Perceptions of Effective Teaching Practice Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skinner, Barbara; Abbott, Lesley

2013-01-01

This study reports the impact of different cultural values on the teacher education of Chinese teacher trainees. By examining their perceptions of the effectiveness of teaching practice feedback, the study uses Hofstede's dimension of "individualism" (IDV) to explore the "culture bumps" which may occur between teacher educators…

Cultural Differences in Implicit Theories of Citizenship Performance: A Comparative Study of MBA Students from the Czech Republic, India and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanik, Martin

2010-01-01

The purpose of the present research was to (a) develop a culturally-universal measure of implicit citizenship performance theories and (b) examine cross-cultural differences in the construct. The final measure consisted of four factors--Discourtesy, Interpersonal Harmony, Conscientiousness, and Initiative. Cross-country comparisons using the new…

Characteristic differences in the mini-mental state examination used in Asian countries.

PubMed

Shim, Yong S; Yang, Dong Won; Kim, Hee-Jin; Park, Young Ho; Kim, SangYun

2017-07-21

The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) was adapted by individual countries according to their languages and cultures, though it has not been systematically compared. The objective of this study was to compare the linguistic and cultural variations of the MMSE used in various Asian countries. With this, we can analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the MMSE and consider using a common version in future international clinical studies in Asia. We collected the MMSEs used in 11 Asian nations. After translating those into English, we compared them to understand the differences in the questionnaires with regard to cultural aspects. Many items may be applicable or comparable with a little modification, for Asian countries. However, attention and calculation and repetition may be incomparable. There were some differences in the contents and the ways to administer. The lack of consideration of the cultural differences and their influences on the interpretation of the same cognitive test makes cross-cultural studies difficult. Some items of MMSE tasks need readjusting for, if any, multi-national studies. This study might serve as a first step in the development of a standardized cross-cultural cognitive instrument, especially in Asia.

Does individualism help explain differences in employers' stigmatizing attitudes toward disability across Chinese and American cities?

PubMed

Rao, Deepa; Horton, Randall A; Tsang, Hector W H; Shi, Kan; Corrigan, Patrick W

2010-11-01

Stigmatizing attitudes toward people with disabilities can jeopardize such individuals' well-being and recovery through denial of employment and community isolation. By shaping social norms that define group membership, the construct of individualism may partially explain differences in stigmatizing attitudes across cultures. Further, widespread globalization has brought intensely individualistic social practices to certain segments of non-Western cultures. This paper examines whether the construct of individualism can help to explain cross-cultural differences in stigmatizing attitudes observed between American and Chinese employers. Employers (N = 879) from Beijing, Hong Kong, and Chicago provided information on their attitudes toward hiring people with disabilities, and path analyses were conducted to examine potential mediating relationships. Path analyses indicated that vertical individualism, along with perceived responsibility for acquiring a condition, partially mediated the relationship between culture and employers' negative attitudes about job candidates with disabilities. These results suggested that greater espousal of competitive and individualist values may drive stigmatizing attitudes across cultures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Does Individualism Help Explain Differences in Employers' Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward Disability Across Chinese and American Cities?

PubMed Central

Rao, Deepa; Horton, Randall A.; Tsang, Hector W.H.; Shi, Kan; Corrigan, Patrick W.

2011-01-01

Purpose Stigmatizing attitudes toward people with disabilities can jeopardize such individuals' well-being and recovery through denial of employment and community isolation. By shaping social norms that define group membership, the construct of individualism may partially explain differences in stigmatizing attitudes across cultures. Further, widespread globalization has brought intensely individualistic social practices to certain segments of non-Western cultures. This paper examines whether the construct of individualism can help to explain cross-cultural differences in stigmatizing attitudes observed between American and Chinese employers. Design Employers (N = 879) from Beijing, Hong Kong, and Chicago provided information on their attitudes toward hiring people with disabilities, and Path Analyses were conducted to examine potential mediating relationships. Results Path analyses indicated that vertical individualism, along with perceived responsibility for acquiring a condition, partially mediated the relationship between culture and employers' negative attitudes about job candidates with disabilities. Conclusion These results suggested that greater espousal of competitive and individualist values may drive stigmatizing attitudes across cultures. PMID:21171794

Express your social self: cultural differences in choice of brand-name versus generic products.

PubMed

Kim, Heejung S; Drolet, Aimee

2009-12-01

This research examined cultural differences in the patterns of choices that reflect more social characteristics of a chooser (e.g., social status). Four studies examined the cultural difference in individuals' tendency to choose brand-name products (i.e., high-status options) over generic products (i.e., low-status options) and the underlying reasons for these differences. Compared to European Americans, Asian Americans consistently chose brand-name products. This difference was driven by Asian Americans' greater social status concerns. Self-consciousness was more strongly associated with the brand-name choices of Asian Americans (vs. European Americans), and experimentally induced social status led Asian Americans (vs. European Americans) to make more choices concordant with self-perception. These findings highlight the importance of considering external and social motivations underlying the choice-making process.

Cross-Cultural Attitudes toward Speech Disorders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bebout, Linda; Arthur, Bradford

1992-01-01

University students (n=166) representing English-speaking North American culture and several other cultures completed questionnaires examining attitudes toward four speech disorders (cleft palate, dysfluency, hearing impairment, and misarticulations). Results showed significant group differences in beliefs about the emotional health of persons…

Individualism and the Extended-Self: Cross-Cultural Differences in the Valuation of Authentic Objects

PubMed Central

Gjersoe, Nathalia L.; Newman, George E.; Chituc, Vladimir; Hood, Bruce

2014-01-01

The current studies examine how valuation of authentic items varies as a function of culture. We find that U.S. respondents value authentic items associated with individual persons (a sweater or an artwork) more than Indian respondents, but that both cultures value authentic objects not associated with persons (a dinosaur bone or a moon rock) equally. These differences cannot be attributed to more general cultural differences in the value assigned to authenticity. Rather, the results support the hypothesis that individualistic cultures place a greater value on objects associated with unique persons and in so doing, offer the first evidence for how valuation of certain authentic items may vary cross-culturally. PMID:24658437

Individualism and the extended-self: cross-cultural differences in the valuation of authentic objects.

PubMed

Gjersoe, Nathalia L; Newman, George E; Chituc, Vladimir; Hood, Bruce

2014-01-01

The current studies examine how valuation of authentic items varies as a function of culture. We find that U.S. respondents value authentic items associated with individual persons (a sweater or an artwork) more than Indian respondents, but that both cultures value authentic objects not associated with persons (a dinosaur bone or a moon rock) equally. These differences cannot be attributed to more general cultural differences in the value assigned to authenticity. Rather, the results support the hypothesis that individualistic cultures place a greater value on objects associated with unique persons and in so doing, offer the first evidence for how valuation of certain authentic items may vary cross-culturally.

Cultural Differences in Adolescents' Explanations of Juvenile Delinquency.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyson, G. A.; Hubert, Carol J.

2002-01-01

Examined lay explanations for juvenile delinquency given by Australian adolescents from either collectivist (Asian) or individualist (Australian) cultural backgrounds. Student surveys indicated that, after controlling for socioeconomic and demographic variables, there were small differences between the groups, with individualistic teens tending to…

The Pertinence of Joy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magen, Ziporah

1982-01-01

Describes a study which examined differences in the experience of joy between Israeli Jewish, Israeli Arab, and American adolescents. The interpersonal experience was the most common source of joy in all three cultures. The data also showed greater differences between males and females than between cultures. (AM)

Cultural context moderates the relationship between emotion control values and cardiovascular challenge versus threat responses.

PubMed

Mauss, Iris B; Butler, Emily A

2010-07-01

Cultural context affects people's values regarding emotions, as well as their experiential and behavioral but not autonomic physiological responses to emotional situations. Little research, however, has examined how cultural context influences the relationships among values and emotional responding. Specifically, depending on their cultural context, individuals' values about emotion control (ECV; the extent to which they value emotion control) may have differing meanings, and as such, be associated with differing responses in emotional situations. We examined this possibility by testing the effect of two cultural contexts (28 female Asian-American (AA) versus 28 female European-American (EA) undergraduate students) on the associations between individuals' ECV and emotional responding (experiential, behavioral, and cardiovascular) to a relatively neutral film clip and a laboratory anger provocation. In the AA group, greater ECV were associated with reduced anger experience and behavior, and a challenge pattern of cardiovascular responding. In the EA group, greater ECV were associated with reduced anger behavior but not anger experience, and a threat pattern of cardiovascular responding. These results are consistent with the notion that individuals' values about emotion are associated with different meanings in different cultural contexts, and in turn, with different emotional and cardiovascular responses. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The relationship between in vitro cellular aging and in vivo human age.

PubMed Central

Schneider, E L; Mitsui, Y

1976-01-01

Differences between early and late passage cell cultures on the organelle and macromolecular levels have been attributed to cellular "aging". However, concern has been expressed over whether changes in diploid cell populations after serial passage in vitro accurately reflect human cellular aging in vivo. Studies were therefore undertaken to determine if significant differences would be observed in the in vitro lifespans of skin fibroblast cultures from old and young normal, non-hospitalized volunteers and to examine if parameters that change with in vitro "aging" are altered as a function of age in vivo. Statistically signigificant (P less than 0.05) decreases were found in the rate of fibroblast migration, onset of cell culture senescence, in vitro lifespan, cell population replication rate, and cell number at confluency of fibroblast cultures derived from the old donor group when compared to parallel cultures from young donors. No significant differences were observed in modal cell volumes and cellular macromolecular contents. The differences observed in cell cultures from old and young donors were quantitatively and qualitatively distinct from those cellular alterations observed in early and late passage WI-38 cells (in vitro "aging"). Therefore, although early and late passage cultures of human diploid cells may provide an important cell system for examining loss of replicative potential, fibroblast cultures derived from old and young human donors may be a more appropriate model system for studying human cellular aging. PMID:1068470

Culture, gaze and the neural processing of fear expressions

PubMed Central

Franklin, Robert G.; Rule, Nicholas O.; Freeman, Jonathan B.; Kveraga, Kestutis; Hadjikhani, Nouchine; Yoshikawa, Sakiko; Ambady, Nalini

2010-01-01

The direction of others’ eye gaze has important influences on how we perceive their emotional expressions. Here, we examined differences in neural activation to direct- versus averted-gaze fear faces as a function of culture of the participant (Japanese versus US Caucasian), culture of the stimulus face (Japanese versus US Caucasian), and the relation between the two. We employed a previously validated paradigm to examine differences in neural activation in response to rapidly presented direct- versus averted-fear expressions, finding clear evidence for a culturally determined role of gaze in the processing of fear. Greater neural responsivity was apparent to averted- versus direct-gaze fear in several regions related to face and emotion processing, including bilateral amygdalae, when posed on same-culture faces, whereas greater response to direct- versus averted-gaze fear was apparent in these same regions when posed on other-culture faces. We also found preliminary evidence for intercultural variation including differential responses across participants to Japanese versus US Caucasian stimuli, and to a lesser degree differences in how Japanese and US Caucasian participants responded to these stimuli. These findings reveal a meaningful role of culture in the processing of eye gaze and emotion, and highlight their interactive influences in neural processing. PMID:20019073

Culture as common sense: perceived consensus versus personal beliefs as mechanisms of cultural influence.

PubMed

Zou, Xi; Tam, Kim-Pong; Morris, Michael W; Lee, Sau-Lai; Lau, Ivy Yee-Man; Chiu, Chi-Yue

2009-10-01

The authors propose that culture affects people through their perceptions of what is consensually believed. Whereas past research has examined whether cultural differences in social judgment are mediated by differences in individuals' personal values and beliefs, this article investigates whether they are mediated by differences in individuals' perceptions of the views of people around them. The authors propose that individuals who perceive that traditional views are culturally consensual (e.g., Chinese participants who believe that most of their fellows hold collectivistic values) will themselves behave and think in culturally typical ways. Four studies of previously well-established cultural differences found that cultural differences were mediated by participants' perceived consensus as much as by participants' personal views. This held true for cultural differences in the bases of compliance (Study 1), attributional foci (Study 2), and counterfactual thinking styles (Study 3). To tease apart the effect of consensus perception from other possibly associated individual differences, in Study 4, the authors experimentally manipulated which of 2 cultures was salient to bicultural participants and found that judgments were guided by participants' perception of the consensual view of the salient culture. 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Toward a multidimensional understanding of culture for health interventions.

PubMed

Asad, Asad L; Kay, Tamara

2015-11-01

Although a substantial literature examines the relationship between culture and health in myriad individual contexts, a lack of comparative data across settings has resulted in disparate and imprecise conceptualizations of the concept for scholars and practitioners alike. This article examines scholars and practitioners' understandings of culture in relation to health interventions. Drawing on 169 interviews with officials from three different nongovernmental organizations working on health issues in multiple countries-Partners in Health, Oxfam America, and Sesame Workshop-we examine how these respondents' interpretations of culture converge or diverge with recent developments in the study of the concept, as well as how these understandings influence health interventions at three different stages-design, implementation, and evaluation-of a project. Based on these analyses, a tripartite definition of culture is built-as knowledge, practice, and change-and these distinct conceptualizations are linked to the success or failure of a project at each stage of an intervention. In so doing, the study provides a descriptive and analytical starting point for scholars interested in understanding the theoretical and empirical relevance of culture for health interventions, and sets forth concrete recommendations for practitioners working to achieve robust improvements in health outcomes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quien Soy Yo?/All about Me. Learning through Cultural Diversity and the Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monterey County Office of Education, Salinas, CA.

The curriculum presented here contains three units designed to help Mexican-American migrant students understand and value the richness of their culture, experiences, and family. Unit 1, "My Roots," examines the different components of a culture, and presents aspects of the Aztec civilization and culture. Activities include hearing a…

Chinese and American Children's Perceptions of Popularity Determinants: Cultural Differences and Behavioral Correlates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Yan; Xie, Hongling; Shi, Junqi

2012-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate cultural construction of children's perceptions of popularity determinants using a cross-cultural approach. This study examined 327 Chinese and 312 American fifth-graders' perceptions of what individual characteristics and peer relationships would make a peer popular. Consistent with cultural emphases,…

Cultural Backgrounds and Textual Appropriation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shi, Ling

2006-01-01

This study examines interviews with 46 undergraduates to explore if participants with differing language and cultural backgrounds view plagiarism or textual appropriation primarily as a) a language problem because of a lack of words of one's own, or b) a cultural challenge as a result of either some first language (L1) cultural training to…

Parenting, Mental Health and Culture: A Fifth Cross-Cultural Research on Parenting and Psychological Adjustment of Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dwairy, Marwan; Achoui, Mustafa; Filus, Anna; Rezvan nia, Parissa; Casullo, Maria Martina; Vohra, Neharika

2010-01-01

We examined psychological disorders across cultures and their associations with parental factors (control, inconsistency, and rejection). A questionnaire assessing psychological disorders was administered to male and female adolescents in nine countries. The results showed that psychological disorders differ across cultures. Parental factors are…

Cultural Effects on Business Students' Ethical Decisions: A Chinese versus American Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Sherry F.; Persons, Obeua S.

2011-01-01

The authors used a corporate code of ethics to create 18 scenarios for examining cultural effects on ethical decisions of Chinese versus American business students. Four cultural differences were hypothesized to contribute to overall less ethical decisions of Chinese students. The results support the hypothesis and indicate strong cultural effects…

Cultural aspects in social anxiety and social anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Hofmann, Stefan G; Anu Asnaani, M A; Hinton, Devon E

2010-12-01

To examine cultural aspects in social anxiety and social anxiety disorder (SAD), we reviewed the literature on the prevalence rates, expressions, and treatments of social anxiety/SAD as they relate to culture, race, and ethnicity. We further reviewed factors that contribute to the differences in social anxiety/SAD between different cultures, including individualism/collectivism, perception of social norms, self-construal, gender roles, and gender role identification. Our review suggests that the prevalence and expression of social anxiety/SAD depends on the particular culture. Asian cultures typically show the lowest rates, whereas Russian and US samples show the highest rates, of SAD. Taijin kyofusho is discussed as a possible culture-specific expression of social anxiety, although the empirical evidence concerning the validity of this syndrome has been mixed. It is concluded that the individual's social concerns need to be examined in the context of the person's cultural, racial, and ethnic background in order to adequately assess the degree and expression of social anxiety and SAD. This has direct relevance for the upcoming DSM-V. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Cultural Aspects in Social Anxiety and Social Anxiety Disorder

PubMed Central

Hofmann, Stefan G.; Asnaani, Anu; Hinton, Devon E.

2010-01-01

To examine cultural aspects in social anxiety and social anxiety disorder (SAD), we reviewed the literature on the prevalence rates, expressions, and treatments of social anxiety/SAD as they relate to culture, race, and ethnicity. We further reviewed factors that contribute to the differences in social anxiety/SAD between different cultures, including individualism/collectivism, perception of social norms, self-construal, gender roles, and gender role identification. Our review suggests that the prevalence and expression of social anxiety/SAD depends on the particular culture. Asian cultures typically show the lowest rates, whereas Russian and US samples show the highest rates, of SAD. Taijin kyofusho is discussed as a possible culture-specific expression of social anxiety, although the empirical evidence concerning the validity of this syndrome has been mixed. It is concluded that the individual's social concerns need to be examined in the context of the person's cultural, racial, and ethnic background in order to adequately assess the degree and expression of social anxiety and social anxiety disorder. This has direct relevance for the upcoming DSM-V. PMID:21132847

Cross-cultural issues in CRM training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merritt, A.; Helmreich, R. L. (Principal Investigator)

1995-01-01

The author presents six stages of intercultural awareness and relates them to cockpit resource management training. A case study examines cultural differences between South American and United States flight crews and the problems that can occur when pilots minimize differences. Differences in leadership styles are highlighted and strategies for training South American pilots are provided.

The Effects of the Cultural Portfolio Project on Cultural and EFL Learning in Taiwan's EFL College Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Su, Ya-Chen

2011-01-01

Learning about foreign language (FL) cultures is becoming an important objective in the FL curricula and national standards of different countries throughout the world. The purposes of the study were to examine the effects of the cultural portfolio project on (1) students' specific aspects of development of cultural knowledge and change in…

Comparison of metamotivational dominance and cultural identity between Japanese National Team and Māori All Blacks rugby players.

PubMed

Kuroda, Yusuke; Palmer, Farah; Nakazawa, Makoto

2017-11-01

This pilot study used a reversal theory framework to examine metamotivational dominance of rugby players on the Māori All Blacks (MABs) squad of New Zealand and the Japanese National Team (JNT). Since the two groups have different cultural team demographics, cultural identity was also examined. Twenty six players from the MABs and 31 from the JNT completed questionnaires on metamotivational dominance and cultural identity. In terms of metamotivational dominance, the findings indicated that the MABs were more playful minded and spontaneous oriented than the JNT. Regarding cultural identity, the JNT showed a greater knowledge of their own culture and higher comfort level in their cultural context, while the MABs felt more positive and willing to sustain their own culture. The motivational personality differences between the teams may reflect the style of play that is valued within each team culture that is, flair, spontaneity and high-risk play within Māori rugby, and structure, team unity and conformity within the JNT. This suggests that metamotivational dominance of teams and players is influenced by the cultural identity of both the individuals and the group, which may have a further impact on team cohesion and performance.

Inclusion in School: A Policy, Ideology or Lived Experience? Similar Findings in Diverse School Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paliokosta, Paty; Blandford, Sonia

2010-01-01

This article summarises three case studies examining the implementation of inclusive practices, which evidence the exclusionary pressures acting in school settings that put the needs, rights and entitlements of vulnerable children and young people at risk. It examines how three very culturally different secondary schools in England interpreted…

Sex and Age Differences in Achievement Goal Orientations in Turkish Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin, Ertugrul; Topkaya, Nursel; Kürkçü, Recep

2016-01-01

Culture plays an important role in the achievement goal orientations of students, which may vary as they progress through their lifespan. However, research examining achievement goal orientations in the Turkish cultural context is scarce. Based on contextual and developmental theories, the aim of this study was to examine sex and age differences…

Cross-cultural validity of the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) scale: examination across six nations.

PubMed

Vogel, David L; Armstrong, Patrick Ian; Tsai, Pei-Chun; Wade, Nathaniel G; Hammer, Joseph H; Efstathiou, Georgios; Holtham, Elizabeth; Kouvaraki, Elli; Liao, Hsin-Ya; Shechtman, Zipora; Topkaya, Nursel

2013-04-01

Researchers have found that the stigma associated with seeking therapy--particularly self-stigma--can inhibit the use of psychological services. Yet, most of the research on self-stigma has been conducted in the United States. This is a considerable limitation, as the role of self-stigma in the help-seeking process may vary across cultural groups. However, to examine cross-cultural variations, researchers must first develop culturally valid scales. Therefore, this study examined scale validity and reliability of the widely used Self-Stigma of Seeking Help scale (SSOSH; Vogel, Wade, & Haake, 2006) across samples from 6 different countries (England, Greece, Israel, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States). Specifically, we used a confirmatory factor analysis framework to conduct measurement invariance analysis and latent mean comparisons of the SSOSH across the 6 sampled countries. Overall, the results suggested that the SSOSH has a similar univariate structure across countries and is sufficiently invariant across countries to be used to explore cultural differences in the way that self-stigma relates to help-seeking behavior.

Cultural understandings of resilience: roots for wings in the development of affective resources for resilience.

PubMed

Cameron, Catherine Ann; Ungar, Michael; Liebenberg, Linda

2007-04-01

The authors examine one of the precursors of positive development: attachment. Attachment and the positive growth it portends for populations of children under stress underpins positive developmental outcomes now termed "resilience." Resilience may be understood as a process of adaptation to adversity that is scaffolded by environmental, cultural, social, psychologic, and physiologic processes. The authors focus on two methodologically different approaches to studying attachments that contribute to resilient functioning at two different phases of development (toddlerhood and adolescence). The authors examine the cultural differences found in manifestations of resilience in different countries and cultures. Organized around this theme of attachment, the authors identify adaptive factors in resistance to risk from adverse circumstances. The authors strive to identify how the adaptation involved in attachment relations can protect against vulnerability. The authors conclude with a description of the processes that might help us to understand situational, experiential, and personal resources that intersect to protect the developing individual against assaults on normal growth and development.

Suppression and interpersonal harmony: a cross-cultural comparison between Chinese and European Americans.

PubMed

Wei, Meifen; Su, Jenny C; Carrera, Stephanie; Lin, Shu-Ping; Yi, Fei

2013-10-01

Based on Markus and Kitayama's (1991) theory, this study was conducted to examine whether the association between emotional suppression and interpersonal harmony would be moderated by cultural group (i.e., Chinese and European Americans) and an Asian cultural value (i.e., emotional self-control). A total of 451 college students (205 Chinese and 246 European Americans) participated in this study. As expected, results indicated that the association between emotional suppression and interpersonal harmony was significantly positive for Chinese but not significant for European Americans. Similarly, when emotional self-control was examined as a moderator, the results still confirmed our hypotheses. That is, the association between emotional suppression and interpersonal harmony was significantly positive for those with stronger endorsement of emotional self-control but not for those with weaker endorsement of emotional self-control. Furthermore, we examined whether the above results could be replicated when forbearance (a construct similar to suppression) and distress disclosure (a construct opposite to suppression) were examined. The results showed the same pattern for forbearance and distress disclosure when cultural group or emotional self-control served as the moderator. The convergence of findings increased the robustness of our results. Finally, our data suggest that individuals from Eastern, interdependent cultures (e.g., Chinese) tend to value emotional suppression to preserve interpersonal harmony; individuals from Western, independent cultures may or may not necessarily suppress their emotions for this purpose. A comprehensive understanding of the different meanings of a specific strategy (i.e., emotional suppression) in different cultural contexts is important to promote effective cross-cultural counseling.

Self-construal, affective valence of the encounter, and quality of social interactions: Within and cross-culture examination.

PubMed

Kafetsios, Konstantinos; Hess, Ursula; Nezlek, John B

2018-01-01

In two samples, one from Greece and another from Germany, we examined relationships between self-construal, emotional experience, and the quality of social interactions. In Greece, a more collectivistic culture, the negative affect people experienced in social interactions was more weakly related to the quality of social interactions for those higher in interdependent self-construal than it was for those lower in interdependent self-construal. In Germany, a more independent culture, a contrasting pattern was observed such that the positive affect people experienced in social interaction was more strongly related to the quality of social interactions for those higher in independent self-construal than it was for those lower in independent self-construal. These findings suggest that positive and negative affect in social encounters can have different effects for persons with independent and interdependent cultural orientations within different cultural settings.

Cross-cultural differences and sexual risk behavior of emerging adults.

PubMed

Thomas, Tami L; Yarandi, Hossein N; Dalmida, Safiya George; Frados, Andrew; Klienert, Kathleen

2015-01-01

The authors examined population-specific risk factors that increase emerging adults' risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including the human papillomavirus (HPV). A cross-sectional sample of 335 diverse, emerging adults ages 18 to 24 years was recruited from a health center at a large university in the Southeastern United States. The mean age was 20.6 ± 1.9 years, majority were females (74.0%), and 61.0% were Hispanic. Findings revealed inconsistent condom use, reasons for not using condoms, and a need for more culturally specific intervention strategies. Healthcare providers should identify culturally specific reasons for inconsistent condom use, examine cultural and geographic differences in sexual risk behaviors among groups and communities, and modify communication, educational programs, and interventions accordingly. By adopting a multicultural approach to the control of STIs, nurses can address specific cultural attitudes and behaviors that may influence exposure to STIs, including HPV. © The Author(s) 2014.

Different types of multiethnic societies and different patterns of development and change in the prehistoric Near East

PubMed Central

Frangipane, Marcella

2015-01-01

After briefly examining the forms of cultural contact in pre- and protohistoric societies in relation to the problem of the varying perception of territories and their “borders” as well as of “membership” in those societies, and after a brief reconsideration of the concept of culture and ethnicity in such archaic contexts, this paper then examines three examples of multiethnic societies in the Near East, and specifically in Upper Mesopotamia and Southeast Anatolia, in the fifth, fourth, and at the beginning of the third millennia before the common era (BCE), respectively. These examples are dealt with as emblematic cases of different models of society, types of interaction with alien groups, levels of integration, and development dynamics. Each of these cases is examined with respect to its socioeconomic context, the archeological evidence of “multiethnicity,” the types of interaction between different components, the degree of cultural integration achieved, and the effects on the dynamics of change and the development of the societies examined. By analyzing and comparing these examples, the paper aims to show how interethnic contact impacted differently on different societies according to their types, the reasons and purposes of the interaction, and the degree of integration achieved. PMID:26015583

Turkish Validity Examination of the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irmak, Sezgin; Kuruuzum, Ayse

2009-01-01

The validation studies of the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS) have been conducted with samples from different nations but mostly from western individualistic cultures. Life satisfaction and its constructs could differ depending on cultural characteristics and life satisfaction scales should be validated in different…

Healthcare-seeking behaviors of older Iranian immigrants: health perceptions and definitions.

PubMed

Martin, Shadi Sahami

2009-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how cultural differences influence the healthcare-seeking behaviors of older Iranian immigrants in the United States. Cultural differences were examined in a variety of areas, including definitions and perceptions of health, illness, and care. Using a phenomenological methodology, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with older Iranian immigrants. The findings of this study showed that participants' definitions of health, illness, and care differ significantly from mainstream Western definitions. An understanding of these cultural differences helps explain why older Iranian immigrants may or may not seek healthcare when they need it in the United States. Recommendations for change include cultural training for medical staff and the use of cultural brokers.

Co-Constructing Representations of Culture in ESL and EFL Classrooms: Discursive Faultlines in Chile and California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menard-Warwick, Julia

2009-01-01

Based on qualitative research conducted in 3 university English as a foreign language classrooms in Chile and 3 community college English as a second language classrooms in California, this article examines the approaches used in teaching culture in these classrooms, the differences in how particular cultures (usually national cultures) were…

Culturally Relevant Performance Pedagogies: Exploring the Value of AfroLatina/o Music Performance Projects at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cervantes, Marco

2015-01-01

Within this essay, I reflect on my students' final performative project in my undergraduate Latino Cultural Expressions class at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. I explore how culturally relevant performative pedagogies offer opportunities to examine culture in the classroom beyond mere celebrations of difference and aesthetics. Throughout the…

Opposing Standards within the Cultural Worldview: Terror Management and American Women's Desire for Uniqueness versus Inclusiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Penny E.; Smith, Jessi L.

2007-01-01

Two different standards within American women's overall cultural worldview were examined in two studies: standing out and fitting in. American culture prescribes and values uniqueness, yet gender norms for women prescribe and value inclusiveness. Thus, unlike American men, American women encounter incongruent cultural norms that make it unclear…

Problems in cross-cultural use of the hospital anxiety and depression scale: "no butterflies in the desert".

PubMed

Maters, Gemma A; Sanderman, Robbert; Kim, Aimee Y; Coyne, James C

2013-01-01

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is widely used to screen for anxiety and depression. A large literature is citable in support of its validity, but difficulties are increasingly being identified, such as inexplicably discrepant optimal cutpoints and inconsistent factor-structures. This article examines whether these problems could be due to the construction of the HADS that poses difficulties for translation and cross-cultural use. Authors' awareness of difficulties translating the HADS were identified by examining 20% of studies using the HADS, obtained by a systematic literature search in Pubmed and PsycINFO in May 2012. Reports of use of translations and validation studies were recorded for papers from non-English speaking countries. Narrative and systematic reviews were examined for how authors dealt with different translations. Of 417 papers from non-English speaking countries, only 45% indicated whether a translation was used. Studies validating translations were cited in 54%. Seventeen reviews, incorporating data from diverse translated versions, were examined. Only seven mentioned issues of language and culture, and none indicated insurmountable problems in integrating results from different translations. Initial decisions concerning item content and response options likely leave the HADS difficult to translate, but we failed to find an acknowledgment of problems in articles involving its translation and cross-cultural use. Investigators' lack of awareness of these issues can lead to anomalous results and difficulties in interpretation and integration of these results. Reviews tend to overlook these issues and most reviews indiscriminately integrate results from studies performed in different countries. Cross-culturally valid, but literally translated versions of the HADS may not be attainable, and specific cutpoints may not be valid across cultures and language. Claims about rates of anxiety and depression based on integrating cross-cultural data or using the same cutpoint across languages and culture should be subject to critical scrutiny.

Problems in Cross-Cultural Use of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: “No Butterflies in the Desert”

PubMed Central

Maters, Gemma A.; Sanderman, Robbert; Kim, Aimee Y.; Coyne, James C.

2013-01-01

Objective The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is widely used to screen for anxiety and depression. A large literature is citable in support of its validity, but difficulties are increasingly being identified, such as inexplicably discrepant optimal cutpoints and inconsistent factor-structures. This article examines whether these problems could be due to the construction of the HADS that poses difficulties for translation and cross-cultural use. Methods Authors’ awareness of difficulties translating the HADS were identified by examining 20% of studies using the HADS, obtained by a systematic literature search in Pubmed and PsycINFO in May 2012. Reports of use of translations and validation studies were recorded for papers from non-English speaking countries. Narrative and systematic reviews were examined for how authors dealt with different translations. Results Of 417 papers from non-English speaking countries, only 45% indicated whether a translation was used. Studies validating translations were cited in 54%. Seventeen reviews, incorporating data from diverse translated versions, were examined. Only seven mentioned issues of language and culture, and none indicated insurmountable problems in integrating results from different translations. Conclusion Initial decisions concerning item content and response options likely leave the HADS difficult to translate, but we failed to find an acknowledgment of problems in articles involving its translation and cross-cultural use. Investigators’ lack of awareness of these issues can lead to anomalous results and difficulties in interpretation and integration of these results. Reviews tend to overlook these issues and most reviews indiscriminately integrate results from studies performed in different countries. Cross-culturally valid, but literally translated versions of the HADS may not be attainable, and specific cutpoints may not be valid across cultures and language. Claims about rates of anxiety and depression based on integrating cross-cultural data or using the same cutpoint across languages and culture should be subject to critical scrutiny. PMID:23976969

Cultural Factors Relevant to Secondary School Students in Australia, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia: Relative Differences and Congruencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liem, Gregory Arief D.; Martin, Andrew J.; Nair, Elizabeth; Bernardo, Allan B. I.; Prasetya, Paulus Hidajat

2009-01-01

Waldrip and Fisher (2000) proposed seven culturally relevant factors that are salient in the educational setting (gender equity, collaboration, competition, deference, modelling, teacher authority, congruence). In relation to these factors, the present study examined differences and congruencies in factor structure (i.e., differences of kind) and…

Exploring Cultural Differences in Critical Thinking: Is It about My Thinking Style or the Language I Speak?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lun, Vivian Miu-Chi; Fischer, Ronald; Ward, Colleen

2010-01-01

Critical thinking is deemed as an ideal in academic settings, but cultural differences in critical thinking performance between Asian and Western students have been reported in the international education literature. We examined explanations for the observed differences in critical thinking between Asian and New Zealand (NZ) European students, and…

Different Goals for Different Folks: A Cross-Cultural Study of Achievement Goals across Nine Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Ronnel B.; McInerney, Dennis M.; Nasser, Ramzi

2017-01-01

Goals are important predictors of key educational outcomes. However, most of the research on goal theory has been conducted in Western societies. In this study we examine how different types of goals (mastery, performance, social, and extrinsic) derived from personal investment theory are associated with key learning outcomes across nine cultural…

A Study in Difference: Structures and Cultures in Australian Registered Training Organisations. Full Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, Berwyn; Fisher, Thea; Harris, Roger; Bateman, Andrea; Brown, Mike

2008-01-01

This report presents the findings of a study examining organisational culture and structure in ten Australian registered training organisations (RTOs) and is part of a program of research examining the factors which affect and help build the capability of vocational education and training (VET) providers. The study sought to determine: (1) how…

A Comparative Cross-Cultural Examination of Community Art Education Programs in South Korea and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Ryan; Kim, Junghee

2014-01-01

The authors conducted comparative cross-cultural research to examine a select group of the available and more noteworthy art education organizations and their programs after observing significant differences in the community art education programs offered in Tucson, Arizona, and Anyang, South Korea. The study reports several major differences…

Beyond Economy: Impact of National Cultural Values on Nationwide Broadband Internet Diffusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joo, Sung-Hee

2010-01-01

This study examines how the non-conventional factors of national cultural values and government involvement affect the diffusion of broadband Internet technologies in various nations around the world. An innovative element of the study was the examination of the influence patterns at different stages of diffusion, which was measured by the number…

Discerning cultural identification from a thinly sliced behavioral sample.

PubMed

Hamamura, Takeshi; Li, Liman Man Wai

2012-12-01

This research examined whether individual differences in cultural identification can be discerned at zero acquaintance. This issue was examined in Hong Kong, where the idiosyncrasy of cultural identification is a salient social-psychological issue. The participants were able to perceive accurately the targets' identification with Western culture from a video clip and from a still image. Findings also indicated that a stereotype of Western cultural identity (i.e., extraversion and particular hairstyle) facilitated these perceptions. Specifically, (a) the participants with a stronger stereotype were more accurate in perceiving Western cultural identification, (b) the targets who were experimentally manipulated to appear extraverted were rated as more strongly identifying with Western culture, and (c) the participants relatively unfamiliar with these stereotypes did not correctly perceive Western cultural identification. Implications of these findings on research on multiculturalism are also discussed.

Online Learning Satisfaction: Does Culture Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tankari, Moussa

2012-01-01

The purpose of this mixed-methods study, which used sociocultural learning theory as its framework, was to understand the differences between personal culture orientation and online learning satisfaction by examining culture at the macro and micro level in a global learning environment. More specifically, this paper investigated the cultural…

Alienation: A Cross-Cultural Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomeh, Aida K.

1974-01-01

This study examines alienation in two different cultural groups. Students from Middle Eastern or transitional societies expressed greater feelings of alienation than American students. In the case of students in both cultures from professional backgrounds the results were reversed. The results of the study are discussed in terms of cultural…

Cross-Cultural Psychology as a Scholarly Discipline: On the Flowering of Culture in Behavioral Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Segall, Marshall H.; Lonner, Walter J.; Berry, John W.

1998-01-01

Examines interrelationship of culture and behavior. Perspectives include absolutism and relativism, each with methodological consequences for such research concerns as values gender differences, cognition, aggression, intergroup relations, and psychological acculturation. Describes societal concerns relating to these topics. Contains 88…

East and West: Transpersonal Psychology and Cross-Cultural Counseling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benesch, Kevin F.; Ponterotto, Joseph G.

1989-01-01

Examines cross-cultural counseling (especially Western counselor-Eastern client) within a transpersonal psychological framework. Presents meta-model that allows counselors to adopt attitudes that transcend cultural differences. Notes that benefit of such a model to counselors would be superordinate framework in which various, specific counseling…

Interaction patterns in crisis negotiations: persuasive arguments and cultural differences.

PubMed

Giebels, Ellen; Taylor, Paul J

2009-01-01

This research examines cultural differences in negotiators' responses to persuasive arguments in crisis (hostage) negotiations over time. Using a new method of examining cue-response patterns, the authors examined 25 crisis negotiations in which police negotiators interacted with perpetrators from low-context (LC) or high-context (HC) cultures. Compared with HC perpetrators, LC perpetrators were found to use more persuasive arguments, to reciprocate persuasive arguments in the second half of negotiations, and to respond to persuasive arguments in a compromising way. Further analyses found that LC perpetrators were more likely to communicate threats, especially in the first half of the negotiations, but that HC perpetrators were more likely to reciprocate them. The implications of these findings for our understanding of intercultural interaction are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

A Psychological Exploration of Engagement in Geek Culture

PubMed Central

McCain, Jessica; Gentile, Brittany; Campbell, W. Keith

2015-01-01

Geek culture is a subculture of enthusiasts that is traditionally associated with obscure media (Japanese animation, science fiction, video games, etc.). However, geek culture is becoming increasingly mainstream; for example, in the past year alone, Dragon*Con, a major Geek convention in Atlanta, Georgia, attracted an attendance of over 57,000 members. The present article uses an individual differences approach to examine three theoretical accounts of geek culture. Seven studies (N = 2354) develop the Geek Culture Engagement Scale (GCES) to quantify geek engagement and assess its relationships to theoretically relevant personality and individual differences variables. These studies present evidence that individuals may engage in geek culture in order to maintain narcissistic self-views (the great fantasy migration hypothesis), to fulfill belongingness needs (the belongingness hypothesis), and to satisfy needs for creative expression (the need for engagement hypothesis). Geek engagement is found to be associated with elevated grandiose narcissism, extraversion, openness to experience, depression, and subjective well-being across multiple samples. These data lay the groundwork for further exploration of geek culture as well as provide a foundation for examining other forms of subculture participation. PMID:26580564

A Psychological Exploration of Engagement in Geek Culture.

PubMed

McCain, Jessica; Gentile, Brittany; Campbell, W Keith

2015-01-01

Geek culture is a subculture of enthusiasts that is traditionally associated with obscure media (Japanese animation, science fiction, video games, etc.). However, geek culture is becoming increasingly mainstream; for example, in the past year alone, Dragon*Con, a major Geek convention in Atlanta, Georgia, attracted an attendance of over 57,000 members. The present article uses an individual differences approach to examine three theoretical accounts of geek culture. Seven studies (N = 2354) develop the Geek Culture Engagement Scale (GCES) to quantify geek engagement and assess its relationships to theoretically relevant personality and individual differences variables. These studies present evidence that individuals may engage in geek culture in order to maintain narcissistic self-views (the great fantasy migration hypothesis), to fulfill belongingness needs (the belongingness hypothesis), and to satisfy needs for creative expression (the need for engagement hypothesis). Geek engagement is found to be associated with elevated grandiose narcissism, extraversion, openness to experience, depression, and subjective well-being across multiple samples. These data lay the groundwork for further exploration of geek culture as well as provide a foundation for examining other forms of subculture participation.

Cross-Cultural Examination of Test Anxiety among US and Singapore Students on the Test Anxiety Scale for Elementary Students (TAS-E)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowe, Patricia A.; Ang, Rebecca P.

2012-01-01

In the present study, the similarity of the factor structure of the Test Anxiety Scale for Elementary Students (TAS-E) and cultural and gender differences in test anxiety were examined in a sample of 1322 US and Singapore elementary students. The similarity of the factor structure of the TAS-E, a measure of test anxiety, was examined to determine…

A polydiagnostic approach to the differences in the symptoms of schizophrenia in different cultural and ethnic populations.

PubMed

Maslowski, J; Jansen van Rensburg, D; Mthoko, N

1998-07-01

This study evaluates the pathoplastic influences of ethnicity and culture on the symptoms of schizophrenia. A sample of 113 schizophrenics was evaluated using the Present State Examination (PSE) and Landmark's Manual for the Assessment of Schizophrenia. The subjects were 57 coloured and 56 black individuals. Six different tribes of Bantu, Negroid and Khoisan origin and with different language and cultural backgrounds were represented among the black subjects. Core symptoms remained basically the same in two groups, but the content of positive symptoms was found to be influenced by culture. However, no statistically significant differences in the presentation of negative symptoms were found in terms of quantity, but there were qualitative differences between the ethnic groups.

Choice and dissonance in a European cultural context: the case of Western and Eastern Europeans.

PubMed

Kokkoris, Michail D; Kühnen, Ulrich

2013-01-01

Prior research demonstrates that members of collectivistic cultures are less likely to reduce cognitive dissonance after making a choice, compared to members of individualistic cultures. This difference has been attributed to different conceptualizations of choice that derive from different self-construals across cultures. In individualistic cultures, choice leads to stronger commitment to the chosen option compared to collectivistic cultures, because it implicates core aspects of the independent self, such as personal preferences. However, this cultural variation in postchoice dissonance has thus far been studied exclusively by comparing East Asians and North Americans. Building on the assumption that this difference is due to different construals of the self, we conducted an experiment with movie choices using the classic free-choice paradigm to examine differences in dissonance reduction between Western and Eastern Europeans, two populations known to differ with respect to interdependence. The results show that Eastern Europeans are less likely than Western Europeans to reduce postchoice dissonance by spreading their alternatives. Our findings speak to the generalizability of the hypothesis that in cultures differing in independence or interdependence people also differ in the way they construe choice, as well as in the way the act of choosing affects their self-concept.

Intercultural Miscommunication: Impact on ESOL Students and Implications for ESOL Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Jinyan; Dotterweich, Erin; Bowers, Ashleigh

2012-01-01

Intercultural miscommunication occurs when there is a breakdown in communication between speakers of two different cultures and languages due to cultural differences and/or sociolinguistic transfer. Intercultural miscommunication has tremendous impact on ESOL students' academic learning at North American schools. This paper examines the nature of…

From Theory to Practice: Ogbu and Erickson in the Multicultural Education Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nel, Johanna

1995-01-01

The paper examines the implications of two different theoretical approaches for teacher education (Erickson's cultural differences theory and Ogbu's secondary cultural discontinuity theory), suggesting a multicultural education curriculum that incorporates a composite of both theories in order to assist future teachers in combatting the problem of…

Professional Cultures and Professional Knowledge: Owning, Loaning and Sharing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messenger, Wendy

2013-01-01

This study attempts to examine the relationship between professional culture and collaborative working in Children's Centres in a region of England. In Children's Centres, professionals from different professional backgrounds and different organisations are required to work together towards common goals as required by the Children Act 2004.…

Cultural Negotiation: Moving beyond a Cycle of Misunderstanding in Early Childhood Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Gioia, Katey

2013-01-01

Developing partnerships with families is critical in childcare services. However, families and early childhood educators bring to settings different cultural backgrounds, experiences and expectations of their role and the role of the childcare service. These differences can impact the family-educator partnership. This article examines some issues…

Cross-Cultural Differences in Children's Emotional Reactions to a Disappointing Situation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrett-Peters, Patricia T.; Fox, Nathan A.

2007-01-01

Cross-cultural differences in emotional expressions following disappointment were examined in 59 Chinese American (CA) and 58 European American (EA) children. Children aged four or seven participated in a disappointing gift situation. Dimensions of expressive behaviors following disappointment were coded and included positive, negative, social…

How Epistemological Beliefs Relate to Values and Gender Orientation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kessels, Ursula

2013-01-01

In response to the current literature on possible systematic differences in the epistemological beliefs of men and women and between members of different cultures, this paper examines the way psychological constructs associated with gender (i.e. gender orientation) and culture (i.e. values) are related to individual's epistemological beliefs.…

The Course of "Culture" in Multiculturalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonough, Tim

2008-01-01

In this essay Tim McDonough analyzes a number of different positions within the ongoing discussion on multicultural education in order to provide a conceptual map of the development of the term "culture." His examination of the discourse begins with liberal multiculturalism; moves through the stages of difference, critical, and poststructural…

A multilevel cross-cultural examination of role overload and organizational commitment: investigating the interactive effects of context.

PubMed

Fisher, David M

2014-07-01

Considering the influential nature of context, the current investigation examined whether the relationship between role overload and organizational commitment was affected by various contextual factors. Drawing on the occupational stress literature, structural empowerment and cooperative climate were examined as factors that would mitigate the negative effects of role overload on organizational commitment. In addition, national culture was examined to determine whether empowerment and cooperative climate had consistent moderating effects across cultures. The relationships among these variables were examined using hierarchical linear modeling in a sample of 6,264 employees working at a multinational organization in 337 different work locations across 18 countries. Results suggested that the negative effect of role overload on organizational commitment did not vary as a function of culture in the current sample, but empowerment and cooperative climate had a moderating influence on this relationship. Furthermore, a 3-way interaction was observed between the cultural variable of power distance, empowerment, and role overload in predicting organizational commitment, suggesting that factors that serve to mitigate the negative effects of role overload in one culture may be ineffectual in another. This 3-way interaction was observed regardless of whether Hofstede's (2001) cultural value indices were used or the cultural practice scores from the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) project (R. J. House, Hanges, Javidan, Dorfman, & Gupta, 2004).

Preferred Styles of Conflict Resolution. Mexico and the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabrielidis, Cristina; Stephan, Walter G.; Ybarra, Oscar; Pearson, Virginia Dos Santos; Villareal, Lucila

1997-01-01

Examined cultural differences in preferences for conflict resolution styles using the dual-concern model with 103 college students in Mexico (collectivistic culture) and 91 college students in the United States (individualistic culture). Results suggest that independence of the self and interdependence of the self may be separate dimensions,…

Evaluating Best Management Practices and Correlations Between Culture and Molecular Data at a Cattle Feeding Operation and Nearby Stream

EPA Science Inventory

Presentation will include: Evaluate the performance of an infiltration basin and constructed wetland in a cattle-feeding operation (culture data only); Examine the correlation between culture data and qPCR measurements at two different research sites; Describe the relationship b...

Patterns of Cultural Adjustment among Young Migrants to Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sonderegger, Robi; Barrett, Paula M.

2004-01-01

In response to appeals for empirical data on culture-specific differences and developmental pathways of acculturative stress among young migrants and refugees, the present study examines the cultural adjustment patterns of ethnically diverse migrants to Australia. Two hundred and seventy three primary and high school students (comprised of…

The Influence of Culture on Teacher Commitment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abd Razak, Nordin; Darmawan, I. Gusti Ngurah; Keeves, John P.

2010-01-01

Culture is believed to be an important factor that influences various aspects of human life, such as behaviour, thinking, perceptions and attitudes. This article examines the similarities and differences in the influence of culture on teacher commitment in three types of Malaysian primary schools. Since commitment to teaching has rarely been…

Differentiating autonomy from individualism and independence: a self-determination theory perspective on internalization of cultural orientations and well-being.

PubMed

Chirkov, Valery; Ryan, Richard M; Kim, Youngmee; Kaplan, Ulas

2003-01-01

On the basis of self-determination theory (R. M. Ryan & E. L. Deci, 2000) and cultural descriptions drawn from H. C. Triandis (1995), the authors hypothesized that (a) individuals from different cultures internalize different cultural practices; (b) despite these differences, the relative autonomy of individuals' motivation for those practices predicts well-being in all 4 cultures examined; and (c) horizontal practices are more readily internalized than vertical practices across all samples. Five hundred fifty-nine persons from South Korea, Russia, Turkey and the United States participated. Results supported the hypothesized relations between autonomy and well-being across cultures and gender. Results also suggested greater internalization of horizontal relative to vertical practices. Discussion focuses on the distinction between autonomy and individualism and the relative fit of cultural forms with basic psychological needs.

Digital Equity in Cultural Context: Exploring the Influence of Confucian Heritage Culture on Hong Kong Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuen, Allan H.; Park, Jae Hyung; Chen, Lu; Cheng, Miaoting

2017-01-01

Our study examines digital equity in a cultural context. Many studies have used classic analytical variables such as socioeconomic status and gender to investigate the problem of unequal access to, and more recently differences in the use of, information and communication technology (ICT). The few studies that have explored cultural variables have…

Organizational Culture in a Successful Primary School: An Ethnographic Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Negis-Isik, Ayse; Gursel, Musa

2013-01-01

Even though they are perceived similar from outside, all schools have distinct characteristics and a culture that differ them from other schools. School culture, is one of the important factors that play role in school efficiency and success. The purpose of this study was to examine the culture of a successful school profoundly. This study was a…

The Road to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Expatriate Teachers' Pedagogical Practices in the Cultural Context of Saudi Arabian Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamdan, Amani K.

2014-01-01

This case study explored the need for culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in Saudi Arabian higher education, especially when students have a cultural background that differs from that of their instructor. The study documented how expatriate teachers structured their pedagogical practices in the Saudi Arabian context. It examined how these…

Promoting Intercultural Understanding and Reducing Stereotypes: Incorporating the Cultural Portfolio Project into Taiwan's EFL College Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Su, Ya-Chen

2011-01-01

Learning about foreign language (FL) cultures is becoming an important objective in the FL curricula and national standards of different countries throughout the world. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the cultural portfolio project on: (1) students' concept development in their perceptions of the target language culture and…

Co-Variation of Tonality in the Music and Speech of Different Cultures

PubMed Central

Han, Shui' er; Sundararajan, Janani; Bowling, Daniel Liu; Lake, Jessica; Purves, Dale

2011-01-01

Whereas the use of discrete pitch intervals is characteristic of most musical traditions, the size of the intervals and the way in which they are used is culturally specific. Here we examine the hypothesis that these differences arise because of a link between the tonal characteristics of a culture's music and its speech. We tested this idea by comparing pitch intervals in the traditional music of three tone language cultures (Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese) and three non-tone language cultures (American, French and German) with pitch intervals between voiced speech segments. Changes in pitch direction occur more frequently and pitch intervals are larger in the music of tone compared to non-tone language cultures. More frequent changes in pitch direction and larger pitch intervals are also apparent in the speech of tone compared to non-tone language cultures. These observations suggest that the different tonal preferences apparent in music across cultures are closely related to the differences in the tonal characteristics of voiced speech. PMID:21637716

How Two Differing Portraits of Newton Can Teach Us about the Cultural Context of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucci, Pasquale

2015-01-01

Like several scientists, Isaac Newton has been represented many times over many different periods, and portraits of Newton were often commissioned by the scientist himself. These portraits tell us a lot about the scientist, the artist and the cultural context. This article examines two very different portraits of Newton that were realized more…

Validating the cross-cultural factor structure and invariance property of the Insomnia Severity Index: evidence based on ordinal EFA and CFA.

PubMed

Chen, Po-Yi; Yang, Chien-Ming; Morin, Charles M

2015-05-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the factor structure of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) across samples recruited from different countries. We tried to identify the most appropriate factor model for the ISI and further examined the measurement invariance property of the ISI across samples from different countries. Our analyses included one data set collected from a Taiwanese sample and two data sets obtained from samples in Hong Kong and Canada. The data set collected in Taiwan was analyzed with ordinal exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to obtain the appropriate factor model for the ISI. After that, we conducted a series of confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs), which is a special case of the structural equation model (SEM) that concerns the parameters in the measurement model, to the statistics collected in Canada and Hong Kong. The purposes of these CFA were to cross-validate the result obtained from EFA and further examine the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the ISI. The three-factor model outperforms other models in terms of global fit indices in Taiwan's population. Its external validity is also supported by confirmatory factor analyses. Furthermore, the measurement invariance analyses show that the strong invariance property between the samples from different cultures holds, providing evidence that the ISI results obtained in different cultures are comparable. The factorial validity of the ISI is stable in different populations. More importantly, its invariance property across cultures suggests that the ISI is a valid measure of the insomnia severity construct across countries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examining cultural drifts in artworks through history and development: cultural comparisons between Japanese and western landscape paintings and drawings

PubMed Central

Nand, Kristina; Masuda, Takahiko; Senzaki, Sawa; Ishii, Keiko

2014-01-01

Research on cultural products suggest that there are substantial cultural variations between East Asian and European landscape masterpieces and contemporary members' landscape artwork (Masuda et al., 2008c), and that these cultural differences in drawing styles emerge around the age of 8 (Senzaki et al., 2014b). However, culture is not static. To explore the dynamics of historical and ontogenetic influence on artistic expressions, we examined (1) 17–20th century Japanese and Western landscape masterpieces, and (2) cross-sectional adolescent data in landscape artworks alongside previous findings of elementary school-aged children, and undergraduates. The results showed cultural variations in artworks and masterpieces as well as substantial “cultural drifts” (Herskovits, 1948) where at certain time periods in history and in development, people's expressions deviated from culturally default patterns but occasionally returned to its previous state. The bidirectional influence of culture and implications for furthering the discipline of cultural psychology will be discussed. PMID:25285085

An Examination of Hispanic and General Population Perceptions of Organizational Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-08-01

integrations concerning the relationship of cultural differences and social behavior (Technical Report No. 2), a method for the measurement of the...23 to the psychological. Dr. Jeffrey Schneider, then with ONR, asked a panel of five Navy users of social science findings to review these 41 findings...Hispanic culture be placed into a broader framework of cultural differences in social behavior? 6. What are the implications of our findings for the Navy

Intergroup Consensus/Disagreement in Support of Group-Based Hierarchy: An Examination of Socio-Structural and Psycho-Cultural Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, I-Ching; Pratto, Felicia; Johnson, Blair T.

2011-01-01

A meta-analysis examined the extent to which socio-structural and psycho-cultural characteristics of societies correspond with how much gender and ethnic/racial groups differ on their support of group-based hierarchy. Robustly, women opposed group-based hierarchy more than men did, and members of lower power ethnic/racial groups opposed…

Cross-Cultural Examination of Depression Expression and Help-Seeking Behavior: A Comparative Study of American and Korean College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoo, Sung-Kyung; Skovholt, Thomas M.

2001-01-01

Examines cross-cultural differences in depression expression and help-seeking behavior among college students in the United States and Korea. Results indicate that the Korean students showed more somatization tendency, negative affect, and negative help-seeking behavior. Negative help-seeking behavior of Korean students was shown to relate to…

Comparison of Fluorescence Microscopy and Different Growth Media Culture Methods for Acanthamoeba Keratitis Diagnosis.

PubMed

Peretz, Avi; Geffen, Yuval; Socea, Soergiu D; Pastukh, Nina; Graffi, Shmuel

2015-08-01

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), a potentially blinding infection of the cornea, is caused by a free-living protozoan. Culture and microscopic examination of corneal scraping tissue material is the conventional method for identifying Acanthamoeba. In this article, we compared several methods for AK diagnosis of 32 patients: microscopic examination using fluorescent dye, specific culture on growth media-non-nutrient agar (NNA), culture on liquid growth media-peptone yeast glucose (PYG), and TYI-S-33. AK was found in 14 patients. Thirteen of the specimens were found AK positive by fluorescence microscopic examination, 11 specimens were found AK positive on PYG growth media, and 9 specimens were found AK positive on TYI-S-33 growth media. Only five specimens were found AK positive on NNA growth media. Therefore, we recommend using fluorescence microscopy technique and culture method, especially PYG liquid media. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Cultural differences in spiritual care: findings of an Israeli oncologic questionnaire examining patient interest in spiritual care

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background As professional spiritual care (chaplaincy) is introduced to new cultures worldwide, it bears examining which elements of screening and care are universal and, for those elements showing cultural difference, to study them in each culture. No quantitative spiritual care patient study had previously been done in Israel. Our objectives were twofold: 1) to examine who wants spiritual care in Israel, including demographic and clinical variables, and to compare against other results worldwide to further develop universal screening protocols 2) to see what patients want from spiritual care specifically in the Israeli setting. Methods Self-administered patient questionnaire examining spirituality/religiosity, interest in spiritual care (subdivided by type of care), and key demographic, social, and clinical data. The study setting was an Israeli oncology center at which spiritual care had been recently introduced. Results Data from 364 oncology patient questionnaires found 41% interest in spiritual care, as compared to 35%-54% in American studies. Having previously been visited by a spiritual caregiver predicted patient interest in further spiritual care (AOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.6), suggesting that the new service is being well-received. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis identified additional predictors of openness to receiving spiritual care: self-describing as somewhat/very spiritual vs. not spiritual (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.9 and 6.3, 95% CI 1.8-8.6 and 2.6-15.1) or traditional/religious vs. secular (AOR 2.2 and 2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.6 and 1.1-4.0); and receiving one visit a week or less from family and friends (AOR 5.6, 95% CI 2.1-15.1). These findings are in line with previous American studies, suggesting universality across cultures that could be utilized in screening. Differences in demographic data and medical condition were not significant predictors of patient interest, suggesting a cultural difference, where age and education were predictors in the American context. Levels of interest in explicitly religious or spiritual support such as prayer or addressing religious/spiritual questions were much lower than in other cultures. Conclusions Results illustrate the demand for and satisfaction with the new Israeli service. The cross-cultural comparison found both culture-dependent and possibly universal predictors of patient interest, and found lower interest in Israel for explicitly religious/spiritual types of support. PMID:24708816

Mixed-ethnicity face shape and attractiveness in humans.

PubMed

Little, Anthony C; Hockings, Kimberley J; Apicella, Coren L; Sousa, Claudia

2012-01-01

Many studies show agreement within and between populations and cultures for general judgments of facial attractiveness. Studies that have examined the attractiveness of specific traits have also highlighted cross-cultural differences for factors such as symmetry, averageness, and masculinity. One trait that should be preferred across cultures is heterozygosity. Indeed, several studies suggest that mixed ethnicity, in terms of appearing to possess a mixture of traits from different human population groups, may be found attractive, which could reflect preferences for heterozygosity. We examined preferences for manipulated face shape associated with different populations in both Europeans (Britain) and Africans (Guinea-Bissau). We found that mixed-ethnicity face shapes were more attractive than enhanced single-ethnicity face shape across both populations. These results are consistent with evolutionary theories suggesting individuals should prefer heterozygosity in partners because facial cues to mixed-ethnicity are likely to indicate diverse genes compared to cues that indicate a face belongs to a single particular culture or population.

The development of a cultural standardized patient examination for a general surgery residency program.

PubMed

Chun, Maria B J; Young, Keane G M; Honda, Andrea F; Belcher, Gary F; Maskarinec, Gregory G

2012-01-01

Cultural competency and cross-cultural care issues in surgery resident education are areas of recognized need. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has developed 6 core competencies addressing training to provide high quality care. Of these, cultural training is addressed under 3: patient care, professionalism, and interpersonal and communication skills. Our study sought to develop a measurable tool-a cultural standardized patient (SP) examination-that integrates cross-cultural care issues within the core competencies. All first year surgery residents (PGY-1) were required to participate in the videotaped cultural SP examination as part of the general surgery residency curriculum. Two measures were utilized to assess resident performance. On the same day, we administered a Cross-Cultural Care Survey. The SP examination was assessed by trained surgery teaching faculty using a written checklist that was developed to evaluate residents on all 6 ACGME competencies. Of the 26 eligible participants over 2 years, we were able to analyze the pre- and post-test results for 24 residents. The post-test score of the "attitude toward cross-cultural care" subscale of the Cross-Cultural Care Survey was significantly lower than the pre-test score (p = 0.012; Wilcoxon signed-ranks test). There were significant differences by ethnicity on all 3 subscales of the Cross-Cultural Care Survey (attitude = p < 0.05, knowledge = p < 0.01, skills = p < 0.05) on the pre-test. However, only the knowledge subscale scores remained significantly different between ethnicities on the post-test (p < 0.01). After additional assessment, evaluation, and refinement, our goal is to incorporate cross-cultural health care training as a permanent part of our curriculum. Our hope is that efforts to provide training in cross-cultural healthcare leads to high quality care and positive outcomes for the patient. This will not only enhance our training program, but may also become a useful tool for other surgery residency programs. Copyright © 2012 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cultural Differences in the Development of Processing Speed

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kail, Robert V.; McBride-Chang, Catherine; Ferrer, Emilio; Cho, Jeung-Ryeul; Shu, Hua

2013-01-01

The aim of the present work was to examine cultural differences in the development of speed of information processing. Four samples of US children ("N" = 509) and four samples of East Asian children ("N" = 661) completed psychometric measures of processing speed on two occasions. Analyses of the longitudinal data indicated…

Asian American Parents' Attributions of Children with Down Syndrome: Connections with Child Characteristics and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ly, Tran M.

2008-01-01

This study explores cultural differences between European American (n = 26) and Asian American (n = 17) parents' attributional ratings of children with Down syndrome. Links were examined among parents' attributions, reactions, and behaviors regarding their child's jigsaw-puzzle performance. Although the children's puzzle abilities did not differ,…

Child Development in the Context of Multicultural Pre-School Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umek, Ljubica Marjanovic; Kranjc, Simona; Fekonja, Urska

This study examined the impact of a multicultural preschool curriculum in Slovenia on preschool children's sensitization to cultural differences and understanding of themselves, others, and different cultures. The curriculum was implemented for a 1-month period for 6.6- to 7-year-olds. Multicultural enrichment was evident in wall decorations, toys…

Beyond Socioeconomics: Explaining Ethnic Group Differences in Parenting through Cultural and Immigration Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chao, Ruth; Kanatsu, Akira

2008-01-01

This study examined both socioeconomic and cultural factors in explaining ethnic differences in monitoring, behavioral control, and warmth--part of a series of coordinated studies presented in this special issue. Socioeconomic variables included mother's and father's educational levels, employment status, home ownership, number of siblings in the…

Selected Readings in Transition: Cultural Differences, Chronic Illness, and Job Matching. Volume 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dais, Teresa; And Others

This collection of four papers examines various aspects of the transition from school to adulthood and employment for individuals with disabilities. The first paper, "An Analysis of Transition Assessment Practices: Do They Recognize Cultural Differences?" (Teresa A. Dais), discusses the need for assessment practices to meet the needs of culturally…

Meeting and treating cultural difference in primary care: a qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Wachtler, Caroline; Brorsson, Annika; Troein, Margareta

2006-02-01

Primary care doctors see patients from diverse cultural backgrounds and communication plays an important role in diagnosis and treatment. Communication problems can arise when patient and doctor do not share the same cultural background. The aim of this study was to examine how consultations with immigrant patients are understood by GPs and how GPs manage these consultations. Semi-structured interviews with GPs about their experiences with immigrant patients were recorded on audio-tape, transcribed and analysed using a qualitative thematic analysis methodology. A constructivist approach was taken to analysis and interpretation. Culture is not in focus when GPs meet immigrant patients. The consultation is seen as a meeting between individuals, where cultural difference is just one of many individual factors that influence how well doctor and patient understand each other. However, when mutual understanding is poor and the consultation not successful, cultural differences are central. The GPs try to conduct their consultations with immigrant patients in the same way that they conduct all their consultations. There is no specific focus on culture, instead, GPs tend to avoid addressing even pronounced cultural differences. This study indicates that cultural difference is not treated in GPs consultation with immigrant patients. Learning about cultural difference's effect on mutual understanding between doctor and patient could improve GPs cross-cultural communication. Increased awareness of the culture the doctor brings to the consultation could facilitate management of cross-cultural consultations.

Differential responsiveness of Holstein and Angus dermal fibroblasts to LPS challenge occurs without major differences in the methylome.

PubMed

Benjamin, Aimee L; Green, Benjamin B; Crooker, Brian A; McKay, Stephanie D; Kerr, David E

2016-03-24

We have previously found substantial animal-to-animal and age-dependent variation in the response of Holstein fibroblast cultures challenged with LPS. To expand on this finding, fibroblast cultures were established from dairy (Holstein) and beef (Angus) cattle and challenged with LPS to examine breed-dependent differences in the innate immune response. Global gene expression was measured by RNA-Seq, while an epigenetic basis for expression differences was examined by methylated CpG island recovery assay sequencing (MIRA-Seq) analysis. The Holstein breed displayed a more robust response to LPS than the Angus breed based on RNA-Seq analysis of cultures challenged with LPS for 0, 2, and 8 h. Several immune-associated genes were expressed at greater levels (FDR < 0.05) in Holstein cultures including TLR4 at all time points and a number of pro-inflammatory genes such as IL8, CCL20, CCL5, and TNF following LPS exposure. Despite extensive breed differences in the transcriptome, MIRA-Seq unveiled relatively similar patterns of genome-wide DNA methylation between breeds, with an overall hypomethylation of gene promoters. However, by examining the genome in 3Kb windows, 49 regions of differential methylation were discovered between Holstein and Angus fibroblasts, and two of these regions fell within the promoter region (-2500 to +500 bp of the transcription start site) of the genes NTRK2 and ADAMTS5. Fibroblasts isolated from Holstein cattle display a more robust response to LPS in comparison to cultures from Angus cattle. Different selection strategies and management practices exist between these two breeds that likely give rise to genetic and epigenetic factors contributing to the different immune response phenotypes.

Difference between a Sore Throat, Strep, and Tonsillitis

MedlinePlus

... extreme trouble swallowing (causing her to drool). Throat culture This may indicate a more serious infection. The ... examine your child and may perform a throat culture to determine the nature of the infection. To ...

It was meant to happen: explaining cultural variations in fate attributions.

PubMed

Norenzayan, Ara; Lee, Albert

2010-05-01

People often perceive important and improbable life outcomes as "meant to happen," that is, predetermined and inevitable. In 4 studies, we constructed diverse measures of such fate attributions and examined the cultural correlates of this attributional tendency, focusing on ethnic culture and religious affiliation differences. Independently of ethnic culture, Christians were found to endorse fate attributions more than did the nonreligious; and independently of religious affiliation, East Asian Canadians attributed events to fate more than did European Canadians. Consistent with theoretical predictions, the religious affiliation difference was mediated by belief in God, whereas the ethnic cultural difference was mediated by a measure of causal complexity, although not by a measure of acculturation. Experimentally inducing thoughts of causal complexity in one domain increased fate attributions in unrelated domains. These results point to 2 independent psychological sources of fate attributions which also explain observed cultural differences in this tendency. 2010 APA, all rights reserved

Psychosocial and cultural factors affecting the perceived risk of genetically modified food: an overview of the literature.

PubMed

Finucane, Melissa L; Holup, Joan L

2005-04-01

The rapid globalization of the world economy has increased the need for an astute understanding of cultural differences in perceptions, values, and ways of thinking about new food technologies. In this paper, we describe how socio-psychological and cultural factors may affect public perceptions of the risk of genetically modified (GM) food. We present psychological, sociological, and anthropological research on risk perception as a framework for understanding cross-national differences in reactions to GM food. Differences in the cultural values and circumstances of people in the US, European countries, and the developing world are examined. The implications of cultural theory for risk communication and decision making about GM food are discussed and directions for future research highlighted.

The refinement of a cultural standardized patient examination for a general surgery residency program.

PubMed

Chun, Maria B J; Deptula, Peter; Morihara, Sarah; Jackson, David S

2014-01-01

Recent articles have documented the importance of cultural competency in surgery. Surgical residency programs have used the Objective Structured Clinical Examinations or cultural standardized patient examinations as a training tool. Past studies evaluating cultural competency have noted the importance of including an observational (control) arm, which would allow for a more objective assessment of a resident's competency in this area. The purpose of our article is to present the results of a follow-up study to a pilot cultural standardized patient examination for surgery residents. All first-year surgery residents were required to participate in the videotaped cultural SP examination as part of the general surgery residency curriculum. Two measures were used to assess resident performance. On the day of the examination, the Cross-Cultural Care Survey was administered. The examination was assessed by the residents themselves, faculty observers, and standardized patients, using a written checklist that was developed to evaluate residents on all 6 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies. The current study includes 20 first-year surgery residents from academic years 2011 to 2012 and 2012 to 2013. The examination of pretest differences in groups found that students born outside of the United States had significantly higher scores on attitude (t = -2.68, df = 18, p = 0.02), but no statistically significant differences were found in skillfulness or knowledge or in the overall rating scale. For the overall rating scale, change from pretest to posttest was statistically significant (t = -2.25, df = 18, p = 0.04). Further analysis revealed that students who were born in the United States demonstrated a significant increase in ratings (t = -3.08, df = 10, p = 0.01) whereas students who were not born in the United States showed little change (t = -0.35, df = 7, p = 0.74). These results show that the means in attitude scales changed little for all groups, but both white and US-born students showed greater improvement on skillfulness and knowledge. Training and measurement of cross-cultural health care skills remains challenging. However, studies like these provide a good starting point from which to build. © 2013 Published by Association of Program Directors in Surgery on behalf of Association of Program Directors in Surgery.

Consequences of 'tiger' parenting: a cross-cultural study of maternal psychological control and children's cortisol stress response.

PubMed

Doan, Stacey N; Tardif, Twila; Miller, Alison; Olson, Sheryl; Kessler, Daniel; Felt, Barbara; Wang, Li

2017-05-01

Parenting strategies involving psychological control are associated with increased adjustment problems in children. However, no research has examined the extent to which culture and psychological control predict children's stress physiology. We examine cultural differences in maternal psychological control and its associations with children's cortisol. Chinese (N = 59) and American (N = 45) mother-child dyads participated in the study. Mothers reported on psychological control. Children's cortisol was collected during a stressor and two indices of Area Under the Curve (AUC) were computed: AUCg which accounts for total output, and AUCi, which captures reactivity. Results indicate that Chinese mothers reported higher levels of psychological control and Chinese children had higher levels of AUCg than their American counterparts. Across both cultures, psychological control was significantly associated with increased cortisol levels as indexed by AUCg. There were no associations for AUCi. Finally, mediation analyses demonstrated that psychological control fully explained cultural differences in children's cortisol stress response as indexed by AUCg. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How can you capture cultural dynamics?

PubMed Central

Kashima, Yoshihisa

2014-01-01

Cross-cultural comparison is a critical method by which we can examine the interaction between culture and psychological processes. However, comparative methods tend to overlook cultural dynamics – the formation, maintenance, and transformation of cultures over time. The present article gives a brief overview of four different types of research designs that have been used to examine cultural dynamics in the literature: (1) cross-temporal methods that trace medium- to long-term changes in a culture; (2) cross-generational methods that explore medium-term implications of cultural transmission; (3) experimental simulation methods that investigate micro-level mechanisms of cultural dynamics; and (4) formal models and computer simulation methods often used to investigate long-term and macro-level implications of micro-level mechanisms. These methods differ in terms of level of analysis for which they are designed (micro vs. macro-level), scale of time for which they are typically used (short-, medium-, or long-term), and direction of inference (deductive vs. empirical method) that they imply. The paper describes examples of these methods, discuss their strengths and weaknesses, and point to their complementarity in inquiries about cultural change. Because cultural dynamics research is about meaning over time, issues deriving from interpretation of meaning and temporal distance between researchers and objects of inquiry can pose threats to the validity of the research and its findings. The methodological question about hermeneutic circle is recalled and further inquiries are encouraged. PMID:25309476

Age and gender differences in self-esteem-A cross-cultural window.

PubMed

Bleidorn, Wiebke; Arslan, Ruben C; Denissen, Jaap J A; Rentfrow, Peter J; Gebauer, Jochen E; Potter, Jeff; Gosling, Samuel D

2016-09-01

Research and theorizing on gender and age differences in self-esteem have played a prominent role in psychology over the past 20 years. However, virtually all empirical research has been undertaken in the United States or other Western industrialized countries, providing a narrow empirical base from which to draw conclusions and develop theory. To broaden the empirical base, the present research uses a large Internet sample (N = 985,937) to provide the first large-scale systematic cross-cultural examination of gender and age differences in self-esteem. Across 48 nations, and consistent with previous research, we found age-related increases in self-esteem from late adolescence to middle adulthood and significant gender gaps, with males consistently reporting higher self-esteem than females. Despite these broad cross-cultural similarities, the cultures differed significantly in the magnitude of gender, age, and Gender × Age effects on self-esteem. These differences were associated with cultural differences in socioeconomic, sociodemographic, gender-equality, and cultural value indicators. Discussion focuses on the theoretical implications of cross-cultural research on self-esteem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Longitudinal association between child emotion regulation and aggression, and the role of parenting: a comparison of three cultures

PubMed Central

Bozicevic, Laura; De Pascalis, Leonardo; Schuitmaker, Nicole; Tomlinson, Mark; Cooper, Peter J.; Murray, Lynne

2017-01-01

Background The ability to regulate emotions is a key developmental achievement, acquired during social interactions and associated with better behavioral and social outcomes. We examined the influence of culture on child emotion regulation (ER) and aggression, and on early parenting practices, and the role of parenting in child ER. Methods We assessed 48 mother-infant dyads from three cultures (one UK, two South African (SA)), at three months infant age for maternal sensitivity during face-to-face interaction, and responses to infant distress during daily life, and at two years for child ER strategies and maternally-reported aggression. Results There were cultural differences in child ER, and these were associated with differences in levels of aggression. Maternal strategies in response to early infant distress also differed by culture and predicted later child ER. Maternal sensitivity during face-to-face interactions was not associated with culture and showed no clear relationship with child ER. Conclusion Cultural differences in maternal responses to infant distress mediated differences in child ER that are, in turn, related to differences in child aggression. PMID:27486811

Longitudinal Association between Child Emotion Regulation and Aggression, and the Role of Parenting: A Comparison of Three Cultures.

PubMed

Bozicevic, Laura; De Pascalis, Leonardo; Schuitmaker, Nicole; Tomlinson, Mark; Cooper, Peter J; Murray, Lynne

The ability to regulate emotions is a key developmental achievement acquired during social interactions and associated with better behavioral and social outcomes. We examined the influence of culture on child emotion regulation (ER) and aggression and on early parenting practices, and the role of parenting in child ER. We assessed 48 mother-infant dyads from three cultures (1 UK, 2 South African) at infant age of 3 months for maternal sensitivity during face-to-face interactions and responses to infant distress during daily life, and at 2 years for child ER strategies and maternally reported aggression. There were cultural differences in child ER, and these were associated with differences in levels of aggression. Maternal strategies in response to early infant distress also differed by culture and predicted later child ER. Maternal sensitivity during face-to-face interactions was not associated with culture and showed no clear relationship with child ER. Cultural differences in maternal responses to infant distress mediated differences in child ER that are, in turn, related to differences in child aggression. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Primacy of IQ Subtest Analysis to Understand Reading Performance for Culturally Diverse Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortiz, Samuel O.; Johnston, Harriet N.; Wilcox, Gabrielle; Francis, Stella L.; Tomes, Yuma I.

2014-01-01

There is significant debate over the value and ethics of IQ testing for children, including those from diverse cultural groups, particularly in light of studies examining performance on various subtests that are uncovering important processing differences between cultural and linguistic groups (Sotelo-Dynega, Ortiz, Flanagan, & Chaplin, 2013).…

Seeking Professional Help: Etiology Beliefs about Mental Illness across Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Sylvia Xiaohua; Mak, Winnie W. S.

2008-01-01

In the present study, the authors examined the contributions of cultural beliefs about the etiology of mental illness to the seeking of help from mental health professionals among college students in 4 cultural groups, European Americans, Chinese Americans, Hong Kong Chinese, and Mainland Chinese. Group differences were found in help-seeking…

Online Cultural Heritage Exhibitions: A Survey of Strategic Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liew, Chern Li

2006-01-01

Purpose: This paper seeks to report findings from a study that looked at a range of strategic issues faced in the development, management and maintenance of online cultural heritage exhibitions. The study examined exhibitions from different types of cultural agencies and asked questions about whether, for instance, the exhibitions are part of the…

Form, Content, and Cultural Values in Three Inuit (Eskimo) Survival Stories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stott, Jon C.

1986-01-01

Examines three survival stories involving Inuits: Harpoon of the Hunter (Markoosie), Tikta'Liktak (Houston), and Julie of the Wolves (Craighead). Focuses on the difficulties involved in using a literary form of Anglo-American-European culture to deal with events and attitudes from a culture as different as the Inuit. (JHZ)

A Critical Review of Prominent Theories of Politeness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Duleimi, Hutheifa Y.; Rashid, Sabariah Md.; Abdullah, Ain Nadzimah

2016-01-01

Politeness plays a crucial role in all cultures and societies for maintaining relationships and for face saving. Although politeness is common to all cultures and languages, how it functions and is realised varies from one culture to another. Different theories have been proposed to examine the strategies with which politeness is expressed. Each…

Lifespan Creativity in a Non-Western Artistic Tradition: A Study of Japanese Ukiyo-E Printmakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kozbelt, Aaron; Durmysheva, Yana

2007-01-01

Western cultures' conceptions about creativity emphasize originality and final products; Eastern cultures, skill and process. Does this cultural difference impact how creativity unfolds over the lifespan? To examine this, we investigated Japanese "ukiyo-e" printmaking (c. 1670-1865). Almost 2,000 illustrations of datable prints by 44…

Cross-Cultural Transfer in Gesture Frequency in Chinese-English Bilinguals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

So, Wing Chee

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine cross-cultural differences in gesture frequency and the extent to which exposure to two cultures would affect the gesture frequency of bilinguals when speaking in both languages. The Chinese-speaking monolinguals from China, English-speaking monolinguals from America, and Chinese-English bilinguals from…

Mentoring Matters: Racial Ethnic Minority Undergraduates' Cultural Fit, Mentorship, and College and Life Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castellanos, Jeanett; Gloria, Alberta M.; Besson, Doriane; Clark Harvey, Le Ondra

2016-01-01

This study examined the degree to which cultural fit (cultural congruity in combination with perception of the university environment) and the dimensional noncognitive processes of mentoring predicted college satisfaction and life satisfaction for 238 racial and ethnic minority undergraduates from two university contexts. Group differences as well…

"Dear Friend" (?): Culture and Genre in American and Canadian Direct Marketing Letters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graves, Roger

1997-01-01

Examines differences between Canadian and American cultures as manifested in direct marketing letters. Investigates aspects of Canadian culture, including tolerance for others, awareness of class distinctions, and concern for the collective over the individual. Compares direct mail letters sent to Canadians and to Americans, analyzing the use of…

Cultural Interference and Cultural Cohesion: Schooling and Traditions in Two Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brunn, Michael

This study examines the personal choices of two American Indian men who grew up on different reservations (Hopi and Navajo) in the Southwest. Specifically, the study explores the agendas, opportunities, and decisions involved in retaining or rejecting each man's traditional culture and language. The study was based on discussions with both men…

A Cross-Cultural Examination of SNS Usage Intensity and Managing Interpersonal Relationships Online: The Role of Culture and the Autonomous-Related Self-Construal.

PubMed

Lee, Soon Li; Kim, Jung-Ae; Golden, Karen Jennifer; Kim, Jae-Hwi; Park, Miriam Sang-Ah

2016-01-01

Perception of the autonomy and relatedness of the self may be influenced by one's experiences and social expectations within a particular cultural setting. The present research examined the role of culture and the Autonomous-Related self-construal in predicting for different aspects of Social Networking Sites (SNS) usage in three Asian countries, especially focusing on those aspects serving interpersonal goals. Participants in this cross-cultural study included 305 university students from Malaysia (n = 105), South Korea (n = 113), and China (n = 87). The study explored specific social and interpersonal behaviors on SNS, such as browsing the contacts' profiles, checking for updates, and improving contact with SNS contacts, as well as the intensity of SNS use, hypothesizing that those with high intensity of use in the Asian context may be doing so to achieve the social goal of maintaining contact and keeping updated with friends. Two scales measuring activities on other users' profiles and contact with friends' profiles were developed and validated. As predicted, some cross-cultural differences were found. Koreans were more likely to use SNS to increase contact but tended to spend less time browsing contacts' profiles than the Malaysians and Chinese. The intensity of SNS use differed between the countries as well, where Malaysians reported higher intensity than Koreans and Chinese. Consistent with study predictions, Koreans were found with the highest Autonomous-Related self-construal scores. The Autonomous-Related self-construal predicted SNS intensity. The findings suggest that cultural contexts, along with the way the self is construed in different cultures, may encourage different types of SNS usage. The authors discuss study implications and suggest future research directions.

A Cross-Cultural Examination of SNS Usage Intensity and Managing Interpersonal Relationships Online: The Role of Culture and the Autonomous-Related Self-Construal

PubMed Central

Lee, Soon Li; Kim, Jung-Ae; Golden, Karen Jennifer; Kim, Jae-Hwi; Park, Miriam Sang-Ah

2016-01-01

Perception of the autonomy and relatedness of the self may be influenced by one's experiences and social expectations within a particular cultural setting. The present research examined the role of culture and the Autonomous-Related self-construal in predicting for different aspects of Social Networking Sites (SNS) usage in three Asian countries, especially focusing on those aspects serving interpersonal goals. Participants in this cross-cultural study included 305 university students from Malaysia (n = 105), South Korea (n = 113), and China (n = 87). The study explored specific social and interpersonal behaviors on SNS, such as browsing the contacts' profiles, checking for updates, and improving contact with SNS contacts, as well as the intensity of SNS use, hypothesizing that those with high intensity of use in the Asian context may be doing so to achieve the social goal of maintaining contact and keeping updated with friends. Two scales measuring activities on other users' profiles and contact with friends' profiles were developed and validated. As predicted, some cross-cultural differences were found. Koreans were more likely to use SNS to increase contact but tended to spend less time browsing contacts' profiles than the Malaysians and Chinese. The intensity of SNS use differed between the countries as well, where Malaysians reported higher intensity than Koreans and Chinese. Consistent with study predictions, Koreans were found with the highest Autonomous-Related self-construal scores. The Autonomous-Related self-construal predicted SNS intensity. The findings suggest that cultural contexts, along with the way the self is construed in different cultures, may encourage different types of SNS usage. The authors discuss study implications and suggest future research directions. PMID:27148100

Perceived cultural attitudes toward homosexuality and their effects on Iranian and American sexual minorities.

PubMed

Mireshghi, Sholeh I; Matsumoto, David

2008-10-01

This study examined the relationship between three mental health constructs and perceived cultural attitudes toward homosexuality among lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. Specifically, differences in perceived cultural attitudes and depression, self-esteem, and perceived stress between 49 Iranians and 47 Americans were compared. It was hypothesized that (a) perceived cultural attitudes toward homosexuality would be more negative among Iranians than Americans; (b) perceived cultural attitudes would be related to depression, self-esteem, and perceived stress; and (c) that Iranian participants' scores on the depression, self-esteem, and perceived stress measures would reflect poorer mental health than that of their American counterparts. Results indicated more negative perceptions of cultural attitudes toward homosexuality among Iranians. Contrary to prediction, however, no difference was found in levels of depression, self-esteem, and perceived stress among American and Iranian participants. Findings are discussed in terms of cultural and familial differences with regard to sexual orientation disclosure.

The coexistence of natural and supernatural explanations within and across domains and development.

PubMed

Busch, Justin T A; Watson-Jones, Rachel E; Legare, Cristine H

2017-03-01

People across highly diverse cultural contexts use both natural and supernatural explanations to explain questions of fundamental concern such as death, illness, and human origins. The present study examines the development of explanatory coexistence within and across domains of existential concern in individuals in Tanna, Vanuatu. We examined three age groups: 7- to 12-year-old children, 13- to 18-year-old adolescents, and 19- to 70-year-old adults (N = 72). Within the domain of death, biological and spontaneous explanations were most common across all ages. For illness, children showed the highest rates of explanatory coexistence, while adolescents and adults favoured biological explanations. Within the human origins domain, theistic explanations were most common across the age groups. Overall, these data show that coexistence reasoning in these domains is pervasive across cultures, yet at the same time it is deeply contextually specific, reflecting the nuanced differences in local ecologies and cultural beliefs. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Individuals across highly diverse cultural contexts use both natural and supernatural explanations to understand the events that occur in their lives. Context and cultural input play a large role in determining when and how individuals incorporate natural and supernatural explanations. The development of explanatory coexistence has primarily studied explanations for isolated domains. What does this study add? We examined explanatory coexistence in a culture with recent conversion to Christianity and formal education. The current research examines how individuals reason within and across the domains of human origins, illness, and death. Developmental differences associated with explanatory coexistence are examined. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Dampening or savoring positive emotions: a dialectical cultural script guides emotion regulation.

PubMed

Miyamoto, Yuri; Ma, Xiaoming

2011-12-01

Four studies examined the hypothesis that, although people may generally want to savor, rather than to dampen, their positive emotions (i.e., hedonic emotion regulation), such a hedonic emotion regulation tendency should be less pronounced for Easterners than for Westerners. Using retrospective memory procedures, Study 1 found that Easterners recalled engaging in hedonic emotion regulation less than Westerners did, even after controlling for their initial emotional reactions. Studies 2-3 showed that cultural differences in emotion regulation were mediated by dialectical beliefs about positive emotions. Study 4 replicated the findings by examining online reports of emotion regulation strategies on the day students received a good grade. Furthermore, there were cultural differences in actual emotion change over time, which was partly explained by dialectical beliefs about positive emotions. These findings highlight the active role cultural scripts play in shaping emotion regulation and emotional experiences. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Gender and culture differences in the quality of life among Americans and Koreans with atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Kang, Younhee

2009-09-01

This study examined the gender and culture differences in relation to the quality of life among Americans and Koreans with atrial fibrillation. It employed secondary data analysis and a descriptive comparative design. The settings were the cardiology outpatient clinics and the outpatient clinic in two urban hospitals in the USA and one university hospital in Korea. The quality of life was measured by the Short-Form Health Survey. The data from 129 subjects were analyzed by two-way ANCOVA and a post-hoc test. In relation to physical function, there was a statistically significant effect shown by gender, but no significant differences were found by the main effect of culture and the interaction effect of gender and culture. The significant interaction effect of gender and culture on mental health was shown. In conclusion, gender differences in the quality of life perceived by patients with atrial fibrillation varied with their cultural background. Thus, patients' cultural background should be considered in nursing practice.

How does context affect assessments of facial emotion? The role of culture and age

PubMed Central

Ko, Seon-Gyu; Lee, Tae-Ho; Yoon, Hyea-Young; Kwon, Jung-Hye; Mather, Mara

2010-01-01

People from Asian cultures are more influenced by context in their visual processing than people from Western cultures. In this study, we examined how these cultural differences in context processing affect how people interpret facial emotions. We found that younger Koreans were more influenced than younger Americans by emotional background pictures when rating the emotion of a central face, especially those younger Koreans with low self-rated stress. In contrast, among older adults, neither Koreans nor Americans showed significant influences of context in their face emotion ratings. These findings suggest that cultural differences in reliance on context to interpret others' emotions depend on perceptual integration processes that decline with age, leading to fewer cultural differences in perception among older adults than among younger adults. Furthermore, when asked to recall the background pictures, younger participants recalled more negative pictures than positive pictures, whereas older participants recalled similar numbers of positive and negative pictures. These age differences in the valence of memory were consistent across culture. PMID:21038967

Influence of encoding instructions and response bias on cross-cultural differences in specific recognition.

PubMed

Paige, Laura E; Amado, Selen; Gutchess, Angela H

2017-10-01

Prior cross-cultural research has reported cultural variations in memory. One study revealed that Americans remembered images with more perceptual detail than East Asians (Millar et al. in Cult Brain 1(2-4):138-157, 2013). However, in a later study, this expected pattern was not replicated, possibly due to differences in encoding instructions (Paige et al. in Cortex 91:250-261, 2017). The present study sought to examine when cultural variation in memory-related decisions occur and the role of instructions. American and East Asian participants viewed images of objects while making a Purchase decision or an Approach decision and later completed a surprise recognition test. Results revealed Americans had higher hit rates for specific memory, regardless of instruction type, and a less stringent response criterion relative to East Asians. Additionally, a pattern emerged where the Approach decision enhanced hit rates for specific memory relative to the Purchase decision only when administered first; this pattern did not differ across cultures. Results suggest encoding instructions do not magnify cross-cultural differences in memory. Ultimately, cross-cultural differences in response bias, rather than memory sensitivity per se, may account for findings of cultural differences in memory specificity.

Culture related to road traffic safety: a comparison of eight countries using two conceptualizations of culture.

PubMed

Nordfjærn, Trond; Şimşekoğlu, Özlem; Rundmo, Torbjorn

2014-01-01

The majority of previous cross-country studies of human factors relevant to traffic safety have not operationalized and measured culture. Also studies in this vein have mostly been carried out in Europe and the United States. The aim of the study was to examine country cluster differences, based on the Culture's Consequences framework, in road traffic risk perception, attitudes towards traffic safety and driver behaviour in samples from Norway, Russia, India, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Turkey and Iran. An additional aim was to examine cluster differences in road traffic culture as symbol use and to investigate whether this theoretical cultural framework predicts risk perception, attitudes towards traffic safety and driver behaviour in the country clusters. The sample consisted of a total of 2418 individuals who were obtained by convenience sampling in the different countries. The countries segmented into four Culture's Consequences clusters; Norway, Russia and India, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Near East countries. The findings showed that Norwegians reported overall safer attitudes towards traffic safety and driver behaviour than the remaining country clusters. Individuals in Africa reported the highest risk perception. The countries also differed substantially in road traffic culture as symbol use. Contrary to established cultural theory, prediction models revealed that cultural factors were stronger predictors of driver behaviour than of risk perception. Also, the social cognitive risk constructs (i.e. risk perception and attitudes) solely explained variance in driver behaviour in the Norwegian and Russia/India clusters. Previous empirical efforts, which aimed to demonstrate that culture is important for the risk perception criterion, may have focused on a criterion variable that is not strongly related to driver behaviour. Furthermore, countermeasures aimed to influence social cognition may have stronger applicability in countries with a more individualistic western cultural orientation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Culture and self: are there within-culture differences in self between metropolitan areas and regional cities?

PubMed

Kashima, Yoshihisa; Kokubo, Teruyoshi; Kashima, Emiko S; Boxall, Dianne; Yamaguchi, Susumu; Macrae, Kristina

2004-07-01

Although differences in self-conception across cultures have been well researched, regional differences within a culture have escaped attention. The present study examined individual, relational, and collective selves, which capture people's conceptions of themselves in relation to their goals, significant others, and in groups, comparing Australians and Japanese participants living in regional cities and metropolitan areas. Culture, gender, and urbanism were found to be related to individual, relational, and collective selves, respectively. Australians emphasized individual self more than Japanese, women stressed relational self more than men, and residents in regional cities regarded collective self as more important than their counterparts in metropolitan areas. These findings provide support for the tripartite division of the self and suggest a need to construct a culture theory that links self and societal processes.

Cultural psychopathology: uncovering the social world of mental illness.

PubMed

López, S R; Guarnaccia, P J

2000-01-01

We review cultural psychopathology research since Kleinman's (1988) important review with the goals of updating past reviews, evaluating current conceptualizations and methods, and identifying emerging substantive trends. Conceptual advances are noted, particularly developments in the definition of culture and the examination of both culture-specific and cultural-general processes. The contributions of the Culture and Diagnosis Task Force for DSM-IV and the World Mental Health Report are reviewed and contrasted. Selected research on anxiety, schizophrenia, and childhood disorders is examined, with particular attention given to the study of ataque de nervios, social factors affecting the course of schizophrenia, and cross-national differences in internalizing and externalizing problems in children. Within the last ten years, cultural psychopathology research has become a significant force. Its focus on the social world holds promise to make significant inroads in reducing suffering and improving people's everyday lives.

Cultural Values and Communication Online: Chinese and Southeast Asian Students in a Taiwan International MBA Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warden, Clyde A.; Chen, Judy F.; Caskey, D'Arcy

2005-01-01

Whereas many researchers have examined differences in values and behavior between Westerners and Asians, fewer have investigated differences within Asian cultural groups. A recent government initiative in Taiwan to encourage international education has led to the development of an international MBA program at the National Cheng Kung University in…

The Relationship between Degree of Acculturation and Adjustment Difficulties among Korean Immigrants Living in a Western Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shim, Young R.; Schwartz, Robert C.

2007-01-01

When immigrating to a new society individuals typically have different behavioural patterns and cultural values than the host country. These differences often lead to acculturation difficulties among immigrants. The purpose of this study was to examine how behavioural and value acculturation affects cultural adjustment problems among Korean…

Education and Cultural Pluralism in South East Asia, with Special Reference to Peninsular Malaysia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, J. K. P.

1980-01-01

This paper examines educational policies in certain culturally plural South East Asian societies in relation to hypotheses concerning differences in educational policies resulting from the threat felt by the dominant elite and the effects of educational and national language policies on the assimilation or alienation of different ethnic groups.…

Cross-Cultural Differences in Children's Choices, Categorizations, and Evaluations of Truths and Lies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fu, Genyue; Xu, Fen; Cameron, Catherine Ann; Leyman, Gail; Lee, Kang

2007-01-01

This study examined cross-cultural differences and similarities in children's moral understanding of individual- or collective-oriented lies and truths. Seven-, 9-, and 11-year-old Canadian and Chinese children were read stories about story characters facing moral dilemmas about whether to lie or tell the truth to help a group but harm an…

Cultural diversity and anti-poverty policy.

PubMed

Lamont, Michèle; Small, Mario Luis

2010-01-01

This article examines how anti-poverty policy has considered the role of culture and how it ought to do so. While some have explained poverty as a function of the presumed cultural deficiency or distinctiveness of the poor, we suggest that these explanations have not been convincing and that policy requires a broader and more sophisticated understanding of the relationship between culture and behaviour. In fact, we suggest that cultural differences may be positively employed in comprehensive anti-poverty strategies.

Diagnostic methodology is critical for accurately determining the prevalence of ichthyophonus infections in wild fish populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kocan, R.; Dolan, H.; Hershberger, P.

2011-01-01

Several different techniques have been employed to detect and identify Ichthyophonus spp. in infected fish hosts; these include macroscopic observation, microscopic examination of tissue squashes, histological evaluation, in vitro culture, and molecular techniques. Examination of the peer-reviewed literature revealed that when more than 1 diagnostic method is used, they often result in significantly different results; for example, when in vitro culture was used to identify infected trout in an experimentally exposed population, 98.7% of infected trout were detected, but when standard histology was used to confirm known infected tissues from wild salmon, it detected ~50% of low-intensity infections and ~85% of high-intensity infections. Other studies on different species reported similar differences. When we examined a possible mechanism to explain the disparity between different diagnostic techniques, we observed non-random distribution of the parasite in 3-dimensionally visualized tissue sections from infected hosts, thus providing a possible explanation for the different sensitivities of commonly used diagnostic techniques. Based on experimental evidence and a review of the peer-reviewed literature, we have concluded that in vitro culture is currently the most accurate diagnostic technique for determining infection prevalence of Ichthyophonus, particularly when the exposure history of the population is not known.

Within-culture variation in the content of stereotypes: Application and development of the stereotype content model in an Eastern European culture.

PubMed

Stanciu, Adrian; Cohrs, J Christopher; Hanke, Katja; Gavreliuc, Alin

2017-01-01

There is little and unsystematic evidence about whether the content of stereotypes can vary within a culture. Using the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) as a theoretical framework, in two studies we examined the content of stereotypes in an Eastern European culture, namely Romania. Data were collected from four regions prototypical in terms of economic and social development in Romania, and we examined whether the content of stereotypes varies across these regions. As expected, the findings confirm the applicability of the SCM in Romania to reveal culture-specific stereotypes and provide initial support for within-culture variation in the content of stereotypes. We discuss, in particular, possible reasons for two main findings: a strong one-dimensional structure of stereotypes, and regional differences in stereotype content.

Counseling Older Japanese American Clients: An Overview and Observations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Itai, Goro; McRae, Cynthia

1994-01-01

Discusses important aspects of providing counseling to older Japanese American clients, including ethical issues based on cultural differences and nontraditional approaches to counseling. Examines unique historical and cultural characteristics of these clients. Includes 26 citations. (Author/CRR)

Scaling of theory-of-mind understandings in Chinese children.

PubMed

Wellman, Henry M; Fang, Fuxi; Liu, David; Zhu, Liqi; Liu, Guoxiong

2006-12-01

Prior research demonstrates that understanding of theory of mind develops at different paces in children raised in different cultures. Are these differences simply differences in timing, or do they represent different patterns of cultural learning? That is, to what extent are sequences of theory-of-mind understanding universal, and to what extent are they culture-specific? We addressed these questions by using a theory-of-mind scale to examine performance of 140 Chinese children living in Beijing and to compare their performance with that of 135 English-speaking children living in the United States and Australia. Results reveal a common sequence of understanding, as well as sociocultural differences in children's developing theories of mind.

Risk Aversion: As Perceived by U.S. and Swedish Officers

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-10

for Cultural Risk Research at Charles Sturt University Australia. As a constructivist she examines how the concept of risk has been constructed over...that distinguishes one group of people from another (Hofstede 2005, 3ff). Studying differences in culture demands a position of cultural relativism ... relativism analyzes culture on five scales. The terms Hofstede uses for these scales are Power Distance, Individualism, Long-Term Orientation, Uncertainty

Cross-cultural examination of beliefs about the causes of bulimia nervosa among Australian and Japanese females.

PubMed

Dryer, Rachel; Uesaka, Yuri; Manalo, Emmanuel; Tyson, Graham

2015-03-01

To identify similarities and differences in beliefs about the causes of Bulimia Nervosa (BN) held by Asian (Japanese) women and Western (Australian) women, and hence, to examine the applicability of belief models of eating disorders (ED) across different cultures. Four hundred three Japanese and 256 Australian female university students (aged 17-35 years) completed a questionnaire that gauged beliefs about the causes of BN. Among the Australian women, the four-component structure of perceived causes (dieting and eating practices, family dynamics, socio-cultural pressure, and psychological vulnerability) found in Dryer et al. (2012) was replicated. Among the Japanese women, however, a three-component structure (without the psychological vulnerability component) was obtained. The groups also differed in the causal component they most strongly endorsed, that being socio-cultural pressure for the Australian women, and dieting and eating practices for the Japanese women. The Japanese participants were found to endorse three out of the four Western-based causal explanations for BN, but the relative importance they placed on those explanations differed from that of the Australian participants. Further research is needed, particularly to establish whether Japanese women simply fail to see psychological vulnerability as a viable cause of BN, or there are in fact cultural differences in the extent to which such vulnerability causes BN. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cross-cultural differences in item and background memory: examining the influence of emotional intensity and scene congruency.

PubMed

Mickley Steinmetz, Katherine R; Sturkie, Charlee M; Rochester, Nina M; Liu, Xiaodong; Gutchess, Angela H

2018-07-01

After viewing a scene, individuals differ in what they prioritise and remember. Culture may be one factor that influences scene memory, as Westerners have been shown to be more item-focused than Easterners (see Masuda, T., & Nisbett, R. E. (2001). Attending holistically versus analytically: Comparing the context sensitivity of Japanese and Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 922-934). However, cultures may differ in their sensitivity to scene incongruences and emotion processing, which may account for cross-cultural differences in scene memory. The current study uses hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine scene memory while controlling for scene congruency and the perceived emotional intensity of the images. American and East Asian participants encoded pictures that included a positive, negative, or neutral item placed on a neutral background. After a 20-min delay, participants were shown the item and background separately along with similar and new items and backgrounds to assess memory specificity. Results indicated that even when congruency and emotional intensity were controlled, there was evidence that Americans had better item memory than East Asians. Incongruent scenes were better remembered than congruent scenes. However, this effect did not differ by culture. This suggests that Americans' item focus may result in memory changes that are robust despite variations in scene congruency and perceived emotion.

The Study of Music as a Symbol of Culture: The Afro-American and Euro-American Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Robert W.

1986-01-01

The following elements of music are examined to show differences and similarities between Afro-American and Euro-American musical and cultural traditions: (1) cultural context, (2) time, (3) rhythm, and (4) form. Both traditions address the American experience and a greater understanding of their musical styles is crucial to inter- and…

An Intercontinental Inquiry on Multicultural Education: Canadian and Hong Kong University Students Connected through a Web 2.0 Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jia; Zhang, Zheng

2015-01-01

Adopting Cummins' model of intervention for collaborative empowerment, this study reports on a transnational project that examines (1) the effectiveness of enhancing critical cultural awareness by engaging culturally diverse university students in online discussions and (2) students' perspectives on understanding different cultures through mass…

The Role of Cultural Discontinuity in the Academic Outcomes of Latina/o High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taggart, Amanda

2017-01-01

This study examined the impact of cultural discontinuity on the academic outcomes of Latina/o high school students. Hierarchical multiple regression was utilized to (a) investigate the significant differences between the characteristics and academic outcomes of high school students who do and do not experience cultural discontinuity between their…

A Cross-Cultural Perspective of Parental Influence on Female Adolescents' Achievement Beliefs and Behaviors in Sport and School Domains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhalla, Jennifer A.; Weiss, Maureen R.

2010-01-01

Little is known about parental socialization processes for youth participants from different cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to examine parental influence on self-perceptions, task values, and achievement behaviors among female adolescents from two cultures using Eccles' expectancy-value theory (Eccles et al., 1983). Twelve…

Cross Cultural Analysis of the Use and Perceptions of Web-Based Learning Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arenas-Gaitan, Jorge; Ramirez-Correa, Patricio E.; Rondan-Cataluna, F. Javier

2011-01-01

The main objective of this paper is to examine cultural differences and technology acceptances from students of two universities, one is from a European country: Spain, and the other is in Latin America: Chile. Both of them provide their students with e-learning platforms. The technology acceptance model (TAM) and Hofstede's cultural dimensions…

"A'ole" Drugs! Cultural Practices and Drug Resistance of Rural Hawai'ian Youths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Po'A-Kekuawela, Ka'Ohinani; Okamoto, Scott K.; Nebre, La Risa H.; Helm, Susana; Chin, Coralee I. H.

2009-01-01

This qualitative study examined how Native Hawai'ian youths from rural communities utilized cultural practices to promote drug resistance and/or abstinence. Forty-seven students from five different middle schools participated in gender-specific focus groups that focused on the cultural and environmental contexts of drug use for Native Hawai'ian…

In Pursuit of Being Canadian: Examining the Challenges of Culturally Relevant Education in Teacher Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dlamini, S. Nombuso; Martinovic, Dragana

2007-01-01

This article is about an ongoing initiative that addresses the challenges confronted by teacher candidates to whom English is an additional language and whose cultures are considered different from those of the Canadian mainstream. The initiative is a seminar, Language and Cultural Engagement, in which teacher candidates are prepared for practice…

Cultural Models in Communication with Infants: Lessons from Kikaikelaki, Cameroon and Muenster, Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demuth, Carolin; Keller, Heidi; Yovsi, Relindis D.

2012-01-01

Child rearing is a universal task, yet there are differing solutions according to the dynamics of socio-cultural milieu in which children are raised. Cultural models of what is considered good or bad parenting become explicit in everyday routine practices. Focusing on early mother-infant interactions in this article we examine the discursive…

A Cross-Cultural Approach to the Negotiation of Individual and Group Identities: Parliamentary Debates and Editorial Meetings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Miranda

2012-01-01

This article draws on interactional pragmatics and a cross-cultural approach (UK, France, Spain) to investigate the negotiation of individual and group identities in two different speech events, parliamentary debates and editorial meetings. The cross-cultural examination of the use of linguistic resources for signalling "social role,…

Aging and financial planning for retirement: interdisciplinary influences viewed through a cross-cultural lens.

PubMed

Hershey, Douglas A; Henkens, Kene; Van Dalen, Hendrik P

2010-01-01

Current theoretical models support the existence of interactions between the individual and socio-environmental forces when it comes to the formation and enactment of life plans (Friedman & Scholnick, 1997; Shanahan & Elder, 2002). In this investigation, we examine the social, economic, and psychological forces that impact financial planning for retirement. The collective force of these three broad sets of influences was examined from developmental and cross-cultural perspectives, among respondents from two countries with very different retirement financing systems. Participants were 419 American and 556 Dutch working adults, 25-64 years of age. Path analysis models were created to examine differences in planning associated with age and national origin. Compared to younger individuals, older respondents in both countries were more involved in nearly all aspects of the financial planning process. Differences across cultures were also observed in the social support mechanisms that underlie planning and the impact economic forces have on perceptions of saving adequacy. The discussion focuses on the value of developing interdisciplinary theoretical models of planning, and how such models can inform the development of savings-oriented intervention and public policy initiatives.

In search of the good life: a cultural odyssey in the East and West.

PubMed

Ng, Aik Kwang; Ho, David Y F; Wong, Shyh Shin; Smith, Ian

2003-11-01

In the first part of this article, the authors argue that any conception of well-being is culturally embedded and depends on how the notions of "well" and "being" are defined and practiced in different cultural communities. To support this argument, they conduct a comprehensive review of the empirical literature, which shows that members of individualistic and collectivistic cultures differ in their emotional experience of well-being. This difference has been traced to the indigenous psychology of selfhood in those cultures. In the second part of the article, the authors debunk the myth of infinite cultural variability, while retaining the basic insight concerning the cultural constitution of well-being. They develop a theoretical model of well-being, in which agency and communion are universal dimensions of well-being, and people in different cultures require different combinations of agency and communion to experience well-being. Following this theoretical development, the authors examine cultural impediments to the good life in individualistic and collectivistic cultures. The mutual incompatibility of agency and communion is ruled out as a possible cause of why it is so difficult to live the good life. Instead, the authors propose a dialectical synthesis of agency and communion as a way of dealing with this challenge of living the good life.

Learner perception of oral and written examinations in an international medical training program

PubMed Central

Weiner, Scott G.; Anderson, Philip D.; Irish, Julie; Ciottone, Greg; Pini, Riccardo; Grifoni, Stefano; Rosen, Peter; Ban, Kevin M.

2010-01-01

Background There are an increasing number of training programs in emergency medicine involving different countries or cultures. Many examination types, both oral and written, have been validated as useful assessment tools around the world; but learner perception of their use in the setting of cross-cultural training programs has not been described. Aims The goal of this study was to evaluate learner perception of four common examination methods in an international educational curriculum in emergency medicine. Methods Twenty-four physicians in a cross-cultural training program were surveyed to determine learner perception of four different examination methods: structured oral case simulations, multiple-choice tests, semi-structured oral examinations, and essay tests. We also describe techniques used and barriers faced. Results There was a 100% response rate. Learners reported that all testing methods were useful in measuring knowledge and clinical ability and should be used for accreditation and future training programs. They rated oral examinations as significantly more useful than written in measuring clinical abilities (p < 0.01). Compared to the other three types of examinations, learners ranked oral case simulations as the most useful examination method for assessing learners’ fund of knowledge and clinical ability (p < 0.01). Conclusions Physician learners in a cross-cultural, international training program perceive all four written and oral examination methods as useful, but rate structured oral case simulations as the most useful method for assessing fund of knowledge and clinical ability. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12245-009-0147-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:20414377

Disordered eating & cultural diversity: a focus on Arab Muslim women in Israel.

PubMed

Feinson, Marjorie C; Meir, Adi

2014-04-01

A dearth of data concerning eating problems among adult women from minority population groups leaves substantial knowledge gaps and constrains evidence-based interventions. To examine prevalence and predictors of disordered eating behaviors (DEB) among Arab Muslim women in Israel, whose eating behaviors have not been previously examined and to compare with second generation Israeli-born Jews of European heritage. Community-based study includes sub-samples of Arab Muslims and Israeli-born Jews. DEB is assessed with fourteen DSM-IV related symptoms. Hierarchical regressions examine influence of weight, self-criticism and psychological distress on DEB severity. Relatively high prevalence rates emerge for Muslims (27%) and Jews (20%), a nonsignificant difference. In contrast, regressions reveal substantially different predictor patterns. For Arab Muslims, weight has the strongest association; for Jews, weight is not significant while self-criticism is the strongest predictor. Explained variance also differs considerably: 45% for Muslims and 28% for Jews. Surprising similarities and distinct differences underscore complex patterns of eating disturbances across culturally diverse groups. Culturally sensitive interventions are warranted along with more illuminating explanatory paradigms than 'one size fits all.' Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Communication of Culturally Dominant Modes of Attention from Parents to Children: A Comparison of Canadian and Japanese Parent-Child Conversations during a Joint Scene Description Task

PubMed Central

Takada, Akira; Okada, Hiroyuki

2016-01-01

Previous findings have indicated that, when presented with visual information, North American undergraduate students selectively attend to focal objects, whereas East Asian undergraduate students are more sensitive to background information. However, little is known about how these differences are driven by culture and socialization processes. In this study, two experiments investigated how young children and their parents used culturally unique modes of attention (selective vs. context sensitive attention). We expected that children would slowly learn culturally unique modes of attention, and the experience of communicating with their parents would aid the development of such modes of attention. Study 1 tested children’s solitary performance by examining Canadian and Japanese children’s (4–6 vs. 7–9 years old) modes of attention during a scene description task, whereby children watched short animations by themselves and then described their observations. The results confirmed that children did not demonstrate significant cross-cultural differences in attention during the scene description task while working independently, although results did show rudimentary signs of culturally unique modes of attention in this task scenario by age 9. Study 2 examined parent–child (4–6 and 7–9 years old) dyads using the same task. The results indicated that parents communicated to their children differently across cultures, replicating attentional differences among undergraduate students in previous cross-cultural studies. Study 2 also demonstrated that children’s culturally unique description styles increased significantly with age. The descriptions made by the older group (7–9 years old) showed significant cross-cultural variances in attention, while descriptions among the younger group (4–6 years old) did not. The significance of parental roles in the development of culturally unique modes of attention is discussed in addition to other possible facilitators of this developmental process. PMID:26824241

The Communication of Culturally Dominant Modes of Attention from Parents to Children: A Comparison of Canadian and Japanese Parent-Child Conversations during a Joint Scene Description Task.

PubMed

Senzaki, Sawa; Masuda, Takahiko; Takada, Akira; Okada, Hiroyuki

2016-01-01

Previous findings have indicated that, when presented with visual information, North American undergraduate students selectively attend to focal objects, whereas East Asian undergraduate students are more sensitive to background information. However, little is known about how these differences are driven by culture and socialization processes. In this study, two experiments investigated how young children and their parents used culturally unique modes of attention (selective vs. context sensitive attention). We expected that children would slowly learn culturally unique modes of attention, and the experience of communicating with their parents would aid the development of such modes of attention. Study 1 tested children's solitary performance by examining Canadian and Japanese children's (4-6 vs. 7-9 years old) modes of attention during a scene description task, whereby children watched short animations by themselves and then described their observations. The results confirmed that children did not demonstrate significant cross-cultural differences in attention during the scene description task while working independently, although results did show rudimentary signs of culturally unique modes of attention in this task scenario by age 9. Study 2 examined parent-child (4-6 and 7-9 years old) dyads using the same task. The results indicated that parents communicated to their children differently across cultures, replicating attentional differences among undergraduate students in previous cross-cultural studies. Study 2 also demonstrated that children's culturally unique description styles increased significantly with age. The descriptions made by the older group (7-9 years old) showed significant cross-cultural variances in attention, while descriptions among the younger group (4-6 years old) did not. The significance of parental roles in the development of culturally unique modes of attention is discussed in addition to other possible facilitators of this developmental process.

Culture, Interface Design, and Design Methods for Mobile Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kun-Pyo

Aesthetic differences and similarities among cultures are obviously one of the very important issues in cultural design. However, ever since products became knowledge-supporting tools, the visible elements of products have become more universal so that the invisible parts of products such as interface and interaction are getting more important. Therefore, the cultural design should be extended to the invisible elements of culture like people's conceptual models beyond material and phenomenal culture. This chapter aims to explain how we address the invisible cultural elements in interface design and design methods by exploring the users' cognitive styles and communication patterns in different cultures. Regarding cultural interface design, we examined users' conceptual models while interacting with mobile phone and website interfaces, and observed cultural difference in performing tasks and viewing patterns, which appeared to agree with cultural cognitive styles known as Holistic thoughts vs. Analytic thoughts. Regarding design methods for culture, we explored how to localize design methods such as focus group interview and generative session for specific cultural groups, and the results of comparative experiments revealed cultural difference on participants' behaviors and performance in each design method and led us to suggest how to conduct them in East Asian culture. Mobile Observation Analyzer and Wi-Pro, user research tools we invented to capture user behaviors and needs especially in their mobile context, were also introduced.

Host–microbe interactions as a driver of acclimation to salinity gradients in brown algal cultures

PubMed Central

Dittami, Simon M; Duboscq-Bidot, Laëtitia; Perennou, Morgan; Gobet, Angélique; Corre, Erwan; Boyen, Catherine; Tonon, Thierry

2016-01-01

Like most eukaryotes, brown algae live in association with bacterial communities that frequently have beneficial effects on their development. Ectocarpus is a genus of small filamentous brown algae, which comprises a strain that has recently colonized freshwater, a rare transition in this lineage. We generated an inventory of bacteria in Ectocarpus cultures and examined the effect they have on acclimation to an environmental change, that is, the transition from seawater to freshwater medium. Our results demonstrate that Ectocarpus depends on bacteria for this transition: cultures that have been deprived of their associated microbiome do not survive a transfer to freshwater, but restoring their microflora also restores the capacity to acclimate to this change. Furthermore, the transition between the two culture media strongly affects the bacterial community composition. Examining a range of other closely related algal strains, we observed that the presence of two bacterial operational taxonomic units correlated significantly with an increase in low salinity tolerance of the algal culture. Despite differences in the community composition, no indications were found for functional differences in the bacterial metagenomes predicted to be associated with algae in the salinities tested, suggesting functional redundancy in the associated bacterial community. Our study provides an example of how microbial communities may impact the acclimation and physiological response of algae to different environments, and thus possibly act as facilitators of speciation. It paves the way for functional examinations of the underlying host–microbe interactions, both in controlled laboratory and natural conditions. PMID:26114888

Social capital among migrating doctors: the "bridge" over troubled water.

PubMed

Terry, Daniel R; Quynh, Lê

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of social capital among International Medical Graduates (IMGs). It will specifically examine bridging social capital and greater intercultural communication which provides IMGs access to the wider community and plays a key role in cross-cultural adaptation and acculturation. A review of the literature. An Australian wide shortage of doctors has led to an increased reliance on the recruitment of IMGs. As IMGs migrate, they may encounter different meanings of illness, models of care and a number of social challenges. Nevertheless, greater cross-cultural adaptation and acculturation occurs through bridging social capital, where intercultural communication, new social networks and identity aids integration. This process produces more opportunities for economic capital growth and upward mobility than bonding social capital. Concerns regarding immigration, appropriate support and on-going examination processes have been expressed by IMGs in a number of studies and policy papers. However, there is very little insight into what contributes cross-cultural adaptation of IMGs. As IMGs migrate to not only a new country, but also a new health system and workplace they arrive with different cultural meanings of illness and models of care. These differences may be in contrast to the dominant western medical model, but often bring positive contributions to patient care in the new environment. In addition, improving bridging social capital provides IMGs access to the wider community and has been demonstrated to play a key role in cross-cultural adaptation and ultimately acculturation.

The Power of the Pen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Charles E.

1976-01-01

This paper (1) details characteristics of human communications systems, (2) assesses the fundamental concerns of environmental education, (3) examines how different cultures evolve different perceptions and attitudes towards the environment, and (4) examines the role the written word will play on shaping Man's response to the environment in the…

A cross-cultural study on emotion expression and the learning of social norms.

PubMed

Hareli, Shlomo; Kafetsios, Konstantinos; Hess, Ursula

2015-01-01

When we do not know how to correctly behave in a new context, the emotions that people familiar with the context show in response to the behaviors of others, can help us understand what to do or not to do. The present study examined cross-cultural differences in how group emotional expressions (anger, sadness, neutral) can be used to deduce a norm violation in four cultures (Germany, Israel, Greece, and the US), which differ in terms of decoding rules for negative emotions. As expected, in all four countries, anger was a stronger norm violation signal than sadness or neutral expressions. However, angry and sad expressions were perceived as more intense and the relevant norm was learned better in Germany and Israel than in Greece and the US. Participants in Greece were relatively better at using sadness as a sign of a likely norm violation. The results demonstrate both cultural universality and cultural differences in the use of group emotion expressions in norm learning. In terms of cultural differences they underscore that the social signal value of emotional expressions may vary with culture as a function of cultural differences, both in emotion perception, and as a function of a differential use of emotions.

A developmental examination of the conceptual structure of animal, artifact, and human social categories across two cultural contexts

PubMed Central

Rhodes, Marjorie; Gelman, Susan A.

2009-01-01

Previous research indicates that the ontological status that adults attribute to categories varies systematically by domain. For example, adults view distinctions between different animal species as natural and objective, but view distinctions between different kinds of furniture as more conventionalized and subjective. The present work (N = 435; ages 5-18) examined the effects of domain, age, and cultural context on beliefs about the naturalness vs. conventionality of categories. Results demonstrate that young children, like adults, view animal categories as natural kinds, but artifact categories as more conventionalized. For human social categories (gender and race), beliefs about naturalness and conventionality were predicted by interactions between cultural context and age. Implications for the origins of social categories and theories of conceptual development will be discussed. PMID:19524886

A multilevel investigation of motivational cultural intelligence, organizational diversity climate, and cultural sales: evidence from U.S. real estate firms.

PubMed

Chen, Xiao-Ping; Liu, Dong; Portnoy, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Adopting a multilevel theoretical framework, the authors examined how motivational cultural intelligence influences individual cultural sales--the number of housing transactions occurring between people of different cultural origins. Data from 305 real estate agents employed at 26 real estate firms in the United States demonstrated that an individual's motivational cultural intelligence is positively related to his or her cultural sales. This positive relationship is enhanced by the firm's motivational cultural intelligence and diversity climate. The authors discuss the theoretical and practical implications of their findings in a workplace context that involves cross-cultural interpersonal interactions.

Comparing the importance of different aspects of quality of life to older adults across diverse cultures.

PubMed

Molzahn, Anita E; Kalfoss, Mary; Schick Makaroff, Kara; Skevington, Suzanne M

2011-03-01

there is limited research examining the relative importance of aspects of quality of life (QOL) to older adults across cultures. to examine the relative importance of 31 internationally agreed areas of QOL to older adults in 22 countries in relation to health status, age and level of economic development. a survey quota sampling design was used to collect cross-cultural data. This study reports a secondary analysis of WHOQOL-OLD pilot study, which was collected simultaneously in 22 centres. a variety of community, primary, secondary and tertiary health care settings located in Australia, France, Switzerland, England, Scotland, USA, Israel, Spain, Japan, China (mainland and Hong Kong), Turkey, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Brazil and Uruguay. the total sample contained 7,401 people over 60 years with a mean age of 73.1 years; 57.8% were women and 70.1% considered themselves 'healthy'. there were significant differences in the importance given to various aspects of QOL for people living in medium and high-development countries. Culture explained 15.9% of the variance in the importance ratings of QOL. However, the interaction showed that cultural differences were reduced once health status, gender and age were taken into account. The importance of QOL to age bands in different cultures was not significantly affected by whether or not participants perceived themselves to be healthy. understanding the self-reported importance of diverse aspects of QOL for different cultures and for healthy and less healthy people may assist national and international policy makers to decide on priorities for the development of programmes for the ageing population.

Running away from unwanted feelings: culture matters.

PubMed

Su, Jenny C; Wei, Meifen; Tsai, Hsiao-Tien

2014-01-01

Findings from past research have suggested a link between experiential avoidance and expressive suppression. However, there is emerging evidence showing that the suppression of emotional expression may have different meanings depending on the specific cultural context. Taking a cultural perspective, the present study aimed to examine whether the link between experiential avoidance and expressive suppression is comparable or divergent between two cultural groups [i.e., European Americans (EAs) and Chinese (CH)] with different cultural norms surrounding emotional expression. We hypothesised that the positive association between experiential avoidance and expressive suppression typically found among EAs would be attenuated among CH. Furthermore, the observed cultural group difference in the experiential avoidance-suppression link was hypothesised to be mediated by beliefs in emotional self-control. Data from 224 EA college students and 190 CH college students provided a clear pattern of support for our hypotheses. Implications for current theories on experiential avoidance are discussed.

Predicting attitudes toward nanotechnology: The influence of cultural and predispositional values

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shih, Tsung-Jen

Past experience in dealing with biotechnology has suggested that public opinion plays an important role in determining the prosperity of emerging technologies. A great amount of money and energy, therefore, were invested to understand nanotechnology's impact on the society and the public, in addition to the technical advancement of the technology. However, most studies examining public opinion have focused on personal level factors and have ignored the potential influence of cultural factors. This study addresses this gap by analyzing public opinion in 21 countries, including the US and 20 European countries. Specifically, this study examines the impact of predispositional and cultural values on public support for nanotechnology, with the mediating roles of moral judgment and risk perception accounted for. This study also looks into the dynamics between cultural values and predispositional values; that is, how cultural values may moderate the effects of predispositional values in affecting attitudes toward nanotechnology. The results indicate that people rely on "information shortcuts," such as confidence and religious belief, for decision making. Individual-level factors still play an important role in shaping public attitudes even after country-level factors are controlled. Furthermore, aggregate cultural values provide people with important "mental programs" to interpret nanotechnology. They explain why people in different cultures have different moral and risk perceptions. However, most of the cultural values do not affect public support directly, suggesting that public support is contingent greatly on the core characteristics of nanotechnology, such as its usefulness, risk, and moral acceptability, which, in turn, is influenced by personal beliefs and cultural givens. The results also suggest that people in different cultures respond to survey questions in different manners. People living in cultures emphasizing uncertainty avoidance and individualism are more likely to provide substantive answers. Conversely, those living in cultures emphasizing masculinity have a higher chance of answering "don't know." In addition to these cultural factors, the lack of knowledge, ambivalence, and attitudes toward other controversial technologies at the personal level are also found to affect people's ability to provide substantive answers. These findings have significant implications for cross-cultural communication and risk communication with respect to emerging technologies.

Cross-cultural differences in somatic awareness and interoceptive accuracy: a review of the literature and directions for future research

PubMed Central

Ma-Kellams, Christine

2014-01-01

This review examines cross-cultural differences in interoception and the role of culturally bound epistemologies, historical traditions, and contemplative practices to assess four aspects of culture and interoception: (1) the extent to which members from Western and non-Western cultural groups exhibit differential levels of interoceptive accuracy and somatic awareness; (2) the mechanistic origins that can explain these cultural differences, (3) culturally bound behavioral practices that have been empirically shown to affect interoception, and (4) consequences for culturally bound psychopathologies. The following outlines the scope of the scientific review. Part 1 reviews studies on cultural variation in spontaneous somatic word use, linguistic expressions, traditional medical practices, and empirical laboratory studies to assess the evidence for cultural differences in somatic processes. Integration of these findings suggests a startling paradox: on the one hand, non-Western cultures consistently exhibit heightened somatic focus and awareness across a variety of contexts; on the other hand, non-Western cultures also exhibit less interoceptive accuracy in laboratory studies. Part 2 discusses the various mechanistic explanations that have been proposed to explain these cultural differences in somatic awareness and interoceptive accuracy, focusing on cultural schemas and epistemologies. Part 3 addresses the behavioral and contemplative practices that have been proposed as possible “interventions,” or methods of cultivating bodily awareness and perceptual accuracy. Finally, Part 4 reviews the consequences of interoception for psychopathology, including somatization, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and anxiety disorders. PMID:25520688

Cross-cultural differences in somatic awareness and interoceptive accuracy: a review of the literature and directions for future research.

PubMed

Ma-Kellams, Christine

2014-01-01

This review examines cross-cultural differences in interoception and the role of culturally bound epistemologies, historical traditions, and contemplative practices to assess four aspects of culture and interoception: (1) the extent to which members from Western and non-Western cultural groups exhibit differential levels of interoceptive accuracy and somatic awareness; (2) the mechanistic origins that can explain these cultural differences, (3) culturally bound behavioral practices that have been empirically shown to affect interoception, and (4) consequences for culturally bound psychopathologies. The following outlines the scope of the scientific review. Part 1 reviews studies on cultural variation in spontaneous somatic word use, linguistic expressions, traditional medical practices, and empirical laboratory studies to assess the evidence for cultural differences in somatic processes. Integration of these findings suggests a startling paradox: on the one hand, non-Western cultures consistently exhibit heightened somatic focus and awareness across a variety of contexts; on the other hand, non-Western cultures also exhibit less interoceptive accuracy in laboratory studies. Part 2 discusses the various mechanistic explanations that have been proposed to explain these cultural differences in somatic awareness and interoceptive accuracy, focusing on cultural schemas and epistemologies. Part 3 addresses the behavioral and contemplative practices that have been proposed as possible "interventions," or methods of cultivating bodily awareness and perceptual accuracy. Finally, Part 4 reviews the consequences of interoception for psychopathology, including somatization, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and anxiety disorders.

Configural and scalar invariance of the center for epidemiologic studies depression scale in Egypt and Canada: Differential symptom emphasis across cultures and genders.

PubMed

Huang, Vivian; Beshai, Shadi; Korol, Stephanie; Nicholas Carleton, R

2017-04-01

Depression is a significant contributor of global disease burden. Previous studies have revealed cross-cultural and gender differences in the presentation of depressive symptoms. Using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), the present study examined differences in self-reported somatic, negative affective, and anhedonia symptoms of depression among Egyptian and Canadian university students. A total of 338 university students completed study questionnaires from two major universities in Egypt (n=152) and Canada (n=186). Symptom domains were calculated based on the 14-item model of the CES-D. We found significant culture by gender interactions of total CES-D scores, wherein Egyptian females reported higher scores compared to their Canadian and Egyptian male counterparts. Limitations include using analogue student samples and using only one self-report measure to examine different depressive symptom domains. Findings of this study provided support that males and females may differentially report depressive symptoms across cultures. Implications of these results are further discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Basic and complex emotion recognition in children with autism: cross-cultural findings.

PubMed

Fridenson-Hayo, Shimrit; Berggren, Steve; Lassalle, Amandine; Tal, Shahar; Pigat, Delia; Bölte, Sven; Baron-Cohen, Simon; Golan, Ofer

2016-01-01

Children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) have emotion recognition deficits when tested in different expression modalities (face, voice, body). However, these findings usually focus on basic emotions, using one or two expression modalities. In addition, cultural similarities and differences in emotion recognition patterns in children with ASC have not been explored before. The current study examined the similarities and differences in the recognition of basic and complex emotions by children with ASC and typically developing (TD) controls across three cultures: Israel, Britain, and Sweden. Fifty-five children with high-functioning ASC, aged 5-9, were compared to 58 TD children. On each site, groups were matched on age, sex, and IQ. Children were tested using four tasks, examining recognition of basic and complex emotions from voice recordings, videos of facial and bodily expressions, and emotional video scenarios including all modalities in context. Compared to their TD peers, children with ASC showed emotion recognition deficits in both basic and complex emotions on all three modalities and their integration in context. Complex emotions were harder to recognize, compared to basic emotions for the entire sample. Cross-cultural agreement was found for all major findings, with minor deviations on the face and body tasks. Our findings highlight the multimodal nature of ER deficits in ASC, which exist for basic as well as complex emotions and are relatively stable cross-culturally. Cross-cultural research has the potential to reveal both autism-specific universal deficits and the role that specific cultures play in the way empathy operates in different countries.

Gun Cultures or Honor Cultures? Explaining Regional and Race Differences in Weapon Carrying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felson, Richard B.; Pare, Paul-Philippe

2010-01-01

We use the National Violence against Women (and Men) Survey to examine the effects of region and race on the tendency to carry weapons for protection. We find that Southern and Western whites are much more likely than Northern whites to carry guns for self-protection, controlling for their risk of victimization. The difference between Southern and…

The Concept of Environment in Folktales from Different Cultures: Analysis of Content and Visuals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahi, Berat; Yaya, Dilara; Ozsoy, Sibel

2014-01-01

The aim of the study is to determine how the children's stories, which are such powerful, handled the nature and environment through the texts, and were portrayed the concept of nature in different cultures. This study examined the texts in 15 children's picture stories which subjected to the perception of nature and environment, published between…

Cross-Cultural Differences in the Development of Behavior Problems: Contributions of Infant Temperament in Russia and U.S.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maria A. Gartstein,; Slobodskaya, Helena R.; Kirchhoff, Cornelia; Putnam, Samuel P.

2013-01-01

The present study was designed to examine cross-cultural differences in longitudinal links between infant temperament toddler behavior problems in the U.S. (N= 250) and Russia (N= 129). Profiles of risk/protective temperament factors varied across the two countries, with fewer significant temperament effects observed for the Russian, relative to…

Intercultural communication in nursing education: when Asian students and American faculty converge.

PubMed

Xu, Yu; Davidhizar, Ruth

2005-05-01

In the context of globalization and changing American demographics, it is becoming increasingly important to understand and communicate effectively with people from diverse cultural and racial/ethnic backgrounds. This article applies the framework of cultural variability and intercultural communication research literature to examine and highlight the different communication behaviors of Asians and non-Asians in the United States. The meanings of various verbal and nonverbal behaviors of Asian students are examined to clarify their communication patterns. Culture-based assumptions are identified, and measures to improve intercultural communication in nursing education are provided.

Cultural specificity of socioemotional selectivity: age differences in social network composition among Germans and Hong Kong Chinese.

PubMed

Fung, Helene H; Stoeber, Franziska S; Yeung, Dannii Yuen-lan; Lang, Frieder R

2008-05-01

We examined age differences in social network composition among 330 Germans and 330 Hong Kong Chinese, aged 20 to 91 years. We measured social network composition with the Social Convoy Questionnaire. In both cultures, older age was associated with the same number of close social partners and fewer peripheral social partners than was younger age. However, the patterns of age differences in specific relationships differed across cultures: Age was negatively associated with the proportion of nuclear family members among Germans but the association was positive among Hong Kong Chinese. Age was positively associated with the proportion of acquaintances among Germans but the association was negative among Hong Kong Chinese. We discuss the findings in terms of whether the socioemotional selectivity theory holds in both cultures.

The association of daily hassles and uplifts with family and life satisfaction: does cultural orientation make a difference?

PubMed

Lavee, Yoav; Ben-Ari, Adital

2008-03-01

The study examined similarities and differences between people having individualist and collectivist cultural orientations in terms of what they perceive as stressful and uplifting experiences in their daily lives, and the relation between daily experiences and family and life satisfaction. Data were collected from two representative community samples (697 Jews and 303 Arabs). Each sample was grouped into individualist and collectivist cultural orientations. The two cultural orientation groups differed with respect to the appraisal of positive and negative daily experiences. A structural equation modeling (SEM) multi-group analysis indicated a similar factor structure for hassles and uplifts in both groups. However, the two groups differed in the effects of positive and negative daily occurrences on family and life satisfaction.

Aging in a cultural context: cross-national differences in disability and the moderating role of personal control among older adults in the United States and England.

PubMed

Clarke, Philippa; Smith, Jacqui

2011-07-01

We investigate cross-national differences in late-life health outcomes and focus on an intriguing difference in beliefs about personal control found between older adult populations in the U.K. and United States. We examine the moderating role of control beliefs in the relationship between physical function and self-reported difficulty with daily activities. Using national data from the United States (Health and Retirement Study) and England (English Longitudinal Study on Ageing), we examine the prevalence in disability across the two countries and show how it varies according to the sense of control. Poisson regression was used to examine the relationship between objective measures of physical function (gait speed) and disability and the modifying effects of control. Older Americans have a higher sense of personal control than the British, which operates as a psychological resource to reduce disability among older Americans. However, the benefits of control are attenuated as physical impairments become more severe. These results emphasize the importance of carefully considering cross-national differences in the disablement process as a result of cultural variation in underlying psychosocial resources. This paper highlights the role of culture in shaping health across adults aging in different sociopolitical contexts.

Aging in a Cultural Context: Cross-national Differences in Disability and the Moderating Role of Personal Control Among Older Adults in the United States and England

PubMed Central

Smith, Jacqui

2011-01-01

Objectives. We investigate cross-national differences in late-life health outcomes and focus on an intriguing difference in beliefs about personal control found between older adult populations in the U.K. and United States. We examine the moderating role of control beliefs in the relationship between physical function and self-reported difficulty with daily activities. Method. Using national data from the United States (Health and Retirement Study) and England (English Longitudinal Study on Ageing), we examine the prevalence in disability across the two countries and show how it varies according to the sense of control. Poisson regression was used to examine the relationship between objective measures of physical function (gait speed) and disability and the modifying effects of control. Results. Older Americans have a higher sense of personal control than the British, which operates as a psychological resource to reduce disability among older Americans. However, the benefits of control are attenuated as physical impairments become more severe. Discussion. These results emphasize the importance of carefully considering cross-national differences in the disablement process as a result of cultural variation in underlying psychosocial resources. This paper highlights the role of culture in shaping health across adults aging in different sociopolitical contexts. PMID:21666145

Rethinking Historical and Cultural Source of Spontaneous Mental Models of Water Cycle: In the Perspective of South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nam, Younkyeong

2012-01-01

This review explores Ben-Zvi Assaraf, Eshach, Orion, and Alamour's paper titled "Cultural Differences and Students' Spontaneous Models of the Water Cycle: A Case Study of Jewish and Bedouin Children in Israel" by examining how the authors use the concept of spontaneous mental models to explain cultural knowledge source of Bedouin…

Beyond Responsiveness to Identity Badges: Future Research on Culture in Disability and Implications for Response to Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Artiles, Alfredo J.

2015-01-01

I critique in this article the construct of culture because of its centrality in creating the notion of "difference," which has been commonly applied to marginalized populations. I examine critically how the notion of culture has been theorized in educational research as a means to obtain theoretical clarity in research design and…

Cross-Cultural Interpretations of Changes in Early Childhood Education in the USA, Russia, and Finland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vlasov, Janniina; Hujala, Eeva

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine changes that have taken place in centre-based early childhood education (ECE) in the USA, Russia, and Finland between 1991 and 2014. The cross-culturally conducted study aimed to identify and contrast socio-cultural differences and similarities of the perceived changes in the context of the studied…

Bridging Cultures between Home and School: A Guide for Teachers--With a Special Focus on Immigrant Latino Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trumbull, Elise; Rothstein-Fisch, Carrie; Greenfield, Patricia M.; Quiroz, Blanca

This book focuses on how to meet the challenges of education in a pluralistic society, presenting the Bridging Cultures framework, which is designed for understanding differences and conflicts that arise in situations where school culture is more individualistic than the home value system. Six sections examine: (1) "The Bridging Cultures…

A Cross-Culture Study of Sex Differences Among First-Graders on A Verbal Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quijano, Teresa

The purposes of a study conducted in Texas and Mexico were to examine the language performance of boys and girls in 3 cultures (Mexican, Mexican American, and Anglo American), and to determine if girls exceeded boys in verbal performance in each of these cultures. The Van Alstyne Picture Vocabulary Test (an English language instrument translated…

Early competitive effects on growth of loblolly pine grown in co-culture with switchgrass

Treesearch

Kurt J. Krapfl; Scott D. Roberts; Randall J. Rosseau; Jeff A. Hatten

2015-01-01

This study: (1) examined competitive interactions between switchgrass and loblolly pine grown in co-culture, and (2) assessed early growth rates of loblolly pine as affected by differing switchgrass competition treatments. Co-cultures were established and monitored on two Upper Coastal Plain sites for 2 years. The Pontotoc site has a history of agricultural use with...

Appreciating Differences: Teaching and Learning in a Culturally Diverse Classroom. Hot Topics: Usable Research. Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ploumis-Devick, Evelyn; Follman, Joseph

This publication presents information on and examples of how teachers and students can better communicate and learn in today's culturally diverse classrooms. The document begins with a quiz designed to help one examine one's beliefs about culture and foundations for those beliefs. The remainder of the document is divided into four sections.…

Learning about Teachers through Film.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raimo, Angela; Devlin-Scherer, Roberta; Zinicola, Debra

2002-01-01

Analysis of films featuring teachers reveals a variety of roles portrayed: teacher as culture guardian, iconoclast/subverter, alien culture-bearer, change agent, learner, compassionate mentor, student advocate, maverick, and incompetent. Examination of these portrayals can prompt critical thinking about teacher responses to different social and…

Cultural Differences in Professional Help Seeking: A Comparison of Japan and the U.S.

PubMed Central

Mojaverian, Taraneh; Hashimoto, Takeshi; Kim, Heejung S.

2013-01-01

Previous research has found cultural differences in the frequency of support seeking. Asians and Asian Americans report seeking support from their close others to deal with their stress less often compared to European Americans. Similarly, other research on professional help seeking has shown that Asians and Asian Americans are less likely than European Americans to seek professional psychological help. Previous studies link this difference to multitude of factors, such as cultural stigma and reliance on informal social networks. The present research examined another explanation for cultural differences in professional help seeking. We predicted that the observed cultural difference in professional help seeking is an extension of culture-specific interpersonal relationship patterns. In the present research, undergraduate students in Japan and the United States completed the Inventory of Attitudes toward Seeking Mental Health Services, which measures professional help seeking propensity, psychological openness to acknowledging psychological problems, and indifference to the stigma of seeking professional help. The results showed that Japanese reported greater reluctance to seek professional help compared to Americans. Moreover, the relationship between culture and professional help seeking attitudes was partially mediated by use of social support seeking among close others. The implications of cultural differences in professional help seeking and the relationship between support seeking and professional help seeking are discussed. PMID:23426857

What is the source of cultural differences? -- Examining the influence of thinking style on the attribution process.

PubMed

Jen, Chun-Hui; Lien, Yunn-Wen

2010-02-01

The present research is intended to find out whether individuals with analytic or holistic thought have different attribution processes. Cross-cultural research has suggested that East Asians, who tend to have a holistic thought pattern, differ in cognitive process from Westerners, who tend to engage in analytic thought. However, studies that found cultural difference in attribution process may have non-equivalence problems that make it hard to interpret the causal relationship between thinking style and attribution process. The present research extends this by measuring participants' thinking style within a single culture in order to ensure equivalence on potentially confounding variables such as prior knowledge and cognitive capacity. Two experiments demonstrate that both types of thinkers have identical attribution processes and suggest different thinking styles might relate to different tendencies toward situational information, but not to the attribution process itself. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cross-cultural comparison of need importance and need satisfaction during adolescence: Turkey and the United States.

PubMed

Hortaçsu, N

1997-09-01

Turkish and U.S. adolescents' views concerning the importance of different needs and instrumentality of relationships with mothers, fathers, siblings, and same-sex friends for need satisfaction were examined and compared. Questionnaires covered needs related to crucial issues of adolescence, namely, relatedness and autonomy/individuation. Participants were 12- to 17-year-old boys and girls from intact families. Cross-cultural differences in ascribed importance of needs related to some aspects of relatedness and autonomy/individuation emerged. Cross-cultural similarities in ascribed importance of needs related to feelings of basic acceptance and need for self-understanding/development also emerged. Turkish adolescents perceived mothers as more instrumental for need satisfaction than did U.S. adolescents. Gender differences in importance ascribed to different needs also emerged. Cross-cultural differences were consistent with differences in predominant values and model family dynamics of the respective countries.

[Review of the gender research in cross-cultural psychology since 1990: conceptual definitions and methodology].

PubMed

Suzuki, Atsuko

2004-06-01

A review of the cross-cultural research on gender in psychology since 1990 reveals (1) conceptual confusion of the definitions of sex, gender, man, and woman; (2) diversification, refinement, reification, and a problem-solving orientation in the research topics; and (3) the possibility of the elucidation of the psychological sex-difference mechanism in relation to the biological sex differences. A comparison of 1990 and 2000 cross-cultural psychological articles published in "Sex Roles" found that overall, the research is Western-centered and some methodological problems remain to be solved concerning the measures and the sampling. These findings lead to the following suggestions for cross-cultural research on gender to resolve the problems and contribute to the development of psychology in general: (1) use of an operational definition for conceptual equivalence; (2) conducting more etic-approach research; (3) avoiding ethnocentric or androcentric research attitudes; (4) use of a theoretical framework; (5) strict examination of methodologies; and (6) examination of the specific context of participants in terms of cultural diversity, dynamics of husband-wife relationships, and relationships with husbands and fathers.

How does context affect assessments of facial emotion? The role of culture and age.

PubMed

Ko, Seon-Gyu; Lee, Tae-Ho; Yoon, Hyea-Young; Kwon, Jung-Hye; Mather, Mara

2011-03-01

People from Asian cultures are more influenced by context in their visual processing than people from Western cultures. In this study, we examined how these cultural differences in context processing affect how people interpret facial emotions. We found that younger Koreans were more influenced than younger Americans by emotional background pictures when rating the emotion of a central face, especially those younger Koreans with low self-rated stress. In contrast, among older adults, neither Koreans nor Americans showed significant influences of context in their face emotion ratings. These findings suggest that cultural differences in reliance on context to interpret others' emotions depend on perceptual integration processes that decline with age, leading to fewer cultural differences in perception among older adults than among younger adults. Furthermore, when asked to recall the background pictures, younger participants recalled more negative pictures than positive pictures, whereas older participants recalled similar numbers of positive and negative pictures. These age differences in the valence of memory were consistent across culture. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Cross-cultural differences in tolerance for crowding: fact or fiction?

PubMed

Evans, G W; Lepore, S J; Allen, K M

2000-08-01

It is widely believed that cultures vary in their tolerance for crowding. There is, however, little evidence to substantiate this belief, coupled with serious shortcomings in the extant literature. Tolerance for crowding has been confused with cultural differences in personal space preferences along with perceived crowding. Furthermore, the few studies that have examined cultural variability in reactions to crowding have compared subgroup correlations, which is not equivalent to a statistical interaction. Although the authors found a statistical interaction indicating that Asian Americans and Latin Americans differ in the way they perceive crowding in comparison to their fellow Anglo-American and African American citizens, all four ethnic groups suffer similar, negative psychological distress sequelae of high-density housing. These results hold independently of household income.

Condition and biochemical profile of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) cultured at different depths in a cold water coastal environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallardi, Daria; Mills, Terry; Donnet, Sebastien; Parrish, Christopher C.; Murray, Harry M.

2017-08-01

The growth and health of cultured blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) are affected by environmental conditions. Typically, culture sites are situated in sheltered areas near shore (i.e., < 1 km distance from land, < 20 m depth); however, land runoff, user conflicts and environmental impact in coastal areas are concerns and interest in developing deep water (> 20 m depth) mussel culture has been growing. This study evaluated the effect of culture depth on blue mussels in a cold water coastal environment (Newfoundland, Canada). Culture depth was examined over two years from September 2012 to September 2014; mussels from three shallow water (5 m) and three deep water (15 m) sites were compared for growth and biochemical composition; culture depths were compared for temperature and chlorophyll a. Differences between the two years examined were noted, possibly due to harsh winter conditions in the second year of the experiment. In both years shallow and deep water mussels presented similar condition; in year 2 deep water mussels had a significantly better biochemical profile. Lipid and glycogen analyses showed seasonal variations, but no significant differences between shallow and deep water were noted. Fatty acid profiles showed a significantly higher content of omega-3 s (20:5ω3; EPA) and lower content of bacterial fatty acids in deep water sites in year 2. Everything considered, deep water appeared to provide a more favorable environment for mussel growth than shallow water under harsher weather conditions.

Cross-cultural relevance of the Interpersonal Theory of suicide across Korean and U.S. undergraduate students.

PubMed

Suh, Sooyeon; Ebesutani, Chad K; Hagan, Christopher R; Rogers, Megan L; Hom, Melanie A; Ringer, Fallon B; Bernert, Rebecca A; Kim, Soohyun; Joiner, Thomas E

2017-05-01

This study investigated the cross-cultural relevance and validity of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (ITS) utilizing young adult samples from South Korea (n =554) and the United States (U.S.; n =390). To examine the ITS, all participants completed self-report questionnaires measuring Thwarted Belongingness, Perceived Burdensomeness, and Capability for Suicide. We examined whether each construct significantly predicted the severity of suicidal risk in both samples. We also determined whether the strength of the effects of Thwarted Belongingness and Perceived Burdensomeness on suicidal ideation differed between the two samples due to the greater degree of importance placed on interpersonal relationships in collectivistic cultures such as South Korea. Structural equation modeling was used to examine these hypotheses. Thwarted Belongingness, Perceived Burdensomeness, and Capability for Suicide significantly predicted elevated suicidal risk. However, there were no significant differences in the paths from Thwarted Belongingness or Perceived Burdensomeness to suicide risk between the South Korean and U.S. These findings support the cross-cultural relevance and applicability of the ITS, whereby Thwarted Belongingness and Perceived Burdensomeness serve as indicators of suicide risk in both Western (U.S.) and East Asian (Korean) samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring Individual Differences in Generic Beliefs in Conspiracy Theories Across Cultures: Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Bruder, Martin; Haffke, Peter; Neave, Nick; Nouripanah, Nina; Imhoff, Roland

2013-01-01

Conspiracy theories are ubiquitous when it comes to explaining political events and societal phenomena. Individuals differ not only in the degree to which they believe in specific conspiracy theories, but also in their general susceptibility to explanations based on such theories, that is, their conspiracy mentality. We present the Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire (CMQ), an instrument designed to efficiently assess differences in the generic tendency to engage in conspiracist ideation within and across cultures. The CMQ is available in English, German, and Turkish. In four studies, we examined the CMQ’s factorial structure, reliability, measurement equivalence across cultures, and its convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity. Analyses based on a cross-cultural sample (Study 1a; N = 7,766) supported the conceptualization of conspiracy mentality as a one-dimensional construct across the three language versions of the CMQ that is stable across time (Study 1b; N = 141). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated cross-cultural measurement equivalence of the CMQ items. The instrument could therefore be used to examine differences in conspiracy mentality between European, North American, and Middle Eastern cultures. In Studies 2–4 (total N = 476), we report (re-)analyses of three datasets demonstrating the validity of the CMQ in student and working population samples in the UK and Germany. First, attesting to its convergent validity, the CMQ was highly correlated with another measure of generic conspiracy belief. Second, the CMQ showed patterns of meaningful associations with personality measures (e.g., Big Five dimensions, schizotypy), other generalized political attitudes (e.g., social dominance orientation and right-wing authoritarianism), and further individual differences (e.g., paranormal belief, lack of socio-political control). Finally, the CMQ predicted beliefs in specific conspiracy theories over and above other individual difference measures. PMID:23641227

Cross-cultural recognition of basic emotions through nonverbal emotional vocalizations

PubMed Central

Sauter, Disa A.; Eisner, Frank; Ekman, Paul; Scott, Sophie K.

2010-01-01

Emotional signals are crucial for sharing important information, with conspecifics, for example, to warn humans of danger. Humans use a range of different cues to communicate to others how they feel, including facial, vocal, and gestural signals. We examined the recognition of nonverbal emotional vocalizations, such as screams and laughs, across two dramatically different cultural groups. Western participants were compared to individuals from remote, culturally isolated Namibian villages. Vocalizations communicating the so-called “basic emotions” (anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise) were bidirectionally recognized. In contrast, a set of additional emotions was only recognized within, but not across, cultural boundaries. Our findings indicate that a number of primarily negative emotions have vocalizations that can be recognized across cultures, while most positive emotions are communicated with culture-specific signals. PMID:20133790

Feelings about culture scales: development, factor structure, reliability, and validity.

PubMed

Maffini, Cara S; Wong, Y Joel

2015-04-01

Although measures of cultural identity, values, and behavior exist in the multicultural psychological literature, there is currently no measure that explicitly assesses ethnic minority individuals' positive and negative affect toward culture. Therefore, we developed 2 new measures called the Feelings About Culture Scale--Ethnic Culture and Feelings About Culture Scale--Mainstream American Culture and tested their psychometric properties. In 6 studies, we piloted the measures, conducted factor analyses to clarify their factor structure, and examined reliability and validity. The factor structure revealed 2 dimensions reflecting positive and negative affect for each measure. Results provided evidence for convergent, discriminant, criterion-related, and incremental validity as well as the reliability of the scales. The Feelings About Culture Scales are the first known measures to examine both positive and negative affect toward an individual's ethnic culture and mainstream American culture. The focus on affect captures dimensions of psychological experiences that differ from cognitive and behavioral constructs often used to measure cultural orientation. These measures can serve as a valuable contribution to both research and counseling by providing insight into the nuanced affective experiences ethnic minority individuals have toward culture. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Students' Moral Reasoning as Related to Cultural Background and Educational Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bar-Yam, Miriam; And Others

The relationship between moral development and cultural and educational background is examined. Approximately 120 Israeli youth representing different social classes, sex, religious affiliation, and educational experience were interviewed. The youth interviewed included urban middle and lower class students, Kibbutz-born, Youth Aliyah…

Child to Child.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frank, Joan C.

1989-01-01

Describes a unit using materials gathered from Soviet children through Vermont's Children's Art Exchange Program. The unit involves a slide presentation and discussion of the cultural similarities and differences that are identified through an examination of art work. Suggests asking children to create art that represents their own culture. (KO)

Physical objects as vehicles of cultural transmission: maintaining harmony and uniqueness through colored geometric patterns.

PubMed

Ishii, Keiko; Miyamoto, Yuri; Rule, Nicholas O; Toriyama, Rie

2014-02-01

We examined how cultural values of harmony and uniqueness are represented and maintained through physical media (i.e., colorings of geometric patterns) and how individuals play an active role in selecting and maintaining such cultural values. We found that colorings produced by European American adults and children were judged as more unique, whereas colorings produced by Japanese adults and children were judged as more harmonious, reflecting cultural differences in values. Harmony undergirded Japanese participants' preferences for colorings, whereas uniqueness undergirded European American participants' preferences for colorings. These cultural differences led participants to prefer own-culture colorings over other-culture colorings. Moreover, bicultural participants' preferences acculturated according to their identification with their host culture. Furthermore, child rearers in Japan and Canada gave feedback about the children's colorings that were consistent with their culture's values. These findings suggest that simple geometric patterns can embody cultural values that are socialized and reinforced from an early age.

Cross Cultural Differences in Challenging Behaviors of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An International Examination between Israel, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Kyong-Mee; Jung, Woohyun; Yang, Jae-won; Ben-Itzchak, Esther; Zachor, Ditza A.; Furniss, Frederick; Heyes, Katie; Matson, Johnny L.; Kozlowski, Alison M.; Barker, Alyse A.

2012-01-01

Challenging behaviors are deemed extremely common within the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) population. Numerous factors and their effects upon the presence and severity of challenging behaviors within this population have been investigated. However, there has been limited research to investigate the effects of cultural differences on challenging…

Cultural Capital and Gender Differences in Parental Involvement in Children's Schooling and Higher Education Choice in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheng, Xiaoming

2012-01-01

This article employs the concept of cultural capital to examine the ways in which social difference in terms of gender are played out in parental involvement in children's schooling and higher education choice. The intention has been to provide an in-depth analysis of the ways in which Chinese mothers and fathers are involved in the process.…

Early Adolescents' Responses upon Witnessing Peer Victimization: A Cross-Culture Comparison between Students in Taiwan and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Ting-Lan; Bellmore, Amy

2016-01-01

To examine cross-cultural differences in behavior upon witnessing peer victimization and the reasons behind the behavior, this study evaluated the responses of early adolescents from both the United States and Taiwan. Two questions were addressed: (1) Do adolescents in Taiwan and in the United States differ in their willingness to help peer…

Culture Differences and Social Class in the Negro Community. Illinois Studies of the Economically Disadvantaged, Technical Report Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Symonds, John D.

A literature survey is undertaken for the purpose of identifying and examining cultural differences between black and white Americans, with a major focus upon the black lower-class Northern urban-dweller. Major emphasis is placed upon the institutions of the Negro family and religion, as being moderator variables which help to account for various…

Influence of radiographic contrast media (Iodixanol and Iomeprol) on the endothelin-1 release from human arterial and venous endothelial cells cultured on an extracellular matrix.

PubMed

Franke, R P; Fuhrmann, R; Hiebl, B; Jung, F

2012-01-01

Various radiographic contrast media (RCM) are available for visualization of blood vessels in interventional cardiology which can vary widely in their physicochemical properties thereby influencing different functions of blood cells. In the in vitro study described here the influence of two RCMs on arterial as well as on venous endothelial cells was compared to control cultures and examined under statical culture conditions, thus eliminating the influence of RCM viscosity almost completely. The supplementation of the culture medium with RCM (30% v/v) resulted in clearly different reactions of the endothelial cells exposed. Exposition to Iodixanol supplemented culture medium was followed by endothelin-1 release from venous endothelial cells which was equivalent to the endothelin-1 release from venous control cultures. Compared to control cultures, venous endothelial cells exposed to culture medium supplemented with Iomeprol displayed a completely different reaction, the increase in endothelin-1 secretion was missing completely after a 12 hours exposure. Following a 12 hours exposure to both RCMs there were no longer endothelial cells adherent, neither in venous nor in arterial endothelial cell cultures. The study showed that not the wall shear stress was responsible for the differing effects visible after 1.5 min, 5 min, and 12 hours exposure to culture media supplemented with RCM but differences in chemotoxicity of the RCM applied.

Effects of geoduck (Panopea generosa) aquaculture on resident and transient macrofauna communities of Puget Sound, Washington, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mcdonald, P. Sean; Galloway, Aaron W.E.; McPeek, Kathleen C.; VanBlaricom, Glenn R.

2015-01-01

In Washington state, commercial culture of geoducks (Panopea generosa) involves large-scale out-planting of juveniles to intertidal habitats, and installation of PVC tubes and netting to exclude predators and increase early survival. Structures associated with this nascent aquaculture method are examined to determine whether they affect patterns of use by resident and transient macrofauna. Results are summarized from regular surveys of aquaculture operations and reference beaches in 2009 to 2011 at three sites during three phases of culture: (1) pregear (-geoducks, -structure), (2) gear present (+geoducks, +structures), and (3) postgear (+geoducks, -structures). Resident macroinvertebrates (infauna and epifauna) were sampled monthly (in most cases) using coring methods at low tide during all three phases. Differences in community composition between culture plots and reference areas were examined with permutational analysis of variance and homogeneity of multivariate dispersion tests. Scuba and shoreline transect surveys were used to examine habitat use by transient fish and macroinvertebrates. Analysis of similarity and complementary nonmetric multidimensional scaling were used to compare differences between species functional groups and habitat type during different aquaculture phases. Results suggest that resident and transient macrofauna respond differently to structures associated with geoduck aquaculture. No consistent differences in the community of resident macrofauna were observed at culture plots or reference areas at the three sites during any year. Conversely, total abundance of transient fish and macroinvertebrates were more than two times greater at culture plots than reference areas when aquaculture structures were in place. Community composition differed (analysis of similarity) between culture and reference plots during the gear-present phase, but did not persist to the next farming stage (postgear). Habitat complexity associated with shellfish aquaculture may attract some structure-associated transient species observed infrequently on reference beaches, and may displace other species that typically occur in areas lacking epibenthic structure. This study provides a first look at the effects of multiple phases of geoduck farming on macrofauna, and has important implications for the management of a rapidly expanding sector of the aquaculture industry.

How much information? East Asian and North American cultural products and information search performance.

PubMed

Wang, Huaitang; Masuda, Takahiko; Ito, Kenichi; Rashid, Marghalara

2012-12-01

Literature in cultural psychology suggests that compared with North Americans, East Asians prefer context-rich cultural products (e.g., paintings and photographs). The present article further examines the preferred amount of information in cultural products produced by East Asians and North Americans (Study 1: Society for Personality and Social Psychology conference posters; Study 2: government and university portal pages). The authors found that East Asians produced more information-rich products than did North Americans. Study 3 further examined people's information search speed when identifying target objects on mock webpages containing large amounts of information. The results indicated that East Asians were faster than North Americans in dealing with information on mock webpages with large amounts of information. Finally, the authors found that there were cultural differences as well as similarities in functional and aesthetic preferences regarding styles of information presentation. The interplay between cultural products and skills for accommodating to the cultural products is discussed.

Bonding and Bridging Social and Cultural Capitals: Perceived Factors Associated With Family Eating Practices Among Hmong, Latino, and White Mothers and Fathers.

PubMed

Roche, Abigail; Goto, Keiko; Zhao, Yanling; Wolff, Cindy

2015-01-01

To examine perceived social and cultural capitals associated with family eating practices among Hmong, Latino, and white mothers and fathers. Six focus groups composed of 52 Hmong, Latino, and white mothers and fathers of young children were conducted to examine parental perceptions of social and cultural capitals associated with eating practices. Whereas Hmong participants unanimously emphasized the healthfulness of their traditional food, Latino groups had divergent views on their traditional foods' healthfulness. Hmong parents highly valued their traditional foods whereas white and Latino mothers were more accepting of new foods from other cultures. Participants noted divergent views on gender roles in family eating practices and food culture preservation efforts. Identifying and promoting bonding and bridging of cultural assets for healthy dietary practices among different cultural groups may be important for developing successful nutrition education programs across ethnicities in the community. Copyright © 2015 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND PSYCHOTHERAPY: APPLYING ANTHROPOLOGICALLY INFORMED CONCEPTIONS OF CULTURE

PubMed Central

Lakes, Kimberley; López, Steven R.; Garro, Linda C.

2013-01-01

The authors apply two contemporary notions of culture to advance the conceptual basis of cultural competence in psychotherapy: Kleinman’s (1995) definition of culture as what is at stake in local, social worlds, and Mattingly and Lawlor’s (2001) concept of shared narratives between practitioners and patients. The authors examine these cultural constructs within a clinical case of an immigrant family caring for a young boy with an autism-spectrum disorder. Their analysis suggests that the socially based model of culture and the concept of shared narratives have the potential to broaden and enrich the definition of cultural competence beyond its current emphasis on the presumed cultural differences of specific racial and ethnic minority groups. PMID:22122131

Culture and the cognitive and neuroendocrine responses to speech.

PubMed

Kim, Heejung S

2008-01-01

The present research investigated cultural differences in the psychological and biological effects of verbalization of thoughts. Three studies tested how verbalization of thoughts requires a different amount of effort for people from cultures with different assumptions about speech and examined implications for the cognitive performance and stress hormone response to the task. The results showed that verbalization impaired East Asians/East Asian Americans' performance when the task was difficult but not when the task was easy, whereas the effect of verbalization on European Americans' performance was neutral or positive regardless of task difficulty. Moreover, verbalization decreased the level of cortisol response to the task among European Americans but not among East Asian Americans. The results demonstrate how the same act that is intended to create the same psychological experience could inadvertently lead to systematically different psychological experiences for people from different cultures. Copyright 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

Culture, interpersonal perceptions, and happiness in social interactions.

PubMed

Oishi, Shigehiro; Koo, Minkyung; Akimoto, Sharon

2008-03-01

The authors examined cultural differences in interpersonal processes associated with happiness felt in social interactions. In a false feedback experiment (Study 1a), they found that European Americans felt happier when their interaction partner perceived their personal self accurately, whereas Asian Americans felt happier when their interaction partner perceived their collective self accurately. In Study 1b, the authors further demonstrated that the results from Study 1a were not because of cultural differences in desirability of the traits used in Study 1a. In Studies 2 and 3, they used a 2-week event sampling method and replicated Study 1. Unlike Asian Americans, African Americans were not significantly different from European Americans in the predictors of happiness in social interactions. Together, this research shows that interpersonal affirmation of important aspects of the self leads to happiness and that cultural differences are likely to emerge from the emphasis placed on different aspects of the self.

Culture and the Sequence of Steps in Theory of Mind Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shahaeian, Ameneh; Peterson, Candida C.; Slaughter, Virginia; Wellman, Henry M.

2011-01-01

To examine cultural contrasts in the ordered sequence of conceptual developments leading to theory of mind (ToM), we compared 135 3- to 6-year-olds (77 Australians; 58 Iranians) on an established 5-step ToM scale (Wellman & Liu, 2004). There was a cross-cultural difference in the sequencing of ToM steps but not in overall rates of ToM mastery.…

Toward a culture-by-context perspective on negotiation: negotiating teams in the United States and Taiwan.

PubMed

Gelfand, Michele J; Brett, Jeanne; Gunia, Brian C; Imai, Lynn; Huang, Tsai-Jung; Hsu, Bi-Fen

2013-05-01

Within the United States, teams outperform solos in negotiation (Thompson, Peterson, & Brodt, 1996). The current research examined whether this team advantage generalizes to negotiators from a collectivist culture (Taiwan). Because different cultures have different social norms, and because the team context may amplify the norms that are salient in a particular culture (Gelfand & Realo, 1999), we predicted that the effect of teams on negotiation would differ across cultures. Specifically, we predicted that since harmony norms predominate in collectivist cultures like Taiwan, the team context would amplify a concern with harmony, leading Taiwanese teams to negotiate especially suboptimal outcomes. In support, 2 studies showed that Taiwanese teams negotiated less-optimal outcomes than Taiwanese solos. We also used a moderated-mediation analysis to investigate the mechanism (Hayes, 2012), documenting that the interactive effect of culture and context on outcomes was mediated by harmony norms. By showing that the same situational conditions (team negotiations) can have divergent effects on negotiation outcomes across cultures, our results point toward a nuanced, sociocontextual view that moves beyond the culture-as-main-effect approach to studying culture and negotiations. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Examining Culturally Structured Learning Environments with Different Types of Music-Linked Movement Opportunity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Juanita M.; Boykin, A. Wade

2008-01-01

This study describes two experiments that extended earlier work on the Afrocultural theme Movement Expression. The impact of various learning conditions characterized by different types of music-linked movement on story recall performance was examined. African American children were randomly assigned to a learning condition, presented a story, and…

A cross-cultural study on emotion expression and the learning of social norms

PubMed Central

Hareli, Shlomo; Kafetsios, Konstantinos; Hess, Ursula

2015-01-01

When we do not know how to correctly behave in a new context, the emotions that people familiar with the context show in response to the behaviors of others, can help us understand what to do or not to do. The present study examined cross-cultural differences in how group emotional expressions (anger, sadness, neutral) can be used to deduce a norm violation in four cultures (Germany, Israel, Greece, and the US), which differ in terms of decoding rules for negative emotions. As expected, in all four countries, anger was a stronger norm violation signal than sadness or neutral expressions. However, angry and sad expressions were perceived as more intense and the relevant norm was learned better in Germany and Israel than in Greece and the US. Participants in Greece were relatively better at using sadness as a sign of a likely norm violation. The results demonstrate both cultural universality and cultural differences in the use of group emotion expressions in norm learning. In terms of cultural differences they underscore that the social signal value of emotional expressions may vary with culture as a function of cultural differences, both in emotion perception, and as a function of a differential use of emotions. PMID:26483744

Improving Medical Decision Making and Health Promotion through Culture-Sensitive Health Communication: An Agenda for Science and Practice.

PubMed

Betsch, Cornelia; Böhm, Robert; Airhihenbuwa, Collins O; Butler, Robb; Chapman, Gretchen B; Haase, Niels; Herrmann, Benedikt; Igarashi, Tasuku; Kitayama, Shinobu; Korn, Lars; Nurm, Ülla-Karin; Rohrmann, Bernd; Rothman, Alexander J; Shavitt, Sharon; Updegraff, John A; Uskul, Ayse K

2016-10-01

This review introduces the concept of culture-sensitive health communication. The basic premise is that congruency between the recipient's cultural characteristics and the respective message will increase the communication's effectiveness. Culture-sensitive health communication is therefore defined as the deliberate and evidence-informed adaptation of health communication to the recipients' cultural background in order to increase knowledge and improve preparation for medical decision making and to enhance the persuasiveness of messages in health promotion. To achieve effective health communication in varying cultural contexts, an empirically and theoretically based understanding of culture will be indispensable. We therefore define culture, discuss which evolutionary and structural factors contribute to the development of cultural diversity, and examine how differences are conceptualized as scientific constructs in current models of cultural differences. In addition, we will explicate the implications of cultural differences for psychological theorizing, because common constructs of health behavior theories and decision making, such as attitudes or risk perception, are subject to cultural variation. In terms of communication, we will review both communication strategies and channels that are used to disseminate health messages, and we will discuss the implications of cultural differences for their effectiveness. Finally, we propose an agenda both for science and for practice to advance and apply the evidence base for culture-sensitive health communication. This calls for more interdisciplinary research between science and practice but also between scientific disciplines and between basic and applied research. © The Author(s) 2015.

Cross-Cultural Consistency of the Demand/Withdraw Interaction Pattern in Couples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Andrew; Eldridge, Kathleen; Catta-Preta, Adriana Bokel; Lim, Veronica R.; Santagata, Rossella

2006-01-01

In order to examine the cross-cultural consistency of several patterns of couple communication, 363 participants from four different countries (Brazil, Italy, Taiwan, and the United States) completed self-report measures about communication and satisfaction in their romantic relationships. Across countries, constructive communication was…

Beyond the Boundaries: Critical Thinking and Differing Cultural Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailin, Sharon; Battersby, Mark

2009-01-01

After outlining arguments for the general epistemological presumption in favour of taking into consideration alternative perspectives from other cultures, the article details several examples in which such an examination yields epistemic benefits and challenges. First, our example of alternative conceptions of art demonstrates that a western…

Antecedents of and Reactions to Emotions in the United States and Japan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matsumoto, David; And Others

1988-01-01

Examines the degree of cultural similarity and specificity in the emotional experiences of subjects from the United States and Japan. Found a high degree of cultural agreement in the antecedent/evaluation process, but some differences in relative/expressive aspects of emotion. (Author/BJV)

Methodological considerations when translating “burnout”☆

PubMed Central

Squires, Allison; Finlayson, Catherine; Gerchow, Lauren; Cimiotti, Jeannie P.; Matthews, Anne; Schwendimann, Rene; Griffiths, Peter; Busse, Reinhard; Heinen, Maude; Brzostek, Tomasz; Moreno-Casbas, Maria Teresa; Aiken, Linda H.; Sermeus, Walter

2014-01-01

No study has systematically examined how researchers address cross-cultural adaptation of burnout. We conducted an integrative review to examine how researchers had adapted the instruments to the different contexts. We reviewed the Content Validity Indexing scores for the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey from the 12-country comparative nursing workforce study, RN4CAST. In the integrative review, multiple issues related to translation were found in existing studies. In the cross-cultural instrument analysis, 7 out of 22 items on the instrument received an extremely low kappa score. Investigators may need to employ more rigorous cross-cultural adaptation methods when attempting to measure burnout. PMID:25343131

Cross-cultural and gender differences in childhood amnesia.

PubMed

MacDonald, S; Uesiliana, K; Hayne, H

2000-11-01

In two experiments, we examined cross-cultural and gender differences in adults' earliest memories. To do this, we asked male and female adults from three cultural backgrounds (New Zealand European, New Zealand Maori, and Asian) to describe and date their earliest personal memory. Consistent with past research, Asian adults reported significantly later memories than European adults, however this effect was due exclusively to the extremely late memories reported by Asian females. Maori adults, whose traditional culture includes a strong emphasis on the past, reported significantly earlier memories than adults from the other two cultural groups. Across all three cultures, the memories reported by women contained more information than the memories reported by men. These findings support the view that the age and content of our earliest memories are influenced by a wide range of factors including our culture and our gender. These factors must be incorporated into any comprehensive theory of autobiographical memory.

Cross-Cultural Differences in Sibling Power Balance and Its Concomitants Across Three Age Periods.

PubMed

Buist, Kirsten L; Metindogan, Aysegül; Coban, Selma; Watve, Sujala; Paranjpe, Analpa; Koot, Hans M; van Lier, Pol; Branje, Susan J T; Meeus, Wim H J

2017-06-01

We examined cross-cultural differences in (1) sibling power balance and (2) the associations between sibling power balance and internalizing and externalizing problems in three separate cross-cultural studies (early childhood, late childhood, and adolescence). The early childhood samples consisted of 123 Turkish and 128 Dutch mothers (mean age for children was 4.9 years). In the late childhood samples, self-report data were collected from 124 Indian and 129 Dutch children (mean age 10.9 years). In the adolescent samples self-report data were collected from 165 ethnic Moroccan and 165 ethnic Dutch adolescents (mean age 15.2 years). In all studies, questionnaire data on sibling power imbalance and internalizing and externalizing problems were collected. Results showed only one significant cross-cultural difference in sibling power imbalance: The Indian sample reported more sibling power imbalance than the Dutch. Links between sibling power imbalance and problem behavior were highly similar between the different cultural samples. The only significant difference was a stronger impact of sibling power imbalance on externalizing problems for the Dutch compared to the Turkish sample. Concluding, few cross-cultural differences were found in sibling power imbalance. Across cultures and age groups, more sibling power imbalance was linked to more internalizing and externalizing problems. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

To Accept One's Fate or Be Its Master: Culture, Control, and Workplace Choice.

PubMed

Eisen, Charis; Ishii, Keiko; Miyamoto, Yuri; Ma, Xiaoming; Hitokoto, Hidefumi

2016-01-01

Utilizing three student (Study 1) and non-student samples (Study 2), we examined cultural differences in workplace choice for North Americans, Germans, and Japanese. We focused on the desire for control as a potential mediator (i.e., the underlying mechanism) to explain cultural differences in this important life decision. Given culturally divergent embodiments of independent vs. interdependent models of agency, we expected and found that, compared to North Americans and Germans, Japanese were more likely to prefer a workplace with a payment system that maintains social order rather than one that rewards individual achievement. Furthermore, we found that Japanese tend to give greater consideration to family opinions in their choice of workplace. As predicted, desire for control (i.e., the motivation to have control over various events) was stronger for North Americans and Germans than Japanese, and explained cultural differences in choice of workplace.

Cross-Cultural and Gender Differences in ADHD Among Young Adults.

PubMed

Gómez-Benito, Juana; Van de Vijver, Fons J R; Balluerka, Nekane; Caterino, Linda

2015-10-29

This study explored the effect of cultural and gender differences in ADHD among Spanish, African American, Hispanic American, and European American young adults. Structural equivalence between the four groups was examined by Tucker's phi coefficient. A MANCOVA was carried out with cultural groups and gender as factors and age as covariate. Structural equivalence was observed across all groups, and no differential item functioning was found. No significant effect was found for gender, although, with the exception of the Hispanic group, males scored higher than females. Furthermore, small, though significant, cultural differences were found. The lowest levels of ADHD were observed in the European American group and the highest in the Hispanic American group. ADHD symptoms, notably inattention, showed some decline with age. Findings extend existing data and suggest a relationship between culture and the development of ADHD, which might be mediated by parenting style. © The Author(s) 2015.

Personality maturation around the world: a cross-cultural examination of social-investment theory.

PubMed

Bleidorn, Wiebke; Klimstra, Theo A; Denissen, Jaap J A; Rentfrow, Peter J; Potter, Jeff; Gosling, Samuel D

2013-12-01

During early adulthood, individuals from different cultures across the world tend to become more agreeable, more conscientious, and less neurotic. Two leading theories offer different explanations for these pervasive age trends: Five-factor theory proposes that personality maturation is largely determined by genetic factors, whereas social-investment theory proposes that personality maturation in early adulthood is largely the result of normative life transitions to adult roles. In the research reported here, we conducted the first systematic cross-cultural test of these theories using data from a large Internet-based sample of young adults from 62 nations (N = 884,328). We found strong evidence for universal personality maturation from early to middle adulthood, yet there were significant cultural differences in age effects on personality traits. Consistent with social-investment theory, results showed that cultures with an earlier onset of adult-role responsibilities were marked by earlier personality maturation.

To Accept One’s Fate or Be Its Master: Culture, Control, and Workplace Choice

PubMed Central

Eisen, Charis; Ishii, Keiko; Miyamoto, Yuri; Ma, Xiaoming; Hitokoto, Hidefumi

2016-01-01

Utilizing three student (Study 1) and non-student samples (Study 2), we examined cultural differences in workplace choice for North Americans, Germans, and Japanese. We focused on the desire for control as a potential mediator (i.e., the underlying mechanism) to explain cultural differences in this important life decision. Given culturally divergent embodiments of independent vs. interdependent models of agency, we expected and found that, compared to North Americans and Germans, Japanese were more likely to prefer a workplace with a payment system that maintains social order rather than one that rewards individual achievement. Furthermore, we found that Japanese tend to give greater consideration to family opinions in their choice of workplace. As predicted, desire for control (i.e., the motivation to have control over various events) was stronger for North Americans and Germans than Japanese, and explained cultural differences in choice of workplace. PMID:27445904

Separation of active and inactive fractions from starved culture of Vibrio parahaemolyticus by density dependent cell sorting.

PubMed

Nayak, Binaya Bhusan; Kamiya, Eriko; Nishino, Tomohiko; Wada, Minoru; Nishimura, Masahiko; Kogure, Kazuhiro

2005-01-01

The co-existence of physiologically different cells in bacterial cultures is a general phenomenon. We have examined the applicability of the density dependent cell sorting (DDCS) method to separate subpopulations from a long-term starvation culture of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The cells were subjected to Percoll density gradient and separated into 12 fractions of different buoyant densities, followed by measuring the cell numbers, culturability, respiratory activity and leucine incorporation activity. While more than 78% of cells were in lighter fractions, about 95% of culturable cells were present in heavier fractions. The high-density subpopulations also had high proportion of cells capable of forming formazan granules. Although this was accompanied by the cell specific INT-reduction rate, both leucine incorporation rates and INT-reduction rates per cell had a peak at mid-density fraction. The present results indicated that DDCS could be used to separate subpopulations of different physiological conditions.

The role of cross-cultural factors in long-duration international space missions: lessons from the SFINCSS-99 study.

PubMed

Tomi, Leena M; Rossokha, Katherine; Hosein, Janette

2002-01-01

The role of cross-cultural factors in long-duration international space missions was examined during an isolation study that simulated many of the conditions aboard the International Space Station. Interactions involving two heterogeneous crews and one homogeneous crew staying in isolation from 110 to 240 days were studied. Data consisted of post-isolation interviews with crewmembers, ground support personnel and management, observational data, and public statements by crewmembers. Data was analyzed using the techniques of linguistic anthropology and ethnography. Sub-cultural (organizational and professional) differences played a larger role than national differences in causing misunderstandings in this study. Conversely, some misunderstandings and conflicts were escalated by participants falsely assuming cultural differences or similarities. Comparison between the two heterogeneous crews showed the importance of training, personality factors, and commander and language skills in preventing and alleviating cultural misunderstandings. The study revealed a number of ways that cultural differences, real as well as assumed, can play a role and interact with other, non-cultural, factors in causing and/or precipitating conflict situations. It is postulated that such difficulties can be avoided by selecting culturally adaptive crewmembers and by cross-cultural and language training. Also the crew composition and role of commander were found to be important in mitigating conflict situations. c2002 Lister Science.

Using individualism and collectivism to compare cultures--a critique of the validity and measurement of the constructs: comment on Oyserman et al. (2002).

PubMed

Fiske, Alan Page

2002-01-01

Analyzing national and ethnic differences in individualism and collectivism, D. Oyserman, H. M. Coon, and M. Kemmelmeier (2002) showed that small differences in scales or samples produce markedly divergent results, challenging the validity of these constructs. The author examines the following limitations of research on individualism and collectivism: It treats nations as cultures and culture as a continuous quantitative variable; conflates all kinds of social relations and distinct types of autonomy; ignores contextual specificity in norms and values; measures culture as the personal preferences and behavior reports of individuals; rarely establishes the external validity of the measures used; assumes cultural invariance in the meaning of self-reports and anchoring and interpretation of scales; and reduces culture to explicit, abstract verbal knowledge.

A World Turned Molten: Helping Year 9 to Explore the Cultural Legacies of the First World War

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Rachel

2014-01-01

Rachel Foster shows how her own study of cultural history led to a new dimension in her planning. She wanted to show her students not only that historians are interested in many different kinds of topic, but that they ask different kinds of question about those topics. Foster also wanted her students to examine how civic traditions and rituals…

Inferring the emotions of friends versus strangers: the role of culture and self-construal.

PubMed

Ma-Kellams, Christine; Blascovich, Jim

2012-07-01

Three studies examined cross-cultural differences in empathic accuracy (the ability to correctly infer another's emotional experience) within the context of different relationships. East-West cultural differences in self-construal were hypothesized to differentiate levels of empathic accuracy across relationship types. In contrast to the independent self prevalent among members of Western cultures, members of Eastern cultures generally view the self as interdependent with those with whom they have a relationship. Easterners, relative to Westerners, are more concerned with the thoughts or feelings of close others and less concerned with the thoughts or feelings of those with whom they have no relational link (i.e., strangers). Across three studies, the authors found that East Asians, compared with European Americans, made more accurate inferences regarding the emotions of close others (i.e., friends), but less accurate inferences regarding the emotions of strangers. Furthermore, individual differences in interdependent self-construal among East Asians predicted the degree of empathic accuracy.

The Cultural Preparation of Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goddard, J. Tim

This paper describes an ongoing doctoral study on the preparation of teachers to work in a variety of student cultural populations. It will examine teachers from three distinctly different geographical and sociocultural areas. The three areas are urban, suburban/rural, and rural isolated school jurisdictions in Alberta and Saskatchewan (Canada).…

Child Socialization among Native Americans: The Lakota (Sioux) in Cultural Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medicine, Beatrice

1985-01-01

Child socialization research among American Indians must account for tribal differences, examining gender roles in a given tribal culture, and employing studies of enculturation and acculturation, life histories, and ethnographies. Child socialization in the Teton Sioux or Lakota tribe can be used to illustrate these research techniques. The…

The Chinese Classroom Paradox: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Teacher Controlling Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Ning; Lam, Shui-Fong; Chan, Kam Chi

2012-01-01

Chinese classrooms present an intriguing paradox to the claim of self-determination theory that autonomy facilitates learning. Chinese teachers appear to be controlling, but Chinese students do not have poor academic performance in international comparisons. The present study addressed this paradox by examining the cultural differences in…

Cross-Cultural Variation in Professional Genres: A Comparative Study of Book Blurbs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kathpalia, Sujata Surinder

1997-01-01

Examines, through a genre-based comparison, the cross-cultural differences between book blurbs of international publishers and local Singapore-based publishers. Endeavors to demonstrate that genres are socioculturally dependent communicative events whose success depends, in part, upon their pragmatic value in a specific business/professional…

Examining the Discourses of Cross-Cultural Communication in Transnational Higher Education: From Imposition to Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Djerasimovic, Sanja

2014-01-01

The expansion of transnational higher education programmes over the last decade has foregrounded the themes of internationalisation, cross-cultural learning and cooperation in international research, whilst also raising questions about the appropriateness of educational programmes originally tailored for very different contexts, about the nature…

Indigenous Psychologies of Self and Its Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fulton, Paul R.

The variety of culturally-constituted conceptions of self are investigated in this essay. A history of ethnopsychology is given which includes an examination of evolutionist and sociological theories of the self in relation to culture and society. Various approaches to ethnopsychology are considered, and different facets of the self are explored.…

On the Road to Virtual Europe--Redux

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pulman, Andy

2007-01-01

Virtual Europe is a web-based European community from which health education scenarios may be accessed for learning and teaching purposes. Featuring a map giving access to country specific resources, it is populated with different cultural case studies allowing contrasts between cultures to be examined. For example, a student could evaluate the…

Commitment in Age-Gap Heterosexual Romantic Relationships: A Test of Evolutionary and Socio-Cultural Predictions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehmiller, Justin J.; Agnew, Christopher R.

2008-01-01

Little research has addressed age-gap romantic relationships (romantic involvements characterized by substantial age differences between partners). Drawing on evolutionary and socio-cultural perspectives, the present study examined normative beliefs and commitment processes among heterosexual women involved in age-gap and age-concordant…

State Political Culture, Higher Education Spending Indicators, and Undergraduate Graduation Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heck, Ronald H.; Lam, Wendy S.; Thomas, Scott L.

2014-01-01

Issues concerning higher education today (e.g., rising costs, declining public trust, changing state economics) have created new demands for postsecondary institutions to demonstrate their productivity. We examine whether differences in states' political cultures (i.e., underlying traditions, values, and public policy choices) are reflected…

A Comparison of Cultural Values in British and American Print Advertising: A Study of Magazines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frith, Katherine Toland; Wesson, David

1991-01-01

Examines the cultural content of advertisements in two superficially similar countries (Great Britain and the United States). Finds U.S. advertising portraying characters in more "individualistic" stances, with social class differences more evident in British advertising. Maintains that advertising should adapt to individual cultural…

Toward a Grid and Group Interpretation of School Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Edward L.

1995-01-01

Mary Douglas's typology, using grid and group dimensions, provides a means to classify and compare social environments in terms of their differing cultural constraints on individual autonomy. This article uses the Douglas typology to examine the grid and group characteristics of four diverse schools to determine the framework's applicability to…

A Culturally Responsive Intervention for Addressing Problematic Behaviors in Counseling Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodrich, Kristopher M.; Shin, Richard Q.

2013-01-01

Counseling faculty serve as gatekeepers to protect the public from trainees who demonstrate significant deficiencies in professional functioning. Two issues that have not been thoroughly examined are how different cultural values may intersect with the assessment of appropriate professional competencies and whether the multicultural environment of…

The Self-Concept of the Elderly: A Cross-Cultural Comparison.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katzko, Michael W.; Steverink, Nardi; Dittmann-Kohli, Freya; Herrera, Ramona Rubio

1998-01-01

Examines the self-concept of the elderly from a cross-cultural perspective utilizing a sample of Spanish and Dutch elderly. Analysis focuses on responses to sentences which probed respondents' motivations and future plans and goals. Differences can be interpreted as reflecting an individualistic (Dutch) versus collectivistic (Spanish) distinction…

Emotional eating and eating psychopathology in nonclinical groups: a cross-cultural comparison of women in Japan and the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Waller, G; Matoba, M

1999-11-01

Emotional eating is associated with eating psychopathology among Western populations. It is not known whether the same conclusions hold in non-Western cultures, where norms for emotional expression differ. This study examined whether emotional eating has the same eating psychopathology correlates in different cultures. Three groups of nonclinical women were compared-Japanese living in Japan; Japanese living in the United Kingdom; and British living in the United Kingdom. They completed an Emotional Eating Scale and the Eating Disorders Inventory. There were different patterns of association between emotional eating and eating attitudes in the three groups. British women showed a strong linkage, Japanese women living in Japan showed no association, and Japanese women in the United Kingdom showed an intermediate pattern. Emotional eating may be less of an index of eating psychopathology in non-Western cultures. However, there appears to be an acculturative process, linking the two when one enters a Western culture. This cross-cultural difference may have implications for the targeting of therapies, although this conclusion requires support from further research. Copyright 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

L'experience suedoise en matiere d'enseignement des languages-cultures d'origine (The Swedish Experience in the Field of Language and Culture Education for Migrants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cabau-Lampa, Beatrice

2000-01-01

Examines the constituent features of the Swedish educational mileau, and the different issues surrounding the implementation of education in language and culture for migrants. Expounds the new perspectives according to which this education was conceived in the Swedish context of the 1990s, that is the reorganization of the teaching and learning…

Cultural and Gender Differences in Experiences and Expression of Test Anxiety among Chinese, Finnish, and Swedish Grade 3 Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyroos, Mikaela; Korhonen, Johan; Peng, Aihui; Linnanmäki, Karin; Svens-Liavåg, Camilla; Bagger, Anette; Sjöberg, Gunnar

2015-01-01

While test anxiety has been studied extensively, little consideration has been given to the cultural impacts of children's experiences and expressions of test anxiety. The aim of this work was to examine whether variance in test anxiety scores can be predicted based on gender and cultural setting. Three hundred and ninety-eight pupils in Grade 3…

Culture medium composition affects the gene expression pattern and in vitro development potential of bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos.

PubMed

Arias, María E; Ross, Pablo J; Felmer, Ricardo N

2013-01-01

Different culture systems have been studied that support development of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos up to the blastocyst stage. However, the use of sequential and two-step culture systems has been less studied. The objective of the present study was to examine the developmental potential and quality of bovine SCNT embryos cultured in different two-step culture media based on KSOM, SOF and the macromolecules FBS and BSA (K-K/FBS, K-S/BSA and K-K/BSA, respectively). No differences were observed in the cleavage rate for any of the culture systems. However, there was a significant difference (P<0.01) in the rate of blastocyst development, with the K-K/ FBS culture system yielding a higher rate of blastocysts (28%) compared to other treatments (18 and 15%, for K-S/BSA and K-K/BSA, respectively). Although quality of embryos, as assessed by the total number of cells, was not different, the apoptosis index was significantly affected in the sequential culture system (K-S/BSA). Gene expression analysis showed alterations of DNMT1, IGF2, LIF, and PRDX6 genes in embryos cultured in K-S/FBS and of SOD2 in embryos cultured in K-K/BSA. In conclusion, we demonstrated that culture medium may affect not only the developmental potential of SCNT embryos but also, more importantly, the gene expression pattern and apoptotic index, presenting the possibility to manipulate the culture medium composition to modulate global gene expression and improve the overall efficiency of this technique.

A comparative study of American and Chinese college students' motives for food choice.

PubMed

Pearcey, Sharon M; Zhan, Ginny Q

2018-04-01

Previous cross-cultural research has examined college students' food choice decisions in different countries. The current study aimed to add to the literature by examining similarities and differences in motives for food choice between American (N = 328) and Chinese (N = 333) college students. The Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) was used to measure the participants' motives for food choice. Students' perceptions on the importance of diet and on their body satisfaction were also obtained. Results show that, while there are many similarities between the two cultural groups on the FCQ items, there are also significant differences. Specifically, the two groups view sensory appeal, weight, health, mood, and familiarity in a similar way, but the American participants score higher on price and convenience whereas the Chinese score higher on natural content and ethical concerns. We believe contextual cultural factors of each country may be related to these results. Women view sensory appeal and weight as significantly more important than men. Interactions between culture and gender are also found. For example, American women score significantly higher than American men on mood whereas there is no gender difference in the Chinese group; on the other hand, Chinese men score significantly higher on price than Chinese women whereas there is no gender difference in the American group. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ready, willing, and able to divorce: an economic and cultural history of divorce in twentieth-century Sweden.

PubMed

Simonsson, Per; Sandström, Glenn

2011-01-01

This study outlines a long history of divorce in Sweden, recognizing the importance of considering both economic and cultural factors in the analysis of marital dissolution. Following Ansley Coale, the authors examine how a framework of multiple theoretical constructs, in interaction, can be applied to the development toward mass divorce. Applying a long historical perspective, the authors argue that an analysis of gendered aspects of the interaction between culture and economics is crucial for the understanding of the rise of mass divorce. The empirical analysis finds support for a marked decrease in legal and cultural obstacles to divorce already during the first decades of the twentieth century. However, economic structures remained a severe obstacle that prohibited significant increases in divorce rate prior to World War II. It was only during the 1940s and 1960s, when cultural change was complemented by marked decreases in economic interdependence between spouses, that the divorce rate exhibited significant increases. The authors find that there are advantages to looking at the development of divorce as a history in which multiple empirical factors are examined in conjunction, recognizing that these factors played different roles during different time periods.

Convoys of Social Support in Mexico: Examining Socio-Demographic Variation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller-Iglesias, Heather R.; Antonucci, Toni

2016-01-01

The Convoy Model suggests that at different stages of the lifespan the makeup of the social support network varies in step with developmental and contextual needs. Cultural norms may shape the makeup of social convoys as well as denote socio-demographic differences in social support. This study examines the social convoys of adults in Mexico.…

Examining the Effects of Language Brokering on Student Identities and Learning Opportunities in Dual Immersion Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jin Sook; Hill-Bonnet, Laura; Raley, Jason

2011-01-01

In settings where speakers of two or more different languages coexist, language brokering, the act of interpreting and translating between culturally and linguistically different speakers, is commonly practiced. Yet the examination of language brokering and its implications in classroom settings have not received much attention in the literature.…

Culture and social support provision: who gives what and why.

PubMed

Chen, Jacqueline M; Kim, Heejung S; Mojaverian, Taraneh; Morling, Beth

2012-01-01

The present research examined cultural differences in the type and frequency of support provided as well as the motivations underlying these behaviors. Study 1, an open-ended survey, asked participants about their social interactions in the past 24 hours and found that European Americans reported providing emotion-focused support more frequently than problem-focused support, whereas Japanese exhibited the opposite pattern. Study 2, a closed-ended questionnaire study, found that, in response to the close other's big stressor, European Americans provided more emotion-focused support whereas Japanese provided equivalent amounts of emotion-focused and problem-focused support. In addition, Study 2 examined motivational explanations for these differences. Social support provision was motivated by the goal of closeness and increasing recipient self-esteem among European Americans, but only associated with the motive for closeness among Japanese. These studies illustrate the importance of considering cultural context and its role in determining the meaning and function of various support behaviors.

Suddenly included: cultural differences in experiencing re-inclusion.

PubMed

Pfundmair, Michaela; Graupmann, Verena; Du, Hongfei; Frey, Dieter; Aydin, Nilüfer

2015-03-01

In the current research, we examined whether re-inclusion (i.e. the change from a previous state of exclusion to a new state of inclusion) was perceived differently by people with individualistic and collectivistic cultural backgrounds. Individualists (German and Austrian participants) but not collectivists (Chinese participants) experienced re-inclusion differently than continued inclusion: While collectivistic participants did not differentiate between both kinds of inclusion, individualistic participants showed reduced fulfilment of their psychological needs under re-inclusion compared to continued inclusion. The results moreover revealed that only participants from individualistic cultures expressed more feelings of exclusion when re-included than when continually included. These exclusionary feelings partially mediated the relationship between the different states of inclusion and basic need fulfilment. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

The Emergence of Sex Differences in Personality Traits in Early Adolescence: A Cross-Sectional, Cross-Cultural Study

PubMed Central

De Bolle, Marleen; De Fruyt, Filip; McCrae, Robert R.; Löckenhoff, Corinna E.; Costa, Paul T.; Aguilar-Vafaie, Maria E.; Ahn, Chang-kyu; Ahn, Hyun-nie; Alcalay, Lidia; Allik, Jüri; Avdeyeva, Tatyana V.; Bratko, Denis; Brunner-Sciarra, Marina; Cain, Thomas R.; Chan, Wayne; Chittcharat, Niyada; Crawford, Jarret T.; Fehr, Ryan; Ficková, Emília; Gelfand, Michele J.; Graf, Sylvie; Gülgöz, Sami; Hřebíčková, Martina; Jussim, Lee; Klinkosz, Waldemar; Knežević, Goran; de Figueroa, Nora Leibovich; Lima, Margarida P.; Martin, Thomas A.; Marušić, Iris; Mastor, Khairul Anwar; Nakazato, Katsuharu; Nansubuga, Florence; Porrata, Jose; Purić, Danka; Realo, Anu; Reátegui, Norma; Rolland, Jean-Pierre; Schmidt, Vanina; Sekowski, Andrzej; Shakespeare-Finch, Jane; Shimonaka, Yoshiko; Simonetti, Franco; Siuta, Jerzy; Szmigielska, Barbara; Vanno, Vitanya; Wang, Lei; Yik, Michelle; Terracciano, Antonio

2015-01-01

Although large international studies have found consistent patterns of sex differences in personality traits among adults (i.e., women scoring higher on most facets), less is known about cross-cultural sex differences in adolescent personality and the role of culture and age in shaping them. The present study examines NEO Personality Inventory-3 (NEO-PI-3, McCrae, Costa, & Martin, 2005) informant ratings of adolescents from 23 cultures (N = 4,850) and investigates culture and age as sources of variability in sex differences of adolescents’ personality. The effect for Neuroticism (with females scoring higher than males) begins to take on its adult form around age 14. Girls score higher on Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness at all ages between 12 and 17 years. A more complex pattern emerges for Extraversion and Agreeableness, although by age 17, sex differences for these traits are highly similar to those observed in adulthood. Cross-sectional data suggest that (1) with advancing age, sex differences found in adolescents increasingly converge towards adult patterns with respect to both direction and magnitude; (2) girls display sex-typed personality traits at an earlier age than boys; and (3) the emergence of sex differences was similar across culture. Practical implications of the present findings are discussed. PMID:25603371

Personality and gender differences in global perspective.

PubMed

Schmitt, David P; Long, Audrey E; McPhearson, Allante; O'Brien, Kirby; Remmert, Brooke; Shah, Seema H

2017-12-01

Men's and women's personalities appear to differ in several respects. Social role theories of development assume gender differences result primarily from perceived gender roles, gender socialization and sociostructural power differentials. As a consequence, social role theorists expect gender differences in personality to be smaller in cultures with more gender egalitarianism. Several large cross-cultural studies have generated sufficient data for evaluating these global personality predictions. Empirically, evidence suggests gender differences in most aspects of personality-Big Five traits, Dark Triad traits, self-esteem, subjective well-being, depression and values-are conspicuously larger in cultures with more egalitarian gender roles, gender socialization and sociopolitical gender equity. Similar patterns are evident when examining objectively measured attributes such as tested cognitive abilities and physical traits such as height and blood pressure. Social role theory appears inadequate for explaining some of the observed cultural variations in men's and women's personalities. Evolutionary theories regarding ecologically-evoked gender differences are described that may prove more useful in explaining global variation in human personality. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

Organizational culture, climate and person-environment fit: Relationships with employment outcomes for mental health consumers.

PubMed

Kirsh, Bonnie

2000-01-01

Although the effects of organizational culture, climate and person-environment fit have been widely studied in the general population, little research exists in this area regarding consumers of mental health services. This research focuses on organizational culture, climate and person-environment fit and their relationship to employment outcomes for mental health consumers. It also examines specific components of organizational culture which are both desired and perceived by mental health consumers. Thirty-six (N=36) consumers were recruited into one of two groups: individuals who were employed at the time of the study and those who had recently left their jobs. Instruments used were the Workplace Climate Questionnaire (WCQ) and the Organizational Culture Profile (OCP). Significant differences were found between groups along the dimensions of organizational culture/climate and person-environment fit. Although few differences were found between groups with regards to desired workplace characteristics, many differences in perceived characteristics were found. The findings point to the importance of assessing the organizational culture/climate and its congruence with individuals' value systems as part of the work integration process.

Cultural-based biases of the GAD-7.

PubMed

Parkerson, Holly A; Thibodeau, Michel A; Brandt, Charles P; Zvolensky, Michael J; Asmundson, Gordon J G

2015-04-01

The GAD-7 is a popular measure of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms that has been used across many cultural groups. Existing evidence demonstrates that the prevalence of GAD varies across self-identified ethnic/cultural groups, a phenomenon that some researchers attribute to cross-cultural measurement error rather than to actual differences in rates of GAD. Nonetheless, the effect of culture on factor structure and response patterns to the GAD-7 have not been examined and could result over- or under-estimated GAD-7 scores across different cultural groups. The current investigation assessed the factor structure of the GAD-7 in White/Caucasian, Hispanic, and Black/African American undergraduates and tested for cultural-based biases. A modified one-factor model exhibited good fit across subsamples. Results revealed that Black/African American participants with high GAD symptoms scored lower on the GAD-7 than other participants with similar GAD symptoms. Results highlight the need for culturally sensitive GAD screening tools. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cooperation in multicultural negotiations: How the cultures of people with low and high power interact.

PubMed

Kopelman, Shirli; Hardin, Ashley E; Myers, Christopher G; Tost, Leigh Plunkett

2016-05-01

This study examined whether the cultures of low- and high-power negotiators interact to influence cooperative behavior of low-power negotiators. Managers from 4 different cultural groups (Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, and the United States) negotiated face-to-face in a simulated power-asymmetric commons dilemma. Results supported an interaction effect in which cooperation of people with lower power was influenced by both their culture and the culture of the person with higher power. In particular, in a multicultural setting, low-power managers from Hong Kong, a vertical-collectivist culture emphasizing power differences and group alignment, adjusted their cooperation depending on the culture of the high-power manager with whom they interacted. This study contributes to understanding how culture shapes behavior of people with relatively low power, illustrates how a logic of appropriateness informs cooperation, and highlights the importance of studying multicultural social interactions in the context of negotiations, work teams, and global leadership. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Highlighting entanglement of cultures via ranking of multilingual Wikipedia articles.

PubMed

Eom, Young-Ho; Shepelyansky, Dima L

2013-01-01

How different cultures evaluate a person? Is an important person in one culture is also important in the other culture? We address these questions via ranking of multilingual Wikipedia articles. With three ranking algorithms based on network structure of Wikipedia, we assign ranking to all articles in 9 multilingual editions of Wikipedia and investigate general ranking structure of PageRank, CheiRank and 2DRank. In particular, we focus on articles related to persons, identify top 30 persons for each rank among different editions and analyze distinctions of their distributions over activity fields such as politics, art, science, religion, sport for each edition. We find that local heroes are dominant but also global heroes exist and create an effective network representing entanglement of cultures. The Google matrix analysis of network of cultures shows signs of the Zipf law distribution. This approach allows to examine diversity and shared characteristics of knowledge organization between cultures. The developed computational, data driven approach highlights cultural interconnections in a new perspective. Dated: June 26, 2013.

Highlighting Entanglement of Cultures via Ranking of Multilingual Wikipedia Articles

PubMed Central

Eom, Young-Ho; Shepelyansky, Dima L.

2013-01-01

How different cultures evaluate a person? Is an important person in one culture is also important in the other culture? We address these questions via ranking of multilingual Wikipedia articles. With three ranking algorithms based on network structure of Wikipedia, we assign ranking to all articles in 9 multilingual editions of Wikipedia and investigate general ranking structure of PageRank, CheiRank and 2DRank. In particular, we focus on articles related to persons, identify top 30 persons for each rank among different editions and analyze distinctions of their distributions over activity fields such as politics, art, science, religion, sport for each edition. We find that local heroes are dominant but also global heroes exist and create an effective network representing entanglement of cultures. The Google matrix analysis of network of cultures shows signs of the Zipf law distribution. This approach allows to examine diversity and shared characteristics of knowledge organization between cultures. The developed computational, data driven approach highlights cultural interconnections in a new perspective. Dated: June 26, 2013 PMID:24098338

Cultural impacts on public perceptions of agricultural biotechnology: A comparison of South Korea and the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nader, Richard Harrison

According to Millar (1996), the gulf between science and society is growing. Technologies are tools cultures develop to solve society's problems. The rapid dispersion of science and technology across cultural borders through trade, technology transfer and exchange, increasingly requires people in different cultures to make choices about accepting or rejecting artifacts of science and technology such as genetically modified (GM) foods, which originate primarily from the United States. These issues challenge policy makers and scientists to account for the affects of different cultural perspectives on controversial scientific issues. Given the controversy across cultures over acceptance or rejection of genetically modified (GM) foods, GM foods are an excellent example with which to begin to reveal how culture impacts public perceptions of the risk and benefits of science and technology in different societies. This research will: (1) Define public awareness and understanding of science, specifically GM foods; (2) Examine culture's impact on knowledge, including different cultural approaches to research; and (3) Compare recent findings of a bi-national public opinion survey on GM comparing in South Korea and the United States. The proposed research outlines two research questions: (1) How and in what ways do South Koreans and Americans differ in their opinions about GMOs? This question is important for gathering current points of contrast about how the two cultures may differ; and (2) What role does culture play on opinion formation about GM foods? Through grounded theory, the researcher will investigate how cultural differences help explain opinion on public perceptions of GM foods. Is it possible to identify common cultural factors that impact public perceptions of GM foods between South Koreans and Americans? The study will utilize both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Higher education is a major producer of new science and technology. The study is significant for higher education administrators who must understand cultural factors impacting science internationally and globalization of the academic enterprise.

Development of a microfluidic perfusion 3D cell culture system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, D. H.; Jeon, H. J.; Kim, M. J.; Nguyen, X. D.; Morten, K.; Go, J. S.

2018-04-01

Recently, 3-dimensional in vitro cell cultures have gained much attention in biomedical sciences because of the closer relevance between in vitro cell cultures and in vivo environments. This paper presents a microfluidic perfusion 3D cell culture system with consistent control of long-term culture conditions to mimic an in vivo microenvironment. It consists of two sudden expansion reservoirs to trap incoming air bubbles, gradient generators to provide a linear concentration, and microchannel mixers. Specifically, the air bubbles disturb a flow in the microfluidic channel resulting in the instability of the perfusion cell culture conditions. For long-term stable operation, the sudden expansion reservoir is designed to trap air bubbles by using buoyancy before they enter the culture system. The performance of the developed microfluidic perfusion 3D cell culture system was examined experimentally and compared with analytical results. Finally, it was applied to test the cytotoxicity of cells infected with Ewing’s sarcoma. Cell death was observed for different concentrations of H2O2. For future work, the developed microfluidic perfusion 3D cell culture system can be used to examine the behavior of cells treated with various drugs and concentrations for high-throughput drug screening.

Cultural Difference in Conflict Management Strategies of Children and Its Development: Comparing 3- and 5-Year-Olds Across China, Japan, and Korea.

PubMed

Maruyama, Hiroki; Ujiie, Tatsuo; Takai, Jiro; Takahama, Yuko; Sakagami, Hiroko; Shibayama, Makoto; Fukumoto, Mayumi; Ninomiya, Katsumi; Hyang Ah, Park; Feng, Xiaoxia; Takatsuji, Chie; Hirose, Miwa; Kudo, Rei; Shima, Yoshihiro; Nakayama, Rumiko; Hamaie, Noriko; Zhang, Feng; Moriizumi, Satoshi

2015-11-17

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the development of conflict management strategies, focusing on 3- and 5-year-olds, through a comparison of 3 neighboring Asian cultures, those of China ( n  = 114), Japan ( n  = 98), and Korea ( n  = 90). The dual concern model of conflict management was adopted to probe which strategy children would prefer to use in 2 hypothetical conflict situations. Results indicated that, first, for disagreement, 3-year-olds in the 3 countries equally preferred the dominating strategy. For competition for resources, 3-year-olds differed in their strategy preference across all cultures. Second, the observed strategy preference of 3- to 5-year-old children in this study was more or less different from that of older schoolchildren, regardless of culture. Practice or Policy: These findings suggest the significance of the context, the complexity of the phenomenon of the development of cultural differences, and the significance of cohort sampling.

Cultural Difference in Conflict Management Strategies of Children and Its Development: Comparing 3- and 5-Year-Olds Across China, Japan, and Korea

PubMed Central

Maruyama, Hiroki; Ujiie, Tatsuo; Takai, Jiro; Takahama, Yuko; Sakagami, Hiroko; Shibayama, Makoto; Fukumoto, Mayumi; Ninomiya, Katsumi; Hyang Ah, Park; Feng, Xiaoxia; Takatsuji, Chie; Hirose, Miwa; Kudo, Rei; Shima, Yoshihiro; Nakayama, Rumiko; Hamaie, Noriko; Zhang, Feng; Moriizumi, Satoshi

2015-01-01

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the development of conflict management strategies, focusing on 3- and 5-year-olds, through a comparison of 3 neighboring Asian cultures, those of China (n = 114), Japan (n = 98), and Korea (n = 90). The dual concern model of conflict management was adopted to probe which strategy children would prefer to use in 2 hypothetical conflict situations. Results indicated that, first, for disagreement, 3-year-olds in the 3 countries equally preferred the dominating strategy. For competition for resources, 3-year-olds differed in their strategy preference across all cultures. Second, the observed strategy preference of 3- to 5-year-old children in this study was more or less different from that of older schoolchildren, regardless of culture. Practice or Policy: These findings suggest the significance of the context, the complexity of the phenomenon of the development of cultural differences, and the significance of cohort sampling. PMID:26430351

Intercultural Communication as Viewed from the Perspective of Cross-cultural Psychology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niikura, Ryoko

The encounter with foreign nationals in everyday life calls for not only understanding of the other on the level of recognition but also the ability to cope with the whole spectrum of emotional reactions associated with direct experience of other cultures. Viewing the subject from the perspective of cross-cultural psychology, this paper outlines the course of human information processing that restricts cross-cultural personal acceptance and the psychological process involved in contact with other cultures. Building on this basis, it then discusses the significance of understanding other cultures and examines requirements for communication with people who have different cultural backgrounds. A particular focus is the approach to communication with international students in Japanese universities.

Safety sans Frontières: An International Safety Culture Model.

PubMed

Reader, Tom W; Noort, Mark C; Shorrock, Steven; Kirwan, Barry

2015-05-01

The management of safety culture in international and culturally diverse organizations is a concern for many high-risk industries. Yet, research has primarily developed models of safety culture within Western countries, and there is a need to extend investigations of safety culture to global environments. We examined (i) whether safety culture can be reliably measured within a single industry operating across different cultural environments, and (ii) if there is an association between safety culture and national culture. The psychometric properties of a safety culture model developed for the air traffic management (ATM) industry were examined in 17 European countries from four culturally distinct regions of Europe (North, East, South, West). Participants were ATM operational staff (n = 5,176) and management staff (n = 1,230). Through employing multigroup confirmatory factor analysis, good psychometric properties of the model were established. This demonstrates, for the first time, that when safety culture models are tailored to a specific industry, they can operate consistently across national boundaries and occupational groups. Additionally, safety culture scores at both regional and national levels were associated with country-level data on Hofstede's five national culture dimensions (collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and long-term orientation). MANOVAs indicated safety culture to be most positive in Northern Europe, less so in Western and Eastern Europe, and least positive in Southern Europe. This indicates that national cultural traits may influence the development of organizational safety culture, with significant implications for safety culture theory and practice. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Cross-cultural differences in demented geropsychiatric inpatients with behavioral disturbances.

PubMed

Akpaffiong, M; Kunik, M E; Hale, D; Molinari, V; Orengo, C

1999-10-01

Cross-cultural differences in treatment and diagnosis exist in several psychiatric disorders. This study examines phenomenological and treatment differences between Caucasian and African-American patients presenting to a geropsychiatric unit for treatment of behavioral disturbances associated with dementia. One hundred and forty-one Caucasian patients were compared to 56 African-American patients consecutively admitted to a VA geropsychiatric inpatient unit. At admission, differences in behavior disturbances between the two groups were examined using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS). Differences in treatment were assessed by comparing medication types and doses between the two groups. Results showed that Caucasian and African-American patients with dementia and behavioral disturbances presented and responded similarly to like treatment on an inpatient geropsychiatric unit. The similarity between the two groups may be explained by the multi-ethnic make-up of the interdisciplinary treatment team and by the use of standardized scales to measure symptomatology and response. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Physical self-concept and body dissatisfaction among Special Olympics athletes: A comparison between sex, weight status, and culture.

PubMed

Pan, Cheng-Chen; Maïano, Christophe; Morin, Alexandre J S

2018-05-01

Little research has looked at the associations between sex, weight status and culture, and the physical self-perceptions and body dissatisfaction of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) involved in Special Olympics (SO) sports. To examine sex- (male vs female), weight status- (non-overweight/obese vs. overweight/obese), and culture-based (North American vs. Asian) differences in physical self-concept and body dissatisfaction among SO athletes. A total of 139 SO athletes (aged 12-30 years) with ID participated in this study and completed measures of physical self-perceptions and body dissatisfaction. Differences according to sex, weight status, culture, and their interactions were examined. Males SO athletes presented higher levels of self-perceived physical strength and ideal body shape than females. Additionally, non-overweight/obese SO athletes presented higher levels of self-perceived physical appearance and physical condition than their overweight/obese counterparts, as well as lower actual body shape perceptions and body dissatisfaction. Moreover, North-American SO athletes presented higher levels of self-perceived physical appearance and sport competence than their Asians counterparts, as well as lower actual body shapes perceptions and body dissatisfaction. This study reveals substantial sex-, weight status-, and culture-based differences in the physical self-concept and body dissatisfaction of SO athletes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving Diagnostic of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in HIV Patients by Bronchoscopy: A Cross Sectional Study.

PubMed

Santoso, Prayudi; Soeroto, Arto Y; Juniati, Rianita; Hartantri, Yovita; Wisaksana, Rudi; Alisjabana, Bachti; Nataprawira, Heda M; Parwati, Ida

2017-10-01

diagnostic of pulmonary TB in HIV patients is a problem due to non specific clinical features, or radiological appearance. HIV patients with CD4≤200 cells/mL infected with M. tuberculosis have less capacity in containing M. tuberculosis, developing granulomas, casseous necrosis, or cavities. This condition is caused by weakend inflammatory which later reduced sputum production and may cause false negative result. This study aimed to assess differences in the positivity level of acid fast bacilli (AFB) and cultures of M. tuberculosis from non-bronchoscopic sputum (spontaneous and induced sputum) compared to bronchoscopic sputum (bronchoalveolar lavage) in HIV positive patients suspected pulmonary tuberculosis with CD4<200 cells/μL. this cross sectional study was conducted in adult HIV patients treated in Hasan Sadikin Hospital with CD4≤200 cells/μL suspected with pulmonary tuberculosis by using paired comparative analytic test. All patients expelled sputum spontaneously or with sputum induction on the first day. On the next day, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed. The two samples obtained from two methods were examined by AFB examination with staining Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) and cultured of M. tuberculosis on solid media Ogawa on all patients. Positivity, sensitivity and increased sensitivity of AFB and culture of M. tuberculosis in the non bronchoscopic and bronchoscopic groups were compared. there were differences in the positivity level of AFB with ZN staining between non-bronchoscopic and bronchoscopic groups which were 7/40 (17.5%) vs 20/40 (50.0%) (p<0.001). The differences between the cultures of non-bronchoscopic and bronchoscopic groups were 16/40 (40.0%) vs 23/40 (57.5%) (p=0.039). Bronchoscopic sputum increased the positivity level of the ZN AFB examination by 32.5% (from 17.5% to 50.0%) as well as on culture examination by 17.5% (from 40.0% to 57.5%). Bronchoalveolar lavage can improve the positivity level of smears and cultures in patients suspected of pulmonary TB in HIV patients with CD4<200 cells/μL.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peggy Robinson

This report summarizes activities that have taken place in the last 6 months (July 2004-December 2004) under the DOE-NETL cooperative agreement ''Adaptive Management and Planning Models for Cultural Resources in Oil and Gas Fields, New Mexico and Wyoming'' DE-FC26-02NT15445. This project examines the practices and results of cultural resource investigation and management in two different oil and gas producing areas of the US: southeastern New Mexico and the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. The project evaluates how cultural resource investigations have been conducted in the past and considers how investigation and management could be pursued differently in the future. Themore » study relies upon full database population for cultural resource inventories and resources and geomorphological studies. These are the basis for analysis of cultural resource occurrence, strategies for finding and evaluating cultural resources, and recommendations for future management practices. Activities can be summarized as occurring in either Wyoming or New Mexico.« less

The role of culture in health literacy and chronic disease screening and management.

PubMed

Shaw, Susan J; Huebner, Cristina; Armin, Julie; Orzech, Kathryn; Orzech, Katherine; Vivian, James

2009-12-01

Cultural and language differences and socioeconomic status interact with and contribute to low health literacy, defined as the inability to understand or act on medical/therapeutic instructions. Health literacy is increasingly recognized as an important factor in patient compliance, cancer screening utilization, and chronic disease outcomes. Commendable efforts have been initiated by the American Medical Association and other organizations to address low health literacy among patients. Less work has been done, however, to place health literacy in the broader context of socioeconomic and cultural differences among patients and providers that hinder communication and compliance. This review examines cultural influences on health literacy, cancer screening and chronic disease outcomes. We argue that cultural beliefs around health and illness contribute to an individual's ability to understand and act on a health care provider's instructions. This paper proposes key aspects of the intersection between health literacy and culturally varying beliefs about health which merit further exploration.

Intersectionality, critical race theory, and American sporting oppression: examining black and gay male athletes.

PubMed

Anderson, Eric; McCormack, Mark

2010-01-01

This article examines the influence of the racial categories of White and Black and the sexual categories of gay and straight on sporting American men. The effect of the intersection of these cultural categories is discussed by investigating the exclusion of athletes who are both Black and gay, as well as highlighting the culturally perceived differences of (straight) Black and (White) gay men. However, the analysis accounts for more than just difference, examining the commonalities of oppression between these discrete identity groups. We use the research on Black athletes to call for further empirical study on gay athletes. It is argued that critical race theory and intersectionality offer complex and nuanced understandings of these oppressions, which, when theorizing is left solely to the realm of poststructuralism, can otherwise be missed.

"One of the Small Details That Got Overlooked": School Meals as Response to Cultural Diversity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampton, Hazel

1992-01-01

Study examined responses to cultural diversity at three British primary schools with Muslim students. At two schools, Muslim students received different meals when meat was served. Interviews with personnel, parents, and students uncovered undesirable, covert, stereotyping effects from the effort. Policies to avoid such effects and increase…

Socialization of Past Event Talk: Cultural Differences in Maternal Elaborative Reminiscing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tougu, Pirko; Tulviste, Tiia; Schroder, Lisa; Keller, Heidi; De Geer, Boel

2011-01-01

This study examines mother-child reminiscing conversations with respect to variation in use and function of mothers' elaborations, the nature of children's memory elaborations, and the connections between the two, in three Western middle-class cultures where autonomy is valued over relatedness. Mothers participated with their 4-year-old children…

Examining the Relationship between Safety Management System Implementation and Safety Culture in Collegiate Flight Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Mike Fuller

2017-01-01

Safety Management Systems (SMS) are becoming the industry standard for safety management throughout the aviation industry. As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to mandate SMS for different segments, the assessment of an organization's safety culture becomes more important. An SMS can facilitate the development of a strong…

Representing Latino/a Culture in Introductory Spanish Textbooks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elissondo, Guillermina

This paper examines the kinds of visuals that Spanish language textbooks use to legitimize Latino/a culture, noting how different groups are presented and represented by the narratives; how ethnicity, class, gender, age, and sexual inclinations interplay with power relations, and what ideologies weave the textual fabric of foreign language books.…

Women in Academe: Historical and Sociological Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Jan W.

This paper examines the unequal status of women in academic life from the ideological framework of the women's movement and issues a call to action to change this position. The paper discusses the following issues: (1) persons in the majority culture highlight the differences between them and the minority by exaggerating their culture; (2) the…

Anxiety Levels Among Japanese Students on American Campuses: Implications for Academic Advisors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinoshita, Akiko; Bowman, Robert L.

1998-01-01

International students face a variety of challenges related to language difficulties, immigration issues, and culture shock. Asian students are less likely to seek help for their emotional and interpersonal problems than their American counterparts, due to culturally different help-seeking preferences. A study examined levels of anxiety among…

Lay Meanings of Health among Rural Older Adults in Appalachia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goins, R. Turner; Spencer, S. Melinda; Williams, Kimberly

2011-01-01

Purpose: Self-perceptions of health vary depending on one's social and cultural context. Rural residents have been characterized as having a distinct culture, and health differences by residence have been well documented. While there is evidence of poor health among rural older adults, little research has examined how they perceive and define…

Links between Adolescents' Relationships with Peers, Parents, and Their Values in Three Cultural Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tamm, Anni; Kasearu, Kairi; Tulviste, Tiia; Trommsdorff, Gisela

2018-01-01

The study examined associations among adolescents' perceived mother-child and father-child relationship quality (intimacy, conflict, and admiration), perceived peer acceptance, and their values (individualism and collectivism) in a sample of 795 Estonian, German, and Russian 15-year-olds. Adolescents from the three cultural contexts differed in…

Literacy in ESL: Pedagogical and Cultural Pathfinding in Fiji.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lotherington-Woloszyn, Heather

Although English is a colonial heritage in Fiji, it links the country's different ethnic groups and is the language of instruction for formal education. This paper examines pedagogical and cultural implications of the present primary English curriculum, based on findings from an empirical study of primary English teaching in Fiji. It reviews the…

Digital Divide among Youth: Socio-Cultural Factors and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parycek, Peter; Sachs, Michael; Schossbock, Judith

2011-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to examine socio-cultural differences in internet use (Digital Divide) among 14-year-old Austrian pupils, in particular usage scenarios and research competences. It is based on a paper presented at the International Association for the Development of the Information Society e-Society conference, 10-13 March 2011, Spain…

Complementary Person-Culture Values Fit and Hierarchical Career Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holtschlag, Claudia; Morales, Carlos E.; Masuda, Aline D.; Maydeu-Olivares, Alberto

2013-01-01

Although career success is an issue of global concern, few studies have examined the antecedents of career success across cultures. In this study we test whether the relationship between individuals' self-enhancement values (achievement and power) and hierarchical status differs across 29 countries and whether this variation depends on countries'…

"American" or "Multiethnic"? Family Ethnic Identity among Transracial Adoptive Families, Ethnic-Racial Socialization, and Children's Self-Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinderhughes, Ellen E.; Zhang, Xian; Agerbak, Susanne

2015-01-01

Drawing on a model of ethnic-racial socialization (E-RS; Pinderhughes, 2013), this study examined hypothesized relations among parents' role variables (family ethnic identity and acknowledgment of cultural and racial differences), cultural socialization (CS) behaviors, and children's self-perceptions (ethnic self-label and feelings about…

Similarity of Mothers' and Preschool Teachers' Evaluations of Socialization Goals in a Cross-Cultural Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Döge, Paula; Keller, Heidi

2014-01-01

This study examines the similarity of socialization goals of a group of mothers with different cultural backgrounds and their children's respective preschool teachers in Germany. Additionally, the researchers were interested in the relationship between the degree of mother-teacher similarity and maternal satisfaction with child care. Questionnaire…

Influence of Clerkship on Attitudes of Medical Students toward Psychiatry across Cultures: United States and Qatar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgut, F. Tuna; Polan, H. Jonathan

2013-01-01

Objective: To assure adequate treatment for patients with mental illness worldwide, medical schools must impart positive attitudes toward psychiatry. The authors examined the effect of culture on changes in attitudes toward psychiatry among medical students receiving the same psychiatry clerkship curriculum in two different countries. Methods: A…

Cultural Capital Theory: A Study of Children Enrolled in Rural and Urban Head Start Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bojczyk, Kathryn E.; Rogers-Haverback, Heather; Pae, Hye; Davis, Anna E.; Mason, Rihana S.

2015-01-01

Children from different backgrounds have disparate access to cultural capital, which may influence their academic success. The purpose of this study was to examine the links between family background, home literacy experiences, and emergent literacy skills among preschoolers enrolled in Head Start programmes. The background characteristics studied…

Teachers' Initial Training in Cultural Diversity in Spain: Attitudes and Pedagogical Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Odet Moliner; Lopez, Rafaela Garcia

2005-01-01

This paper examines a number of issues relating to educational responsibility for increasing social cohesion and preventing the segregation of people from different cultures who have to pass through the Spanish educational system. Using a descriptive analysis, we review the present situation. Our review shows that the treatment of cultural…

"¿Pertenezco a Esta Universidad?" The Mediating Role of Belonging for Collective Self-Esteem and Mattering for Latin@ Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dueñas, Mary; Gloria, Alberta M.

2017-01-01

We examined differences in and relationship of psychological (collective self-esteem), social (cohesion and university belonging), and cultural (cultural congruity) dimensions of university mattering for 141 Latin@ undergraduates. Collectively the dimensions accounted for 50% of the variance, with the psychological dimension having the largest…

Whiteness and National Identity: Teacher Discourses in Australian Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, Jessica; Priest, Naomi; Kowal, Emma; White, Fiona; Fox, Brandi; Paradies, Yin

2018-01-01

The study examines how white teachers talked to children about national identity and cultural diversity by drawing on qualitative research with eight- to 12-year-old students and their teachers from four Australian primary schools with different racial, ethnic and cultural demographics. Despite a range of explicit and implicit approaches that…

A Case Study of Cultural Misinterpretations of Behavior in One Preservice Teacher's Lesson.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corrigan, Stephanie Zweig

This exploratory study examined the interactions of preservice teachers with their pupils to determine if differences in interaction were seen. Explorations of teacher thinking, particularly the social cognitive process of trait attribution and the role of cultural background experiences, were key areas of analysis. The literature reviews…

Transformative Teaching: Changing Today's Classrooms Culturally, Academically, and Emotionally

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kryza, Kathleen; Brittingham, MaryAnn; Duncan, Alicia

2015-01-01

This book helps teachers support and engage the many different kinds of learners in schools. It examines the most effective strategies for leading diverse students in developing the skills they need inside and outside the classroom. By understanding and exploring students emotional, cultural, and academic needs, educators will be better prepared…

How Culture Matters in Educational Borrowing? Chinese Teachers' Dilemmas in a Global Era

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Sheng-nan; Feng, Da-ming

2015-01-01

Educational borrowing may cause numerous dilemmas that emerge from cross-cultural differences among teachers in the globalization. Through the case study on the flipped classroom introduced from the United States into Chinese middle schools, this article presents an examination of dilemmas that teachers encountered during educational borrowing in…

Travelling Drum with Different Beats: Experiencing African Music and Culture in Australian Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joseph, Dawn

2005-01-01

This article reports on a study that examined the effectiveness of introducing African music and culture to Australian non-specialist primary teacher education students at Deakin University in Melbourne (Australia). The study demonstrates that African music enhanced the generic musical experiences, learning, motivation, interest, confidence and…

Acculturative Stress and Coping: Gender Differences among Korean and Korean American University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Diane Sookyoung; Padilla, Amado M.

2014-01-01

In this study we examined acculturative stress and coping among 86 students of Korean heritage at an American university. Participants indicated their stress levels on 3 scales of cultural adaptation: discrimination, language and cultural ties, and social distance. Findings show that self-identified Korean students displayed higher levels of…

In vitro inhibition of human lymphocyte transformation by natural or synthetic prostaglandins.

PubMed

Rigaud, M; Breton, J C; Gualde, N; Malinvaud, G

1979-09-01

We have examined the role of 45 natural or synthetic prostaglandins (PGs) in the in vitro responsiveness of human lymphocytes toward two different varieties of mitogenic stimuli: the mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) and the tuberculinic test (LTT). Addition of PGs to culture of lymphocytes decreases the uptake of 3H thymidin.

Nonexpert Evaluations on Architectural Design Creativity across Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Seung Wan; Lee, Jae Seung

2015-01-01

This article examines the relationship between cultural differences and the nonexpert evaluations of architectural design creativity. In study I, Caucasian Americans (N = 126) and East Asians (N = 137), who did not major in architecture and urban design, evaluated the novelty and appropriateness of 5 unusual architectural shapes, selected by 5…

Parental Attitudes to Cultural and Linguistic Pluralism in Australia: A Humanistic Sociological Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smolicz, J. J.; Lean, R.

1979-01-01

Since Australia is experiencing major shifts in ethnic composition, this study sought to examine the extent of change in value orientation toward cultural/linguistic pluralism, using data from a parent survey in all Catholic secondary schools in South Australia. Responses of parents from different ethnic backgrounds are considered. (SJL)

Young Children's Analogical Reasoning across Cultures: Similarities and Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richland, Lindsey Engle; Chan, Tsz-Kit; Morrison, Robert G.; Au, Terry Kit-Fong

2010-01-01

A cross-cultural comparison between U.S. and Hong Kong preschoolers examined factors responsible for young children's analogical reasoning errors. On a scene analogy task, both groups had adequate prerequisite knowledge of the key relations, were the same age, and showed similar baseline performance, yet Chinese children outperformed U.S. children…

Cultural differences in symptom representation for depression and somatization measured by the PHQ between Vietnamese and German psychiatric outpatients.

PubMed

Dreher, Annegret; Hahn, Eric; Diefenbacher, Albert; Nguyen, Main Huong; Böge, Kerem; Burian, Hannah; Dettling, Michael; Burian, Ronald; Ta, Thi Minh Tam

2017-11-01

Despite an extensive body of research on somatic symptom presentation among people of East- and Southeast-Asian descent, results are still inconclusive. Examining and comparing symptom presentation in clinically and ethnically well-characterized populations may constitute a step towards understanding symptom presentation between patients with a different cultural background. This study aims to compare Vietnamese and German patients regarding cultural dynamics of symptom presentation upon first admission to a psychiatric outpatient service. 110 Vietnamese and 109 German patients seeking psychiatric treatment at two outpatient clinics completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). The somatic symptom subscale (PHQ-15), the depression subscale (PHQ-9) and PHQ-subscales examining anxiety and psychosocial stress levels were analyzed and compared for both groups using multivariate analysis of covariance. Regression analysis was utilized to examine the influences of sociodemographic and migration specific factors. Vietnamese and German patients showed comparable Cronbach's alpha for all subscales. Vietnamese patients endorsed significantly higher levels of somatic symptoms overall and on certain items (as pain-related items, dizziness, and fainting spells) despite similar levels of depression severity in comparison with German patients. Vietnamese patients with poor German language skills showed a significantly higher focus on somatic symptoms. Raising awareness for cultural dynamics of symptom presentation in patients with depression is indispensable. Cross-cultural symptom assessment using the PHQ seems feasible and expands our understanding of depressive and psychosomatic symptoms when assessed by clinicians. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Distant but relative: Similarities and differences in gender role beliefs among African American and Vietnamese American women.

PubMed

Abrams, Jasmine A; Javier, Sarah J; Maxwell, Morgan L; Belgrave, Faye Z; Nguyen, Boa Anh

2016-04-01

Research attempting to identify similarities or disentangle differences in ethnic minority gender role beliefs has been largely absent in the literature, and a gap remains for qualitative examinations of such phenomena. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap in the literature by providing a qualitative examination of the differences and similarities of gender role beliefs among African American and Vietnamese American women. Thematic analyses were conducted with data gathered from 8 focus groups with 44 African American women (mean age = 44 years) and 4 focus Groups 47 Vietnamese American women (mean age = 42 years). Women were diverse in generational, religious, and educational backgrounds. Two similar primary themes emerged: (a) women's roles as chief caretakers and (b) women's responsibility to fulfill multiple roles. There were also similar experiences of a need to convey strength and be self-sacrificial. Two distinct differences that emerged from the focus groups were beliefs about interpersonal interactions and perceptions of societal expectations. This study demonstrates that the conceptualization of gender role beliefs, although at times similar, diverges among culturally different groups. To account for these and other culturally nuanced differences, measures of gender role beliefs should be culturally tailored and culturally specific. However, researchers have largely excluded ethnic minority women in the development of the most widely used measures of gender role beliefs in the U.S. The inclusion of diverse women in research will help prevent pitfalls of conflating and ignoring intragroup differences among different groups of marginalized women. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

A Chinese young adult non-scientist's epistemologies and her understandings of the concept of speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Ying; Brizuela, Barbara M.

2015-08-01

Past research has investigated students' epistemologies while they were taking courses that required an integrated understanding of mathematical and scientific concepts. However, past studies have not investigated students who are not currently enrolled in such classes. Additionally, past studies have primarily focused on individuals who are native English speakers from Western cultures. In this paper, we aim to investigate whether Hammer and his colleagues' claims concerning learners' epistemologies could be extended to individuals who lack advanced mathematics and science training, have had different cultural and learning experiences, and have grown up speaking and learning in another language. To this end, we interviewed a participant with these characteristics about her understandings of the concept of speed. Our findings show that previous theoretical frameworks can be used to explain the epistemologies of the individual examined in this study. The case suggests that these theories may be relevant regardless of the learner's mathematics and science background, language, educational experience, and cultural background. In the future, more cases should be examined with learners from different academic backgrounds and cultures to further support this finding.

Depth in Cultural Socialization in Families with Children Adopted from China.

PubMed

Zhang, Xian; Pinderhughes, Ellen E

2018-03-13

Parents raising children adopted from a different racial/ethnic group usually engage in cultural socialization-providing activities in adoptees' birth culture-hoping to instill pride and help adoptees develop a positive identity. Adoptive parents engage in a wide variety of socialization activities, yet adult adoptees have reported not having deep enough exposure from their parents. The present study explored the depth of cultural socialization in transracial adoptive families. Informed by Pinderhughes' Ethnic-Racial Socialization model, this study developed a continuum examining the depth in cultural socialization with three indicators: (1) the depth of cultural activities, (2) parents' motivation for cultural socialization, and (3) parental cultural attitudes. Qualitative analyses of 41 White parents raising children adopted from China found that parents' motivation and acknowledgement of cultural differences reflected deep appreciation of adoptees' birth culture, however, activities they provided were not as deep. Activities that facilitated close relationships with people who shared adoptees' background in a natural context appeared to provide the deepest cultural connection. Despite limitations, the study demonstrated that the depth continuum was able to capture variations and nuances in cultural socialization. Suggestions for future research and recommendation for practice were also included. © 2018 Family Process Institute.

Definitions of healing and healing interventions across different cultures.

PubMed

Lichtenstein, Ann H; Berger, Ann; Cheng, M Jennifer

2017-07-01

For centuries healing has been embedded in non-Western cultures. Traditional cultures believe that healing is derived from the divine and utilize a holistic approach to healing including the body, mind, and spirit. The community and environment are key elements in individual healing along with herbal remedies and ceremonies. Western cultures have accepted some traditional methods of relaxation and exercise, such as yoga and tai chi. In this paper we will examine some similar themes of traditional practices to better understand traditional patients' healing paradigm and find new tools as practitioners of Western medicine.

[The artistic-cultural field in Brazilian psychiatric reform: the identity paradigm of recognition].

PubMed

Amarante, Paulo; Freitas, Fernando; Pande, Mariana Rangel; Nabuco, Edvaldo

2013-12-01

This article presents the results of a qualitative study examining a series of artistic and cultural activities that emerged over the last years in Brazil in the context of psychiatric reform. Using both semi-structured interviews with users and mental health professionals as the authors of these activities, as well as participant observation in cultural and artistic events within the period 2007-2010, this study analyzes the role of recognition within the artistic-cultural dimension in the production of subjectivities different from those produced by the traditional psychiatric field.

Cultural adaptation and translation of measures: an integrated method.

PubMed

Sidani, Souraya; Guruge, Sepali; Miranda, Joyal; Ford-Gilboe, Marilyn; Varcoe, Colleen

2010-04-01

Differences in the conceptualization and operationalization of health-related concepts may exist across cultures. Such differences underscore the importance of examining conceptual equivalence when adapting and translating instruments. In this article, we describe an integrated method for exploring conceptual equivalence within the process of adapting and translating measures. The integrated method involves five phases including selection of instruments for cultural adaptation and translation; assessment of conceptual equivalence, leading to the generation of a set of items deemed to be culturally and linguistically appropriate to assess the concept of interest in the target community; forward translation; back translation (optional); and pre-testing of the set of items. Strengths and limitations of the proposed integrated method are discussed. (c) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A cross-cultural study on noise problems: Comparison of the results obtained in Japan, West Germany, the U.S.A., China and Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namba, S.; Kuwano, S.; Schick, A.; Açlar, A.; Florentine, M.; Da Rui, Zheng

1991-12-01

Neighborhood noise has become a serious problem in many countries, and it is difficult to regulate by physical means alone. A cross-cultural survey was conducted in five countries, Japan, West Germany, the United States, China and Turkey, among residents of apartment houses in order to examine the cultural differences involved. Interesting differences were found in preferred countermeasures, highly annoying sounds, attitudes against noise, expectations for laws, etc. The use of loudspeakers in public places was accepted in all five countries, provided that they were used for conveying necessary information. The results suggest that it is important to take cultural or social backgrounds into consideration in order to find suitable countermeasures.

In vitro differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells into neurons and glial cells and differential protein expression in a two-compartment bone marrow stromal cell/neuron co-culture system.

PubMed

Qi, Xu; Shao, Ming; Peng, Haisheng; Bi, Zhenggang; Su, Zhiqiang; Li, Hulun

2010-07-01

This study was performed to establish a bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC)/neuron two-compartment co-culture model in which differentiation of BMSCs into neurons could occur without direct contact between the two cell types, and to investigate protein expression changes during differentiation of this entirely BMSC-derived population. Cultured BMSCs isolated from Wistar rats were divided into three groups: BMSC culture, BMSC/neuron co-culture and BMSC/neuron two-compartment co-culture. Cells were examined for neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression. The electrophysiological behavior of the BMSCs was examined using patch clamping. Proteins that had significantly different expression levels in BMSCs cultured alone and co-cultured with neurons were studied using a protein chip-mass spectroscopy technique. Expression of NSE and GFAP were significantly higher in co-culture cells than in two-compartment co-culture cells, and significantly higher in both co-culture groups than in BMSCs cultured alone. Five proteins showed significant changes in expression during differentiation: TIP39_RAT and CALC_RAT underwent increases, and INSL6_RAT, PNOC_RAT and PCSK1_RAT underwent decreases in expression. We conclude that BMSCs can differentiate into neurons during both contact co-culture with neurons and two-compartment co-culture with neurons. The rate at which BMSCs differentiated into neurons was higher in contact co-culture than in non-contact co-culture.

A cross-cultural perspective of parental influence on female adolescents' achievement beliefs and behaviors in sport and school domains.

PubMed

Bhalla, Jennifer A; Weiss, Maureen R

2010-12-01

Little is known about parental socialization processes for youth participants from different cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to examine parental influence on self-perceptions, task values, and achievement behaviors among female adolescents from two cultures using Eccles' expectancy-value theory (Eccles et al., 1983). Twelve Anglo Canadian and nine East Indian female adolescents were interviewed about perceptions of parental influence on expectancy-value constructs for sport and academic domains. Inductive and deductive content analyses were performed to identify lower and higher order themes from interview responses. Similarities and differences in perceived parental influence emerged for girls of both cultural groups and in both domains. Our findings support links among expectancy-value constructs and highlight cultural variations in parental socialization of achievement cognitions and behaviors in multiple domains.

Guidelines for adapting cognitive stimulation therapy to other cultures

PubMed Central

Aguirre, Elisa; Spector, Aimee; Orrell, Martin

2014-01-01

Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) has been shown to be an useful and cost effective intervention that increases cognition and quality of life of people with mild to moderate dementia. It is increasing in popularity in the UK and worldwide, and a number of research teams have examined its effectiveness in other contexts and cultures. However, it is necessary to develop clear evidence-based guidelines for cultural modification of the intervention. This article describes a community-based developmental approach to adapt CST to different cultures, following the five phases of the formative method for adapting psychotherapy (FMAP), an approach that involves collaborating with service users as a first step to generate and support ideas for therapy adaptation. Examples based on clinical and practical experience are presented, along with suggestions for applying these changes in different cultural contexts. PMID:25061282

The cultural politics of mining and natural disaster in Indonesia: by fire and sword.

PubMed

Lewis, Jeff; Lewis, Belinda

2017-01-01

Natural disasters are inevitably the outcome of cultural agonisms. The cultural politics of natural disasters are shaped by competing claims and conceptions of 'nature'. Recent disasters in Indonesia are directly linked to these contending conceptions and the ways in which different social groups imagine risk and reward. The Sidoarjo volcanic mudflow of 2006 represents a volatile and violent exemplar of contending cultural and economic claims. Like other disasters in Indonesia and elsewhere in the developing world, this 'natural' disaster is characterised by differing conceptions of 'nature' as cultural tradition, divine force, and natural resource. A new extractive project in East Java is exhibiting similar economic and cultural agonisms, particularly around the notion of development, environment, self-determination, and tradition. This paper examines the 'disputes over meaning' associated with natural disasters in contemporary societies, and the ways in which they are related to human culture, social organisation, and hierarchical systems of violence. © 2017 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2017.

Do we overemphasize the role of culture in the behavior of racial/ethnic minorities? Evidence of a cultural (mis)attribution bias in American psychology.

PubMed

Causadias, José M; Vitriol, Joseph A; Atkin, Annabelle L

2018-04-01

Although culture influences all human beings, there is an assumption in American psychology that culture matters more for members of certain groups. This article identifies and provides evidence of the cultural (mis)attribution bias: a tendency to overemphasize the role of culture in the behavior of racial/ethnic minorities, and to underemphasize it in the behavior of Whites. Two studies investigated the presence of this bias with an examination of a decade of peer reviewed research conducted in the United States (N = 434 articles), and an experiment and a survey with psychology professors in the United States (N = 361 psychologists). Archival analyses revealed differences in the composition of samples used in studies examining cultural or noncultural psychological phenomena. We also find evidence to suggest that psychologists in the United States favor cultural explanations over psychological explanations when considering the behavior and cognition of racial/ethnic minorities, whereas the opposite pattern emerged in reference to Whites. The scientific ramifications of this phenomenon, as well as alternatives to overcome it, are discussed in detail. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Patient safety culture in out-of-hours primary care services in the Netherlands: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Smits, Marleen; Keizer, Ellen; Giesen, Paul; Deilkås, Ellen Catharina Tveter; Hofoss, Dag; Bondevik, Gunnar Tschudi

2018-03-01

To examine patient safety culture in Dutch out-of-hours primary care using the safety attitudes questionnaire (SAQ) which includes five factors: teamwork climate, safety climate, job satisfaction, perceptions of management and communication openness. Cross-sectional observational study using an anonymous web-survey. Setting Sixteen out-of-hours general practitioner (GP) cooperatives and two call centers in the Netherlands. Subjects Primary healthcare providers in out-of-hours services. Main outcome measures Mean scores on patient safety culture factors; association between patient safety culture and profession, gender, age, and working experience. Overall response rate was 43%. A total of 784 respondents were included; mainly GPs (N = 470) and triage nurses (N = 189). The healthcare providers were most positive about teamwork climate and job satisfaction, and less about communication openness and safety climate. The largest variation between clinics was found on safety climate; the lowest on teamwork climate. Triage nurses scored significantly higher than GPs on each of the five patient safety factors. Older healthcare providers scored significantly higher than younger on safety climate and perceptions of management. More working experience was positively related to higher teamwork climate and communication openness. Gender was not associated with any of the patient safety factors. Our study showed that healthcare providers perceive patient safety culture in Dutch GP cooperatives positively, but there are differences related to the respondents' profession, age and working experience. Recommendations for future studies are to examine reasons for these differences, to examine the effects of interventions to improve safety culture and to make international comparisons of safety culture. Key Points Creating a positive patient safety culture is assumed to be a prerequisite for quality and safety. We found that: • healthcare providers in Dutch GP cooperatives perceive patient safety culture positively; • triage nurses scored higher than GPs, and older and more experienced healthcare professionals scored higher than younger and less experienced professionals - on several patient safety culture factors; and • within the GP cooperatives, safety climate and openness of communication had the largest potential for improvement.

Patient safety culture in out-of-hours primary care services in the Netherlands: a cross-sectional survey

PubMed Central

Smits, Marleen; Keizer, Ellen; Giesen, Paul; Deilkås, Ellen Catharina Tveter; Hofoss, Dag; Bondevik, Gunnar Tschudi

2018-01-01

Objective To examine patient safety culture in Dutch out-of-hours primary care using the safety attitudes questionnaire (SAQ) which includes five factors: teamwork climate, safety climate, job satisfaction, perceptions of management and communication openness. Design Cross-sectional observational study using an anonymous web-survey. Setting Sixteen out-of-hours general practitioner (GP) cooperatives and two call centers in the Netherlands. Subjects Primary healthcare providers in out-of-hours services. Main outcome measures Mean scores on patient safety culture factors; association between patient safety culture and profession, gender, age, and working experience. Results Overall response rate was 43%. A total of 784 respondents were included; mainly GPs (N = 470) and triage nurses (N = 189). The healthcare providers were most positive about teamwork climate and job satisfaction, and less about communication openness and safety climate. The largest variation between clinics was found on safety climate; the lowest on teamwork climate. Triage nurses scored significantly higher than GPs on each of the five patient safety factors. Older healthcare providers scored significantly higher than younger on safety climate and perceptions of management. More working experience was positively related to higher teamwork climate and communication openness. Gender was not associated with any of the patient safety factors. Conclusions Our study showed that healthcare providers perceive patient safety culture in Dutch GP cooperatives positively, but there are differences related to the respondents’ profession, age and working experience. Recommendations for future studies are to examine reasons for these differences, to examine the effects of interventions to improve safety culture and to make international comparisons of safety culture. Key Points Creating a positive patient safety culture is assumed to be a prerequisite for quality and safety. We found that: • healthcare providers in Dutch GP cooperatives perceive patient safety culture positively; • triage nurses scored higher than GPs, and older and more experienced healthcare professionals scored higher than younger and less experienced professionals – on several patient safety culture factors; and • within the GP cooperatives, safety climate and openness of communication had the largest potential for improvement. PMID:29334826

Cultural Difference in Conflict Management Strategies of Children and Its Development: Comparing 3- and 5-Year-Olds across China, Japan, and Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maruyama, Hiroki; Ujiie, Tatsuo; Takai, Jiro; Takahama, Yuko; Sakagami, Hiroko; Shibayama, Makoto; Fukumoto, Mayumi; Ninomiya, Katsumi; Hyang Ah, Park; Feng, Xiaoxia; Takatsuji, Chie; Hirose, Miwa; Kudo, Rei; Shima, Yoshihiro; Nakayama, Rumiko; Hamaie, Noriko; Zhang, Feng; Moriizumi, Satoshi

2015-01-01

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the development of conflict management strategies, focusing on 3- and 5-year-olds, through a comparison of 3 neighboring Asian cultures, those of China (n = 114), Japan (n = 98), and Korea (n = 90). The dual concern model of conflict management was adopted to probe which…

The Story-Presenting Method: a Method for Constructing Multiple Viewpoints to Understand Different Cultures.

PubMed

Watanabe, Tadaharu

2017-09-01

This study will show the results of four dialogical cultural exchange classes, which were held between Japanese and Chinese high school students, and examine the shifts in students' viewpoints and changes in cultural understandings that occurred during those classes. In the first cultural exchange class, students of both countries read a story which described an older student who carelessly wore a T-shirt inside out, and younger students passed by without greeting him. Students of both countries were then asked to write their comments about it. From the second to the fourth class, students discussed the story with each other through exchanging their comments. By presenting another story, which introduced the viewpoint of a third person, and asking them questions that allowed them to reflect on their lives, students also experienced four different viewpoints during these cultural exchange classes. At the beginning of the cultural exchange, students of both countries tended to focus on the similarities in each other's comments, which led to the closing down of the discussion. However, through discussions and experiencing the four different viewpoints, they found there are some essential differences between them around 'ways of greeting' and 'hierarchical relationships between older and younger students', which motivated them to understand their counterparts' culture. Moreover, in the last comments of these cultural exchange classes, it was found that they acquired the viewpoints of cultural others. Given the results of these classes, it is shown that it is effective to present various stories to stimulate cultural understanding.

An innovative three-dimensional gelatin foam culture system for improved study of glioblastoma stem cell behavior.

PubMed

Yang, Meng-Yin; Chiao, Ming-Tsang; Lee, Hsu-Tung; Chen, Chien-Min; Yang, Yi-Chin; Shen, Chiung-Chyi; Ma, Hsin-I

2015-04-01

Three-dimensional (3-D) tissue engineered constructs provide a platform for examining how the local extracellular matrix contributes to the malignancy of various cancers, including human glioblastoma multiforme. Here, we describe a simple and innovative 3-D culture environment and assess its potential for use with glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) to examine the diversification inside the cell mass in the 3-D culture system. The dissociated human GSCs were cultured using gelatin foam. These cells were subsequently identified by immunohistochemical staining, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot assay. We demonstrate that the gelatin foam provides a suitable microenvironment, as a 3-D culture system, for GSCs to maintain their stemness. The gelatin foam culture system contributes a simplified assessment of cell blocks for immunohistochemistry assay. We show that the significant transcription activity of hypoxia and the protein expression of inflammatory responses are detected at the inside of the cell mass in vitro, while robust expression of PROM1/CD133 and hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha are detected at the xenografted tumor in vivo. We also examine the common clinical trials under this culture platform and characterized a significant difference of drug resistance. The 3-D gelatin foam culture system can provide a more realistic microenvironment through which to study the in vivo behavior of GSCs to evaluate the role that biophysical factors play in the hypoxia, inflammatory responses and subsequent drug resistance. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Culture, cultural factors and psychiatric diagnosis: review and projections.

PubMed

Alarcón, Renato D

2009-10-01

This paper aims to provide conceptual justifications for the inclusion of culture and cultural factors in psychiatric diagnosis, and logistic suggestions as to the content and use of this approach. A discussion of the scope and limitations of current diagnostic practice, criticisms from different quarters, and the role and relevance of culture in the diagnostic encounter, precede the examination of advantages and disadvantages of the approach. The cultural content of psychiatric diagnosis should include the main, well-recognized cultural variables, adequate family data, explanatory models, and strengths and weaknesses of every individual patient. The practical aspects include the acceptance of "cultural discordances" as a component of an updated definition of mental disorder, and the use of a refurbished cultural formulation. Clinical "telescoping" strategies to obtain relevant cultural data during the diagnostic interview, and areas of future research (including field trials on the cultural formulation and on "culture bound syndromes"), are outlined.

Cultural transmission through infant signs: Objects and actions in U.S. and Taiwan.

PubMed

Wang, Wen; Vallotton, Claire

2016-08-01

Infant signs are intentionally taught/learned symbolic gestures which can be used to represent objects, actions, requests, and mental state. Through infant signs, parents and infants begin to communicate specific concepts earlier than children's first spoken language. This study examines whether cultural differences in language are reflected in children's and parents' use of infant signs. Parents speaking East Asian languages with their children utilize verbs more often than do English-speaking mothers; and compared to their English-learning peers, Chinese children are more likely to learn verbs as they first acquire spoken words. By comparing parents' and infants' use of infant signs in the U.S. and Taiwan, we investigate cultural differences of noun/object versus verb/action bias before children's first language. Parents reported their own and their children's use of first infant signs retrospectively. Results show that cultural differences in parents' and children's infant sign use were consistent with research on early words, reflecting cultural differences in communication functions (referential versus regulatory) and child-rearing goals (independent versus interdependent). The current study provides evidence that intergenerational transmission of culture through symbols begins prior to oral language. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cross-cultural differences in risk perceptions of disasters.

PubMed

Gierlach, Elaine; Belsher, Bradley E; Beutler, Larry E

2010-10-01

Public risk perceptions of mass disasters carry considerable influences, both psychologically and economically, despite their oft-times imprecise nature. Prior research has identified the presence of an optimistic bias that affects risk perception, but there is a dearth of literature examining how these perceptions differ among cultures-particularly with regard to mass disasters. The present study explores differences among Japanese, Argentinean, and North American mental health workers in their rates of the optimistic bias in risk perceptions as contrasted between natural disasters and terrorist events. The results indicate a significant difference among cultures in levels of perceived risk that do not correspond to actual exposure rates. Japanese groups had the highest risk perceptions for both types of hazards and North Americans and Argentineans had the lowest risk perceptions for terrorism. Additionally, participants across all cultures rated risk to self as lower than risk to others (optimistic bias) across all disaster types. These findings suggest that cultural factors may have a greater influence on risk perception than social exposure, and that the belief that one is more immune to disasters compared to others may be a cross-cultural phenomenon. © 2010 Society for Risk Analysis.

Cultural and social determinants of health among indigenous Mexican migrants in the United States.

PubMed

Lee, Junghee; Donlan, William; Cardoso, Edgar Ezequiel Orea; Paz, Juan Jesus

2013-01-01

Despite growing numbers, indigenous Mexican migrants are relatively invisible to health practitioners who group them with nonindigenous, mestizo Mexican-origin populations. Associations between indigenous and mestizo cultural identifications with psychosocial characteristics and health indicators among indigenous Mexican migrants were examined. Results revealed gender differences in cultural identifications, perceived discrimination, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and various health indicators including depression severity, culture-bound syndromes, and self-rated health. Multivariate regression and structural equation path modeling demonstrated how indigenous cultural identification and perceived discrimination affects health. Findings suggest that interventions should utilize indigenous community-based activities designed to promote self-esteem and the value of indigenous culture, with a focus on females.

Cultural context in medical ethics: lessons from Japan.

PubMed

Powell, Tia

2006-04-03

This paper examines two topics in Japanese medical ethics: non-disclosure of medical information by Japanese physicians, and the history of human rights abuses by Japanese physicians during World War II. These contrasting issues show how culture shapes our view of ethically appropriate behavior in medicine. An understanding of cultural context reveals that certain practices, such as withholding diagnostic information from patients, may represent ethical behavior in that context. In contrast, nonconsensual human experimentation designed to harm the patient is inherently unethical irrespective of cultural context. Attempts to define moral consensus in bioethics, and to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable variation across different cultural contexts, remain central challenges in articulating international, culturally sensitive norms in medical ethics.

Cultural context in medical ethics: lessons from Japan

PubMed Central

Powell, Tia

2006-01-01

This paper examines two topics in Japanese medical ethics: non-disclosure of medical information by Japanese physicians, and the history of human rights abuses by Japanese physicians during World War II. These contrasting issues show how culture shapes our view of ethically appropriate behavior in medicine. An understanding of cultural context reveals that certain practices, such as withholding diagnostic information from patients, may represent ethical behavior in that context. In contrast, nonconsensual human experimentation designed to harm the patient is inherently unethical irrespective of cultural context. Attempts to define moral consensus in bioethics, and to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable variation across different cultural contexts, remain central challenges in articulating international, culturally sensitive norms in medical ethics. PMID:16759415

Cultural neuroeconomics of intertemporal choice.

PubMed

Takahashi, Taiki; Hadzibeganovic, Tarik; Cannas, Sergio A; Makino, Takaki; Fukui, Hiroki; Kitayama, Shinobu

2009-01-01

According to theories of cultural neuroscience, Westerners and Easterners may have distinct styles of cognition (e.g., different allocation of attention). Previous research has shown that Westerners and Easterners tend to utilize analytical and holistic cognitive styles, respectively. On the other hand, little is known regarding the cultural differences in neuroeconomic behavior. For instance, economic decisions may be affected by cultural differences in neurocomputational processing underlying attention; however, this area of neuroeconomics has been largely understudied. In the present paper, we attempt to bridge this gap by considering the links between the theory of cultural neuroscience and neuroeconomic theory of the role of attention in intertemporal choice. We predict that (i) Westerners are more impulsive and inconsistent in intertemporal choice in comparison to Easterners, and (ii) Westerners more steeply discount delayed monetary losses than Easterners. We examine these predictions by utilizing a novel temporal discounting model based on Tsallis' statistics (i.e. a q-exponential model). Our preliminary analysis of temporal discounting of gains and losses by Americans and Japanese confirmed the predictions from the cultural neuroeconomic theory. Future study directions, employing computational modeling via neural networks, are outlined and discussed.

The influence of socio-cultural background and product value in usability testing.

PubMed

Sonderegger, Andreas; Sauer, Juergen

2013-05-01

This article examines the influence of socio-cultural background and product value on different outcomes of usability tests. A study was conducted in two different socio-cultural regions, Switzerland and East Germany, which differed in a number of aspects (e.g. economic power, price sensitivity and culture). Product value (high vs. low) was varied by manipulating the price of the product. Sixty-four test participants were asked to carry out five typical user tasks in the context of coffee machine usage, measuring performance, perceived usability, and emotion. The results showed that in Switzerland, high-value products were rated higher in usability than low-value products whereas in East Germany, high-value products were evaluated lower in usability. A similar interaction effect of socio-cultural background and product value was observed for user emotion. Implications are that the outcomes of usability tests do not allow for a simple transfer across cultures and that the mediating influence of perceived product value needs to be taken into consideration. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Complexity science and participation in decision making among Taiwanese nurses.

PubMed

Liu, Yi

2008-04-01

The perspective of interconnection in complexity science is used to examine the concept of participation in decision making among Taiwanese nurses in the context of Chinese communication culture. Participation in decision making among nurses has been widely discussed and tested in the Western healthcare systems. Many studies have shown that participation in decision making relates to nurses' autonomy, job satisfaction and quality of care. However, participation in decision making has not been fully discussed in Taiwan's nursing community. In a different cultural environment, participation in decision making may have different effects. The concept of participation in decision making is analysed in three facets of Chinese communication culture: (1) hierarchical social relationship; (2) harmony maintenance; and (3) insider effects. Key issues Taiwanese nurses might establish different levels of participation and need to use different strategies to enhance participation in decision making for desired outcomes. While applying participation in decision making in a different context, it is very important to consider the social and cultural differences. Two implications are made. First, nursing leaders/managers who are working with a multicultural team should be aware of the cultural difference in the pattern of interaction in the process of participation in decision making. Second, leaders/managers should be creative and try to apply different strategies to encourage staff's participation in decision making.

Exploring commonality and difference in in-depth interviewing: a case-study of researching British Asian women.

PubMed

Ramji, Hasmita

2008-03-01

This paper draws on the experience of researching British South Asian women's lives in London as a female British Asian researcher to explore how cultural commonality and difference is shaped by agency and interaction in the research process. It examines these issues through a discussion of how the shared cultural identity of the researcher and the interviewees emerged as both a point of commonality and difference in the research process; with the researcher being ;positioned' in terms of both as a result of the interviewees' agency in interpreting their cultural commonality. In particular, issues of 'Indianness' and religion emerged as points on which interviewees exercised agency and interpreted the researcher's cultural identity. This was the basis on which they claimed commonality or difference and this assessment consequently impacted on their interaction with the researcher. The article suggests that more attention needs to be given to how assumptions made by interviewees regarding the cultural identity of the researcher through their agency and interaction in the research process shapes interview dynamics.

Cross-cultural differences in children's choices, categorizations, and evaluations of truths and lies.

PubMed

Fu, Genyue; Xu, Fen; Cameron, Catherine Ann; Leyman, Gail; Lee, Kang

2007-03-01

This study examined cross-cultural differences and similarities in children's moral understanding of individual- or collective-oriented lies and truths. Seven-, 9-, and 11-year-old Canadian and Chinese children were read stories about story characters facing moral dilemmas about whether to lie or tell the truth to help a group but harm an individual or vice versa. Participants chose to lie or to tell the truth as if they were the character (Experiments 1 and 2) and categorized and evaluated the story characters' truthful and untruthful statements (Experiments 3 and 4). Most children in both cultures labeled lies as lies and truths as truths. The major cultural differences lay in choices and moral evaluations. Chinese children chose lying to help a collective but harm an individual, and they rated it less negatively than lying with opposite consequences. Chinese children rated truth telling to help an individual but harm a group less positively than the alternative. Canadian children did the opposite. These findings suggest that cross-cultural differences in emphasis on groups versus individuals affect children's choices and moral judgments about truth and deception.

Optimum culture duration for growing oocytes to attain meiotic and fertilization competence.

PubMed

Yamochi, Takayuki; Hashimoto, Shu; Yamanaka, Masaya; Nakaoka, Yoshiharu; Morimoto, Yoshiharu

2017-12-15

To determine the optimum culture duration for porcine growing oocytes (GOs) to attain maturation competence, we examined the meiotic competence, chromatin configuration, and fertilization ability of porcine oocytes obtained from early antral follicles and cultured for 10-16 days. The survival rate of oocytes after 10 days of culture (62.8%) was similar to that of oocytes after 12 days of culture (55%) and significantly higher than that of oocytes cultured for 14 and 16 days (52.9 and 24.3%, respectively). No significant difference was observed in the diameter of ooplasm from oocytes cultured for different durations (117.4-118.3 μm). The maturation rates of surviving oocytes after 10 and 16 days of culture (38.3 and 22.7%, respectively) were significantly lower than those of oocytes cultured for 12 and 14 days, and their in vivo counterparts (52.8-62.4%). The number of oocytes with surrounded-nucleolus chromatin was significantly lower in the 10-day culture group (78.4%) as compared with 14-day culture and in vivo counterpart groups (93.6 and 95.1%, respectively). After in vitro maturation and intracytoplasmic sperm injection, no significant difference was observed in the rate of fertilization among oocytes cultured for 12 and 14 days, and their in vivo counterparts (40.5-47.2%). Thus, porcine GOs required at least 12 days to acquire meiotic and fertilization competence, and the culture duration to maximize the number of mature oocytes ranged from 12 to 14 days.

Rethinking historical and cultural source of spontaneous mental models of water cycle: in the perspective of South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nam, Younkyeong

2012-06-01

This review explores Ben-Zvi Assaraf, Eshach, Orion, and Alamour's paper titled "Cultural Differences and Students' Spontaneous Models of the Water Cycle: A Case Study of Jewish and Bedouin Children in Israel" by examining how the authors use the concept of spontaneous mental models to explain cultural knowledge source of Bedouin children's mental model of water compared to Jewish children's mental model of water in nature. My response to Ben-Zvi Assaraf et al.'s work expands upon their explanations of the Bedouin children's cultural knowledge source. Bedouin children's mental model is based on their culture, religion, place of living and everyday life practices related to water. I suggest a different knowledge source for spontaneous mental model of water in nature based on unique history and traditions of South Korea where people think of water in nature in different ways. This forum also addresses how western science dominates South Korean science curriculum and ways of assessing students' conceptual understanding of scientific concepts. Additionally I argue that western science curriculum models could diminish Korean students' understanding of natural world which are based on Korean cultural ways of thinking about the natural world. Finally, I also suggest two different ways of considering this unique knowledge source for a more culturally relevant teaching Earth system education.

The culture of time in neuropsychological assessment: exploring the effects of culture-specific time attitudes on timed test performance in Russian and American samples.

PubMed

Agranovich, Anna V; Panter, A T; Puente, Antonio E; Touradji, Pegah

2011-07-01

Cultural differences in time attitudes and their effect on timed neuropsychological test performance were examined in matched non-clinical samples of 100 Russian and American adult volunteers using 8 tests that were previously reported to be relatively free of cultural bias: Color Trails Test (CTT); Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT); Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT); and Tower of London-Drexel Edition (ToL(Dx)). A measure of time attitudes, the Culture of Time Inventory (COTI-33) was used to assess time attitudes potentially affecting time-limited testing. Americans significantly outscored Russians on CTT, SDMT, and ToL(Dx) (p,.05) while differences in RFFT scores only approached statistical significance. Group differences also emerged in COTI-33 factor scores, which partially mediated differences in performance on CTT-1, SDMT, and ToL(Dx) initiation time, but did not account for the effect of culture on CTT-2. Significant effect of culture was revealed in ratings of familiarity with testing procedures that was negatively related to CTT, ToL(Dx), and SDMT scores. Current findings indicated that attitudes toward time may influence results of time limited testing and suggested that individuals who lack familiarity with timed testing procedures tend to obtain lower scores on timed tests.

The emergence of sex differences in personality traits in early adolescence: A cross-sectional, cross-cultural study.

PubMed

De Bolle, Marleen; De Fruyt, Filip; McCrae, Robert R; Löckenhoff, Corinna E; Costa, Paul T; Aguilar-Vafaie, Maria E; Ahn, Chang-Kyu; Ahn, Hyun-Nie; Alcalay, Lidia; Allik, Jüri; Avdeyeva, Tatyana V; Bratko, Denis; Brunner-Sciarra, Marina; Cain, Thomas R; Chan, Wayne; Chittcharat, Niyada; Crawford, Jarret T; Fehr, Ryan; Ficková, Emília; Gelfand, Michele J; Graf, Sylvie; Gülgöz, Sami; Hřebíčková, Martina; Jussim, Lee; Klinkosz, Waldemar; Knežević, Goran; Leibovich de Figueroa, Nora; Lima, Margarida P; Martin, Thomas A; Marušić, Iris; Mastor, Khairul Anwar; Nakazato, Katsuharu; Nansubuga, Florence; Porrata, Jose; Purić, Danka; Realo, Anu; Reátegui, Norma; Rolland, Jean-Pierre; Schmidt, Vanina; Sekowski, Andrzej; Shakespeare-Finch, Jane; Shimonaka, Yoshiko; Simonetti, Franco; Siuta, Jerzy; Szmigielska, Barbara; Vanno, Vitanya; Wang, Lei; Yik, Michelle; Terracciano, Antonio

2015-01-01

Although large international studies have found consistent patterns of sex differences in personality traits among adults (i.e., women scoring higher on most facets), less is known about cross-cultural sex differences in adolescent personality and the role of culture and age in shaping them. The present study examines the NEO Personality Inventory-3 (McCrae, Costa, & Martin, 2005) informant ratings of adolescents from 23 cultures (N = 4,850), and investigates culture and age as sources of variability in sex differences of adolescents' personality. The effect for Neuroticism (with females scoring higher than males) begins to take on its adult form around age 14. Girls score higher on Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness at all ages between 12 and 17 years. A more complex pattern emerges for Extraversion and Agreeableness, although by age 17, sex differences for these traits are highly similar to those observed in adulthood. Cross-sectional data suggest that (a) with advancing age, sex differences found in adolescents increasingly converge toward adult patterns with respect to both direction and magnitude; (b) girls display sex-typed personality traits at an earlier age than boys; and (c) the emergence of sex differences was similar across cultures. Practical implications of the present findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

East-West, Collectivist-Individualist: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Temperament in Toddlers from Chile, Poland, South Korea, and the U.S

PubMed Central

Krassner, Ariye M.; Gartstein, Maria A.; Park, Curie; Dragan, Wojciech Ł.; Lecannelier, Felipe; Putnam, Samuel P.

2017-01-01

The present study examined toddler temperament across Chilean, South Korean, Polish, and US samples, providing an opportunity to examine both collectivist-individualist and East-West contrasts. The effect of culture on the three factor and 18 dimension scores provided by the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire were investigated. Results provide evidence of cross-cultural differences between the four samples. Chilean toddlers scored significantly higher than US, Polish, and South Korean children on the overall factor of Negative Affectivity, as well as higher than the Polish and South Korean samples on the Surgency factor. South Korean toddlers scored significantly higher on the factor of Effortful Control, and two related dimensions, than US, Polish, or Chilean samples. Results are discussed in terms of the apparent roles of individualism/collectivism and East-West distinctions in shaping temperament development. PMID:29333175

East-West, Collectivist-Individualist: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Temperament in Toddlers from Chile, Poland, South Korea, and the U.S.

PubMed

Krassner, Ariye M; Gartstein, Maria A; Park, Curie; Dragan, Wojciech Ł; Lecannelier, Felipe; Putnam, Samuel P

2017-01-01

The present study examined toddler temperament across Chilean, South Korean, Polish, and US samples, providing an opportunity to examine both collectivist-individualist and East-West contrasts. The effect of culture on the three factor and 18 dimension scores provided by the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire were investigated. Results provide evidence of cross-cultural differences between the four samples. Chilean toddlers scored significantly higher than US, Polish, and South Korean children on the overall factor of Negative Affectivity, as well as higher than the Polish and South Korean samples on the Surgency factor. South Korean toddlers scored significantly higher on the factor of Effortful Control, and two related dimensions, than US, Polish, or Chilean samples. Results are discussed in terms of the apparent roles of individualism/collectivism and East-West distinctions in shaping temperament development.

The association between negative self-descriptions and depressive symptomology: does culture make a difference?

PubMed

Saint Arnault, Denise; Sakamoto, Shinji; Moriwaki, Aiko

2005-04-01

Research findings that depressed Americans endorse more negative self-related adjectives than controls may be related to a shared self-enhancement cultural frame. This study examines the relationship between negative core self-descriptors and depressive symptoms in 79 Japanese and 50 American women. Americans had more positive self-descriptions and core self-descriptors; however, there were no cultural group differences in number of negative self-descriptors or core self-descriptors. There was a significant correlation between negative core self-descriptor and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for Americans only, explaining 10.6% of the BDI variance. Analysis of variance revealed that there was significant BDI group differences for American negative core self-descriptor only. Theoretical possibilities are discussed.

The Association Between Negative Self-Descriptions and Depressive Symptomology: Does Culture Make a Difference?

PubMed Central

Sakamoto, Shinji; Moriwaki, Aiko

2007-01-01

Research findings that depressed Americans endorse more negative self-related adjectives than controls may be related to a shared self-enhancement cultural frame. This study examines the relationship between negative core self-descriptors and depressive symptoms in 79 Japanese and 50 American women. Americans had more positive self-descriptions and core self-descriptors; however, there were no cultural group differences in number of negative self-descriptors or core self-descriptors. There was a significant correlation between negative core self-descriptor and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for Americans only, explaining 10.6% of the BDI variance. Analysis of variance revealed that there was significant BDI group differences for American negative core self-descriptor only. Theoretical possibilities are discussed. PMID:15902678

Visual perceptions of male obesity: a cross-cultural study examining male and female lay perceptions of obesity in Caucasian males.

PubMed

Robinson, Eric; Hogenkamp, Pleunie S

2015-05-16

Obesity is now common and this may have altered visual perceptions of what constitutes a 'normal' and therefore healthy weight. The present study examined cross-cultural differences in male and female participants' ability to visually identify the weight status of photographed Caucasian males. Five hundred and fifty three male and female young adults from the US (high obesity prevalence), UK and Sweden (lower obesity prevalence) participated in an online study. Participants judged the weight status of a series of photographed healthy weight, overweight and obese (class I) Caucasian males and rated the extent to which they believed each male should consider losing weight. There was a strong tendency for both male and female participants to underestimate the weight status of the photographed overweight and obese males. Photographed males were frequently perceived as being of healthier weight than they actually were. Some modest cross-cultural differences were also observed; US participants were worse at recognising obesity than UK participants (p < 0.05) and were also significantly more likely to believe that the photographed obese males did not need to consider losing weight, in comparison to both the UK and Swedish participants (ps < 0.05). No cross-cultural differences were observed for perceptions or attitudes towards the photographed healthy weight or overweight males. The weight status of overweight and obese (class I) Caucasian males is underestimated when judged by males and females using visual information alone. This study provides initial evidence of modest cross-cultural differences in attitudes toward, and the ability to recognise, obesity in Caucasian males.

[Isolation and purification of BMScs of GFP transgenic mouse using the method of adhering to cuture plastic in different time].

PubMed

Li, Fu-Qiang; Zhou, Hong-Ying; Yang, Hui-Lun; Xiang, Tao; Mei, Yan; Hu, Huo-Zhen; Wang, Ting-Hua

2006-03-01

To adopt the method of adhering to culture plastic in different time for cultivating and purifying BMSCs of green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic mice. Bone marrow cells isolated from GFP transgenic mice are directly planted in culture flask and an exchange of the total volume medium is made at different time. Then the cells adhering to culture plastic are differently counted according to the cell types and are examined by immunohistochemistry using the antibodies of CD44, CD45 and CD54 in three days. Moreover, the cells after the exchange of the total volume medium in 4 hours, 8 hours and 24 hours are selected and successively subcultured down to the fifth passage. Then the result of amplification is calculated and the cells are examined by immunohistochemistry using the antibodies of CD44, CD45 and CD54. With the extending of the time for the first exchange of medium, the density of cells adhering to culture plastic increased accordingly, but the BMSCs proportion decreased. The cells after first exchange of medium in 4 hours had high BMSCs proportion but low BMSCs density, and the cells in 24 hours had high BMSCs density and low BMSCs proportion. However, the cells in 8-10 hours had high BMSCs density and also high BMSCs proportion. The subcultured BMSCs could stably express GFP. The method of adhering to culture plastic in different time for cultivating and purifying BMSCs of GFP transgenic mice is effective. It is suitable to make the first exchange of total volume medium in 8-10 hours. The subcultured cell has the capacity for amplification and will probably be a seed cell for the research of tissue engineering and gene therapy.

Urban/Rural and Gender Differences among Canadian Emerging Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheah, Charissa S. L.; Trinder, Krista M.; Gokavi, Tara N.

2010-01-01

Although cultural and subcultural differences during the transition to adulthood have been examined, important factors like rural/urban upbringing and gender differences among Canadian emerging adults have been neglected. The present study explored developmentally significant tasks including criteria for adulthood, beliefs about religiosity, and…

Maternal Socialization of Children's Anger, Sadness, and Physical Pain in Two Communities in Gujarat, India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raval, Vaishali Vidhatri; Martini, Tanya Susan

2009-01-01

Despite the recognition of cultural influences in child socialization, little is known about socialization of emotion in children from different cultures. This study examined (a) Gujarati Indian mothers' reports concerning their beliefs, affective and behavioral responses to their children's displays of anger, sadness, and physical pain, and (b)…

Effective Schools, Tinkering and School Cultures: Maintaining Schools That Sort by Race, Class, and Gender.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eubanks, Eugene; Parish, Ralph

The relationship between effective schools research and the cultural aspect of school organizations are examined in this paper. The first part discusses how effective schools projects are designed and implemented as opposed to what is actually practiced. Differences between "tinkering" with existing structures, a strategy to maintain the status…

Socio-Economic Aspects of National Communication Systems: II. Radio Broadcasting in Czechoslovakia. Communication and Society, 11.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunzlova, Alice; Slovak, Leopold

The second in a series that examines the role of radio broadcasting in the process of socioeconomic and cultural change in three countries with different types of broadcasting organization--Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Venezuela--this volume focuses on Czechoslovakia. It deals with the cultural implications of broadcasting structures and their…

Rethinking School Ethnographies of Colonial Settings: A Performance Perspective of Reproduction and Resistance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foley, Douglas E.

1991-01-01

Uses data from an ethnographic study of Mexicanos and Anglos in south Texas society and schools to formulate a performance perspective of cultural reproduction and resistance. Examines ethnic and class differences in classroom "making-out" games and the role of pop-culture practices among youth in reproducing class and gender inequities.…

GLOBE Study Culture Clusters: Can They Be Found in Importance Ratings of Managerial Competencies?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Jeremy Michael; Quast, Louis N.; Jang, Soebin; Wohkittel, Joseph; Center, Bruce; Edwards, Katherine; Bovornusvakool, Witsinee

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore patterns of importance ratings of managerial competencies in 22 countries in different regions around the globe, to guide specificity in assessing and developing managers in multiple geographies. Additionally, this study examined the utility of clustering countries based on shared culture, as…

Cultural Perspectives on Teaching and Learning: A Collaborative Self-Study of Two Professors' First Year Teaching Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Ran; Smith, Judith J.

2011-01-01

In this collaborative self-study, two first-year assistant professors examine their views of teaching and learning from two cultural perspectives. Drawing from multiple data sources, including reflective analyses of teaching, monthly peer-support meetings, and the Students Opinion Information Survey, the study explores the differences in views of…

From "Culturally Deprived" to "At Risk": The Politics of Popular Expression and Educational Inequality in the United States, 1960-1985

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Sylvia L. M.; Rury, John L.

2012-01-01

This article examines the terms "culturally deprived" and "disadvantaged" in light of their popular use in the sixties and following decades, particularly in the ethnic and mainstream press. These expressions represented an effort to explain differences in educational attainment and academic achievement along lines of social…

Cultural Differences in the Relationship between Perceived Family Environments and Self-Determination among Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Raymond J.; Cavendish, Wendy

2013-01-01

This study examined the potential role of cultural variables in the relationship between perceived family environments and levels of self-determination among students with disabilities. Participants were 190 Latino, African-American and Euro-American students with disabilities enrolled in six high schools within a large urban school district in…

The Link between Organizational Learning Culture and Customer Satisfaction: Confirming Relationship and Exploring Moderating Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pantouvakis, Angelos; Bouranta, Nancy

2013-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework and conduct an empirical study across different service sectors to investigate the inter-relationships between organizational learning culture, employee job satisfaction and their impact on customer satisfaction. It also aims to examine an individual-level variable (educational…

Children's Faithfulness in Imitating Language Use Varies Cross-culturally, Contingent on Prior Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klinger, Jörn; Mayor, Julien; Bannard, Colin

2016-01-01

Despite its recognized importance for cultural transmission, little is known about the role imitation plays in language learning. Three experiments examine how rates of imitation vary as a function of qualitative differences in the way language is used in a small indigenous community in Oaxaca, Mexico and three Western comparison groups. Data from…

Addressing Challenges in Urban Teaching, Learning and Math Using Model-Strategy-Application with Reasoning Approach in Lingustically and Culturally Diverse Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Zhonghe; An, Shuhua

2016-01-01

This study examined the effects of using the Model-Strategy-Application with Reasoning Approach (MSAR) in teaching and learning mathematics in linguistically and culturally diverse elementary classrooms. Through learning mathematics via the MSAR, students from different language ability groups gained an understanding of mathematics from creating…

Culture, Style and the Educative Process: Making Schools Work for Racially Diverse Students. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shade, Barbara J. Robinson, Ed.

Many students of color are not performing to their maximum potential within the current school setting, and examinations of this problem suggest significant differences between student and teacher perceptions of how one becomes educated. The underlying assumptions of this book are that culture, through the mediation of cognitive style, determines…

An Investigation of Non-Thesis Master's Program Geography Teacher Candidates' Attitudes towards Teaching Profession regarding Several Socio-Cultural Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sezer, Adem; Kara, Hasan; Pinar, Adnan

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes of non-thesis master's degree program: geography teacher candidates towards teaching profession regarding several socio-cultural features. The study was conducted in different universities with 218 geography teacher candidates enrolled in the geography education non-thesis master's degree…

Power Distance and Group Dynamics of an International Project Team: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulus, Trena M.; Bichelmeyer, Barbara; Malopinsky, Larissa; Pereira, Maura; Rastogi, Polly

2005-01-01

Project-based team activities are commonly used in higher education. Teams comprised of members from different national cultures can be faced with unique challenges during the creative process. Hofstede's (1991) cultural dimension of power distance was used to examine one such design team's intra- and inter-group interactions in a graduate-level…

Dimensions of Conflict for Youth: A Cross-Cultural View. Seminar Series No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belbas, Nancy, Ed.

This document presents, in two parts, ideas and information which were gathered from eight monthly seminars. Part 1, "Developmental and Cross-Cultural Patterns of Youth," examines what is known about developmental norms regarding youth in general in respect to their attitudes at different ages towards rules and authority. It is found that in the…

What a Little Hate Literature Will Do: "Cultural Issues" and the Emotional Aspect of School Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPardo, Anne

2000-01-01

Describes a cultural issues class, examining research on a high school responding to neo-Nazi incidents. Argues that by emphasizing international rather than local issues, the class depoliticized ethnic difference and ignored white privilege at the classroom, school, and community level. Traces this neutralizing urge to collective emotions of…

The History of Multicultural Music Education and Its Prospects: The Controversy of Music Universalism and Its Application

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Sangmi

2016-01-01

This article examines how American perspectives about world music have evolved based on the controversial discussion of "music is the universal language." At earlier periods, scholars showed their interest in musics of other cultures from the ethnocentric standpoint. Gradually, scholars came to value the music differences of cultures,…

Outdoor Adventure Education in East Asia: Interpreting Data from Outward Bound Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sibthorp, Jim; Funnell, Aaron; Riley, Mike; Chan, Bacon; Meerts-Brandsma, Lisa

2018-01-01

Outdoor adventure education (OAE) is philosophically rooted in Western values, yet it has been implemented in non-Western cultures, such as East Asia. This paper examines how OAE functions in East Asia, through data from Hong Kong. Although some cultural differences are clear, there is no compelling evidence that OAE cannot provide benefits in…

Examination of the TIMSS 2011 Fourth Grade Mathematics Test in Terms of Cross-Cultural Measurement Invariance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karakoc Alatli, Betul; Ayan, Cansu; Polat Demir, Betul; Uzun, Gulcin

2016-01-01

Problem Statement: Student achievement is considered an indicator of the quality of education, and achievement tests are applied to assess student achievement. International tests are adapted into different languages and cultures with the aim of assessing student achievement on an international level and comparing the achievements of different…

Postdivorce Adjustment and Single Parenting: Exploring the Impact of Culture for Korean Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Sunny Y.

Formal mental health services offered in traditional Western settings may be neither appropriate for nor accessible to Korean Americans who are adjusting to divorce. This paper presents an overview of current research on postdivorce adjustment and single parenting in the United States, examines various cultural differences (e.g., African, Asian,…

Faculty Perceptions about the Implementation of e-Learning in Thailand: An Analysis of Cultural Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trangratapit, Peerapat

2010-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to qualitatively examine how culture influenced faculty members' perception toward the implementation of e-learning in a university in Thailand. There were twenty-five faculty participants in this study who were purposefully selected from different disciplines. Four of twenty-five participants occupy the role of…

How Cultural Traits Influence the Way Japanese and Americans Interact with Each Other in a Business Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumayama, A.

An examination of the different cultural traits, values, and business strategies of Americans and Japanese through simulation and role-playing is presented. A Japanese player and an American player, when presented with scripts, have a business conversation about a hypothetical business venture, and then discuss the interaction in interviews. The…

The Development of Sex-Gender Constancy Among Children in Four Cultures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munroe, Ruth H.; Munroe, Robert L.

The study examines the acquisition of gender constancy in children as it relates to cultural, socioenvironmental, or individual differences. Gender constancy refers to the stages from simple identification of biological sex of self and others, to the understanding that one's sex is stable over time, and to comprehension of one's sex as consistent…

Culture and Psychiatric Symptoms in Puerto Rican Children: Longitudinal Results from one Ethnic Group in Two Contexts

PubMed Central

Duarte, Cristiane S.; Bird, Hector R.; Shrout, Patrick E.; Wu, Ping; Lewis-Fernandez, Roberto; Shen, Sa; Canino, Glorisa

2008-01-01

(a) Background The development of youth psychopathology may be associated with direct and continuous contact with a different culture (acculturation) and to distress related to this process (cultural stress). We examine cultural experiences of Puerto Rican families in relation to youth psychiatric symptoms in two different contexts: one in which migrant Puerto Ricans reside on the mainland as an ethnic minority and another in which they reside in their place of origin. (b) Methods Sample Probability samples of 10 to 13 year old youth of Puerto Rican background living in the South Bronx, New York City (SB) and in the San Juan Metropolitan area in Puerto Rico (PR) (N=1,271) were followed over time. Measures Three assessments of internalizing psychiatric symptoms (elicited through the DISC-IV) and of antisocial behaviors (ASB) quantified through a six-point index were carried out. Independent variables included scales of adult and child acculturation and cultural stress, and other putative correlates. Data Analysis Within each study site, multilevel linear regression models were examined. (c) Results Parental acculturation was associated with ASB in youth at both sites, but youth acculturation itself was not related to psychiatric symptoms. At both contexts, cultural stress was a more consistent correlate of youth psychiatric symptoms than acculturation after controlling for nativity, maternal education, child gender, stressful life events and parental psychopathology. However, the strength of the youth cultural stress association decreased over time. (d) Conclusion The association between cultural factors and child psychiatric symptoms is not restricted to contexts where an ethnic group is a minority. PMID:18400061

Peritoneal Culture Alters Streptococcus pneumoniae Protein Profiles and Virulence Properties

PubMed Central

Orihuela, Carlos J.; Janssen, Rob; Robb, Christopher W.; Watson, David A.; Niesel, David W.

2000-01-01

We have examined the properties of Streptococcus pneumoniae cultured in the murine peritoneal cavity and compared its virulence-associated characteristics to those of cultures grown in vitro. Analysis of mRNA levels for specific virulence factors demonstrated a 2.8-fold increase in ply expression and a 2.2-fold increase in capA3 expression during murine peritoneal culture (MPC). Two-dimensional gels and immunoblots using convalescent-phase patient sera and murine sera revealed distinct differences in protein production in vivo (MPC). MPC-grown pneumococci adhered to A549 epithelial cell lines at levels 10-fold greater than those cultured in vitro. PMID:10992528

Peritoneal culture alters Streptococcus pneumoniae protein profiles and virulence properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orihuela, C. J.; Janssen, R.; Robb, C. W.; Watson, D. A.; Niesel, D. W.

2000-01-01

We have examined the properties of Streptococcus pneumoniae cultured in the murine peritoneal cavity and compared its virulence-associated characteristics to those of cultures grown in vitro. Analysis of mRNA levels for specific virulence factors demonstrated a 2.8-fold increase in ply expression and a 2.2-fold increase in capA3 expression during murine peritoneal culture (MPC). Two-dimensional gels and immunoblots using convalescent-phase patient sera and murine sera revealed distinct differences in protein production in vivo (MPC). MPC-grown pneumococci adhered to A549 epithelial cell lines at levels 10-fold greater than those cultured in vitro.

The mediating role of parental expectations in culture and well-being.

PubMed

Oishi, Shigehiro; Sullivan, Helen W

2005-10-01

In two studies, we examined the role of perceived fulfillment of parental expectations in the subjective well-being of college students. In Study 1, we found that American college students reported having higher levels of life satisfaction and self-esteem than did Japanese college students. American college students also reported having fulfilled parental expectations to a greater degree than did Japanese college students. Most importantly, the cultural difference in well-being was mediated by perceived fulfillment of parental expectations. In Study 2, we replicated the mediational finding with Asian American and European American college students. Asian American participants also perceived their parents' expectations about their academic performance to be more specific than did European Americans, which was associated with the cultural difference in perceived fulfillment of parental expectations. In short, perceived parental expectations play an important role in the cultural difference in the well-being of Asians and European Americans.

Socioeconomic and Cultural Correlates of Diet Quality in the Canadian Arctic: Results from the 2007-2008 Inuit Health Survey.

PubMed

Galloway, Tracey; Johnson-Down, Louise; Egeland, Grace M

2015-09-01

We examined the impact of socioeconomic and cultural factors on dietary quality in adult Inuit living in the Canadian Arctic. Interviews and a 24-h dietary recall were administered to 805 men and 1292 women from Inuit regions in the Canadian Arctic. We examined the effect of age, sex, education, income, employment, and cultural variables on respondents' energy, macronutrient intake, sodium/potassium ratio, and healthy eating index. Logistic regression was used to assess the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on diet quality indicators. Age was positively associated with traditional food (TF) consumption and greater energy from protein but negatively associated with total energy and fibre intake. Associations between SES and diet quality differed considerably between men and women and there was considerable regional variability in diet quality measures. Age and cultural variables were significant predictors of diet quality in logistic regression. Increased age and use of the Inuit language in the home were the most significant predictors of TF consumption. Our findings are consistent with studies reporting a nutrition transition in circumpolar Inuit. We found considerable variability in diet quality and complex interaction between SES and cultural variables producing mixed effects that differ by age and gender.

Emotional complexity: Clarifying definitions and cultural correlates.

PubMed

Grossmann, Igor; Huynh, Alex C; Ellsworth, Phoebe C

2016-12-01

There is much debate about the notion of emotional complexity (EC). The debate concerns both the definition and the meaning of ostensible cultural differences in the construct. Some scholars have defined EC as the experience of positive and negative emotions together rather than as opposites, a phenomenon that seems more common in East Asia than North America. Others have defined EC as the experience of emotions in a differentiated manner, a definition that has yet to be explored cross-culturally. The present research explores the role of dialectical beliefs and interdependence in explaining cultural differences in EC according to both definitions. In Study 1, we examined the prevalence of mixed (positive-negative) emotions in English-language online texts from 10 countries varying in interdependence and dialecticism. In Studies 2-3, we examined reports of emotional experiences in 6 countries, comparing intraindividual associations between pleasant and unpleasant states, prevalence of mixed emotions, and emotional differentiation across and within-situations. Overall, interdependence accounted for more cross-cultural and individual variance in EC measures than did dialecticism. Moreover, emotional differentiation was associated with the experience of positive and negative emotions together rather than as opposites, but only when tested on the same level of analysis (i.e., within vs. across-situations). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Medical Disease or Moral Defect? Stigma Attribution and Cultural Models of Addiction Causality in a University Population.

PubMed

Henderson, Nicole L; Dressler, William W

2017-12-01

This study examines the knowledge individuals use to make judgments about persons with substance use disorder. First, we show that there is a cultural model of addiction causality that is both shared and contested. Second, we examine how individuals' understanding of that model is associated with stigma attribution. Research was conducted among undergraduate students at the University of Alabama. College students in the 18-25 age range are especially at risk for developing substance use disorder, and they are, perhaps more than any other population group, intensely targeted by drug education. The elicited cultural model includes different types of causes distributed across five distinct themes: Biological, Self-Medication, Familial, Social, and Hedonistic. Though there was cultural consensus among respondents overall, residual agreement analysis showed that the cultural model of addiction causality is a multicentric domain. Two centers of the model, the moral and the medical, were discovered. Differing adherence to these centers is associated with the level of stigma attributed towards individuals with substance use disorder. The results suggest that current approaches to substance use education could contribute to stigma attribution, which may or may not be inadvertent. The significance of these results for both theory and the treatment of addiction are discussed.

'It's different from my culture; they're very different': Providing community-based, 'culturally competent' palliative care for South Asian people in the UK.

PubMed

Owens, Alastair; Randhawa, Gurch

2004-09-01

This article investigates the challenges faced by those trying to develop 'culturally competent' palliative care for South Asian cancer patients in Luton, UK. It discusses the findings of a phenomenological study of service providers' attitudes to and experiences of caring for South Asian patients. Ten semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out with a range of staff who work in home and community-based palliative care settings, including nurses, community liaison personnel and representatives of non-statutory organisations. The authors begin by considering how these service providers construct ideas of cultural difference and how these relate to philosophies of palliative care. They then examine attempts to deal with cultural diversity in everyday practice, focusing in particular on the social context of care in the home. The paper considers the ways in which staff attempt to incorporate the cultural needs of patients, family, kin and community. Rather than criticising current working practices, the authors highlight the complexity of delivering culturally competent services from the perspective of those working directly with patients. In doing so, they contribute to ongoing debates about the development of anti-discriminatory practice in health and social care.

Infant Attachment and Maternal Sensitivity in the Arab Minority in Israel.

PubMed

Zreik, Ghadir; Oppenheim, David; Sagi-Schwartz, Abraham

2017-07-01

This study is the first to examine infant-mother attachment in the Arab culture. Eighty-five Arab 1-year-old infants from Israel were observed in the strange situation, and maternal sensitivity was assessed from home observations. Supporting attachment theory's normativity hypothesis, no differences were found between the Arab-Israeli attachment distribution and Jewish-Israeli, Western, and non-Western distributions when examined at the two-way secure versus insecure level, although a few differences emerged when examined at the four-way ABCD level. Supporting the sensitivity hypothesis, mothers of secure infants were more sensitive than those of insecure infants but only in the case of Christian (and not Muslim) mothers. The findings provide support to attachment theory's generalizability but raise questions regarding the assessment of maternal sensitivity cross-culturally. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Unidimensional versus multidimensional approaches to the assessment of acculturation for Asian American populations.

PubMed

Abe-Kim, J; Okazaki, S; Goto, S G

2001-08-01

This study used generational status and the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation scale to examine unidimensional versus multidimensional approaches to the conceptualization and measurement of acculturation and their relationships to relevant cultural indicator variables, including measures of Individualism-Collectivism, Independent-Interdependent Self-Construal, Loss of Face, and Impression Management. Multivariate analyses of covariance and partial correlations were used to examine the relationship between the acculturation models and each set of cultural indicator variables while controlling for socioeconomic status. Given that acculturation differences are often cited as evidence for a culture effect between groups, the present findings of an uneven nature of these relationships as a function of the particular acculturation measurement strategy have important implications for research on Asian Americans.

Kant and the development of the human and cultural sciences.

PubMed

Makkreel, Rudolf A

2008-12-01

Starting with Kant's doubts about psychology as a natural science capable of explaining human behavior, several alternative attempts to conceive of human life, culture and history are examined. Kant proposes an anthropology that will be a commonly useful human science rather than a universally valid natural science. This anthropology relates to philosophy as a mode of world-cognition. Special attention is given to how Kant's theory of right can help define our appropriate place in a communal world. The different ways in which Wilhelm Dilthey and Hermann Cohen respond to Kant's idea of legitimate appropriation are also considered. The various tasks that descriptive elucidation, explanation, reflective understanding, characterization and interpretation can perform for the human and cultural sciences are examined throughout the essay.

Cultural value orientation and authoritarian parenting as parameters of bullying and victimization at school.

PubMed

Georgiou, Stelios N; Fousiani, Kyriaki; Michaelides, Michalis; Stavrinides, Panayiotis

2013-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the existing association between cultural value orientation, authoritarian parenting, and bullying and victimization at school. The participants (N = 231) were early adolescents, randomly selected from 11 different schools in urban and rural areas of Cyprus. Participants completed self reports measuring cultural value orientation, authoritarian parenting, bullying, and victimization. These instruments were the following: the cultural value scale (CVS), the parental authority questionnaire (PAQ), and the revised bullying and victimization questionnaire (BVQ-R). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine mediation effects. It was found that vertical individualism acted as a mediator between authoritarian parenting and bullying. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between authoritarian parenting and the vertical dimensions of both cultural value orientations (individualism and collectivism), but not with the horizontal dimensions of either cultural orientation. Further, authoritarian parenting was also positively associated with bullying and victimization at school. The main contribution of the present study is the finding that vertical individualism significantly mediates the relationship between authoritarian parental style and bullying propensity.

Mental illness stigma and ethnocultural beliefs, values, and norms: an integrative review.

PubMed

Abdullah, Tahirah; Brown, Tamara L

2011-08-01

The current literature on the problem of mental illness stigma in the United States must be expanded to better account for the role of culture. This article examines the relationship between mental illness stigma and culture for Americans of American Indian, Asian, African, Latino, Middle Eastern, and European descent. In this review, culture refers to the shared beliefs, values, and norms of a given racial or ethnic group. The reviewed literature indicates that there are differences in stigma among the various cultural groups; however, explanations as to why these differences exist are scant. Qualitative and quantitative studies indicate that cultural values are important with regard to stigma, particularly for Asian Americans and African Americans. Less is known about the interaction between cultural values and mental illness stigma for other cultural groups. Continued research in the area requires better organization and more exploration of the role of cultural history and values as they relate to mental illness stigma. To that end, a detailed, systematic approach to future research in the area is proposed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching cultural safety in a New Zealand nursing education program.

PubMed

Richardson, Fran; Carryer, Jenny

2005-05-01

Cultural safety education is a concept unique to nursing in New Zealand. It involves teaching nursing students to recognize and understand the dynamics of cultural, personal, and professional power and how these shape nursing and health care relationships. This article describes the findings of a research study on the experience of teaching cultural safety. As a teacher of cultural safety, the first author was interested in exploring the experience of teaching the topic with other cultural safety teachers. A qualitative approach situated in a critical theory paradigm was used for the study. The study was informed by the ideas of Foucault and feminist theory. Fourteen women between ages 20 and 60 were interviewed about their experience of teaching cultural safety. Five women were Maori (the indigenous people of New Zealand), and 9 were Pakeha (the Maori name for New Zealanders of European descent). Following data analysis, three major themes were identified: that the Treaty of Waitangi provides for an examination of power in cultural safety education; that the broad concept of difference influences the experience of teaching cultural safety; and that the experience of teaching cultural safety has personal, professional, and political dimensions. These dimensions are experienced differently by Maori and Pakeha teachers.

Feeling like a stranger: negotiations with culture as experienced by Chilean occupational therapists.

PubMed

Castro, Daniela; Dahlin-Ivanoff, Synneve; Mårtensson, Lena

2016-11-01

Although occupational therapy has begun to focus on the subject of culture, few studies have examined how occupational therapists outside the English-speaking countries reflect on it. To explore how Chilean occupational therapists reflect on their personal and professional experiences in regard to the complexity of culture, and its different understandings and expressions. This qualitative study uses content analysis to establish common trends in participants' experiences. A validation phase and data triangulation were implemented to ensure trustworthiness. Culture is experienced as a continuous negotiation in personal and professional terms. One central theme, 'negotiating through the dynamism of culture', and three categories, 'dealing with power', 'understanding local and global identities', and 'crossing the boundaries into the client's land', emerged. These experiences are complex, chaotic, and highly context-dependent. During therapeutic encounters, practitioners and clients may experience cultural barriers even if their differences are not obvious in cultural terms. As a result of this finding, we recommend the inclusion of culture and cultural issues in professional training. The impact of a multicultural research team is discussed. Future research should explore how the construct of culture is introduced in occupational therapy professional training in Chile.

Improved ethanol tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in mixed cultures with Kluyveromyces lactis on high-sugar fermentation.

PubMed

Yamaoka, Chizuru; Kurita, Osamu; Kubo, Tomoko

2014-12-01

The influence of non-Saccharomyces yeast, Kluyveromyces lactis, on metabolite formation and the ethanol tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in mixed cultures was examined on synthetic minimal medium containing 20% glucose. In the late stage of fermentation after the complete death of K. lactis, S. cerevisiae in mixed cultures was more ethanol-tolerant than that in pure culture. The chronological life span of S. cerevisiae was shorter in pure culture than mixed cultures. The yeast cells of the late stationary phase both in pure and mixed cultures had a low buoyant density with no significant difference in the non-quiescence state between both cultures. In mixed cultures, the glycerol contents increased and the alanine contents decreased when compared with the pure culture of S. cerevisiae. The distinctive intracellular amino acid pool concerning its amino acid concentrations and its amino acid composition was observed in yeast cells with different ethanol tolerance in the death phase. Co-cultivation of K. lactis seems to prompt S. cerevisiae to be ethanol tolerant by forming opportune metabolites such as glycerol and alanine and/or changing the intracellular amino acid pool. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

[Correlation between clinical characteristics and mycological tests in the vulvovaginitis by Candida].

PubMed

Buitrón García, Rafael; Bonifaz, Alexandro; Amancio Chassin, Octavio; Basurto Kuba, Erich; Araiza, Javier; Romero Cabello, Raúl

2007-02-01

Vulvovaginitis caused by Candida sp is one of the most frequent infections. To culture and to identify the fungi related to clinical manifestations of patients based on a suspected diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis. A prospective, transversal and comparative study was performed on 181 women older than 18 years with vulvovaginitis by Candida sp. A correlation was made between the clinical characteristics of this entity and mycological tests such as direct examination and cultures. The direct exam or fresh vaginal exam and cervical sample was positive for the different microscopic forms of Candida (blastoconidia, pseudohyphye or pseudomycelia) in 60.8% (110 women); at the same time that cultures were positive for Candida sp in 51.9% (94 patients). The direct examination and the cultures of vaginal and cervical exudate are mandatory tests for diagnosis of Candida sp in women with vulvovaginitis.

Cultural congruence with psychotherapy efficacy: A network meta-analytic examination in China.

PubMed

Xu, Hui; Tracey, Terence J G

2016-04-01

We used network meta-analysis to examine the relative efficacy of 3 treatment modalities in China (i.e., cognitive-psychoeducational therapy, humanistic-experiential therapy, and indigenous therapy) on the basis of a comprehensive review of randomized control trials (n = 235). The cultural congruence hypothesis derived from the contextual model argues that psychotherapy efficacy varies by the extent to which therapy modalities match the cultural context in its description of pathology and healing modalities. Given the experiential-subjective emphasis of Chinese culture, we proposed indigenous therapy and humanistic-experiential therapy being more effective than cognitive-psychoeducational therapy. Results based on indirect and direct comparisons supported the hypothesized differences in effectiveness. Treatments that more closely matched Chinese understandings of pathology and change experience were more effective. The practical and theoretical implications of the present study were discussed along with limitations. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Culture, perception, and artistic visualization: a comparative study of children's drawings in three Siberian cultural groups.

PubMed

Istomin, Kirill V; Panáková, Jaroslava; Heady, Patrick

2014-01-01

In a study of three indigenous and non-indigenous cultural groups in northwestern and northeastern Siberia, framed line tests and a landscape drawing task were used to examine the hypotheses that test-based assessments of context sensitivity and independence are correlated with the amount of contextual information contained in drawings, and with the order in which the focal and background objects are drawn. The results supported these hypotheses, and inspection of the regression relationships suggested that the intergroup variations in test performance were likely to result from differences in the attention accorded to contextual information, as revealed by the drawings. Social and environmental explanations for the group differences in context sensitivity are also discussed. The conclusions support the argument that cultural differences in artistic styles and perceptual tests reflect the same underlying perceptual tendencies, and they are consistent with the argument that these tendencies reflect corresponding differences in patterns of social and environmental interaction. Copyright © 2013 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Cross-cultural differences in somatic presentation in patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Hoge, Elizabeth A; Tamrakar, Sharad M; Christian, Kelly M; Mahara, Namrata; Nepal, Mahendra K; Pollack, Mark H; Simon, Naomi M

2006-12-01

Little is known about cultural differences in the expression of distress in anxiety disorders. Previous cross-cultural studies of depression have found a greater somatic focus in Asian populations. We examined anxiety symptoms in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in urban mental health settings in Nepal (N = 30) and in the United States (N = 23). Participants completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The overall BAI score and somatic and psychological subscales were compared. While there was no difference in total BAI scores, the Nepali group scored higher on the somatic subscale (i.e. "dizziness" and "indigestion," t[df] = -2.63[50], p < 0.05), while the American group scored higher on the psychological subscale (i.e. "scared" and "nervous," t[df] = 3.27[50], p < 0.01). Nepali patients with GAD had higher levels of somatic symptoms and lower levels of psychological symptoms than American patients with GAD. Possible explanations include differences in cultural traditions of describing distress and the mind-body dichotomy.

Cultural differences in crewmembers and mission control personnel during two space station programs.

PubMed

Boyd, Jennifer E; Kanas, Nick A; Salnitskiy, Vyacheslav P; Gushin, Vadim I; Saylor, Stephanie A; Weiss, Daniel S; Marmar, Charles R

2009-06-01

Cultural differences among crewmembers and mission control personnel can affect long-duration space missions. We examine three cultural contrasts: national (American vs. Russian); occupational (crewmembers vs. mission control personnel); and organizational [Mir space station vs. International Space Station (ISS)]. The Mir sample included 5 American astronauts, 8 Russian cosmonauts, and 42 American and 16 Russian mission control personnel. The ISS sample included 8 astronauts, 9 cosmonauts, and 108 American and 20 Russian mission control personnel. Subjects responded to mood and group climate questions on a weekly basis. The ISS sample also completed a culture and language questionnaire. Crewmembers had higher scores on cultural sophistication than mission control personnel, especially American mission control. Cultural sophistication was not related to mood or social climate. Russian subjects reported greater language flexibility than Americans. Crewmembers reported better mood states than mission control, but both were in the healthy range. There were several Russian-American differences in social climate, with the most robust being higher work pressure among Americans. Russian-American social climate differences were also found in analyses of crew only. Analyses showed Mir-ISS differences in social climate among crew but not in the full sample. We found evidence for national, occupational, and organizational cultural differences. The findings from the Mir space station were essentially replicated on the ISS. Alterations to the ISS to make it a more user-friendly environment have still not resolved the issue of high levels of work pressure among the American crew.

Intergenerational differences in perceptions of heritage tourism among the Maasai of Tanzania.

PubMed

Kalavar, Jyotsna M; Buzinde, Christine N; Melubo, Kokel; Simon, Josephine

2014-03-01

Besides wildlife tourism in the African savannah, cultural heritage tourism (sometimes known only as heritage tourism) is a big draw in Tanzania. In order to attract cultural tourism dollars, Maasai communities have established cultural bomas, typically pseudo Maasai villages where they display cultural performances and crafts before tourists. Such cultural contact has resulted in the growing influence of globalization that challenges traditional ways. The economic, social and environmental impact of heritage tourism on intergenerational relationships and community well-being has not been examined among the Maasai people. In this study, focus groups were conducted with different age-groups of Maasai people residing in Esilalei and Oltukai villages. Results suggest that for the Maasai, heritage tourism appears to be a double-edged sword. While tourism results in some trickled down economic benefits for the Maasai community, economic change appears to have created a social distance between generations.

Gender Differences in Graduate Students' Perspectives on the Culture of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Maria M.

In this study, gender differences in graduate students' perspectives on the culture of science were examined in two graduate departments (biology and chemistry) at a large research university. Data from a survey questionnaire from 170 students and interviews with 32 of them indicated that the culture of science as experienced by the participants of this study was characterized by competition, a narrow focus, and a belief in objectivity. These perspectives were particularly common among the female students, who also perceived a role conflict between a successful career in science and having a family. The study shows that although women have greater access to careers in science, the culture of the scientific enterprise continues to be based on the masculine ideals of 17th-century England.

Culture, distress, and oxytocin receptor polymorphism (OXTR) interact to influence emotional support seeking.

PubMed

Kim, Heejung S; Sherman, David K; Sasaki, Joni Y; Xu, Jun; Chu, Thai Q; Ryu, Chorong; Suh, Eunkook M; Graham, Kelsey; Taylor, Shelley E

2010-09-07

Research has demonstrated that certain genotypes are expressed in different forms, depending on input from the social environment. To examine sensitivity to cultural norms regarding emotional support seeking as a type of social environment, we explored the behavioral expression of oxytocin receptor polymorphism (OXTR) rs53576, a gene previously related to socio-emotional sensitivity. Seeking emotional support in times of distress is normative in American culture but not in Korean culture. Consequently, we predicted a three-way interaction of culture, distress, and OXTR genotype on emotional support seeking. Korean and American participants (n = 274) completed assessments of psychological distress and emotional support seeking and were genotyped for OXTR. We found the predicted three-way interaction: among distressed American participants, those with the GG/AG genotypes reported seeking more emotional social support, compared with those with the AA genotype, whereas Korean participants did not differ significantly by genotype; under conditions of low distress, OXTR groups did not differ significantly in either cultural group. These findings suggest that OXTR rs53576 is sensitive to input from the social environment, specifically cultural norms regarding emotional social support seeking. These findings also indicate that psychological distress and culture are important moderators that shape behavioral outcomes associated with OXTR genotypes.

Health workers' perceptions of private-not-for-profit health facilities' organizational culture and its influence on retention in Uganda.

PubMed

Shumba, Constance Sibongile; Kielmann, Karina; Witter, Sophie

2017-12-06

An in-depth understanding of how organizational culture is experienced by health workers (HWs), and influences their decisions to leave their jobs is a fundamental, yet under-examined, basis for forming effective retention strategies. This research examined HWs' working experiences and perceptions of organisational culture within private-not-for-profit, largely mission-based hospitals, and how this influenced retention. Thirty-two HWs, including managers, in 19 health facilities in Uganda were interviewed using a semi-structured topic guide. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic content analysis. Interviews showed that the organizational culture was predominantly hierarchical, with non-participative management styles which emphasized control and efficiency. HWs and managers held different perceptions of the organizational culture. While the managers valued results and performance, HWs valued team work, recognition and participative management. The findings of this study indicate that organizational culture influences retention of HWs in health facilities and provide a useful context to inform health care managers in the PNFP sub-sector in Uganda and similar contexts. To improve retention of HWs, a gradual shift in organizational culture will be necessary, focussing on the values, beliefs and perceptions which have the greatest influence on observable behaviour.

Genetic rhetoric: Science, authority, and genes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shea, Elizabeth Parthenia

This dissertation is an analysis of how the cultural authority of genetics works through language. An analysis of the rhetorical construction of knowledge and authority in cultural contexts, the study is intended to contribute to a larger discussion aimed at keeping the intersections of science and culture within the realm of rhetoric, that is within the realm of communication and dialogue. Of special concern is the influence of genetic rhetoric on the cultural momentum of biological determinism to explain away social organization, class inequalities, racial differences, gender differences, and stigmatized behaviors by rooting them in the construct of the biological individual. This study separates questions of legitimacy from questions of authority and focuses on the way that authority of genetics works through language. With authority defined as the function of resisting challenges to legitimacy and/or power, the study consists of three parts. First, a historical analysis of the terms science, genetics, and gene, shows how these words came to refer not only to areas and objects of study but also to sources of epistemological legitimacy outside culture and language. The relationships between these words and their referents are examined in socio-historical context to illustrate how the function of signaling authority was inscribed in the literal definition of these terms. Second, introductory chapters of contemporary Genetics textbooks are examined. In these texts the foundations of legitimacy associated with genetics and science are maintained as the authors articulate idealized views of science and genetics in relation to society. Finally, articles in the popular press reporting on and discussing recent research correlating genetics and homosexuality are examined. The popular press reports of "gay gene" research serve as textual examples of figurative representations of genetics concepts shaping discourse about social issues. I argue that the cultural authority of genetics, as well as the power of science to shape culture, is not necessarily a matter of the persuasiveness of material truths but rather a mobilization of rhetorical figures that are linked to but not literally representing ideas of material truth.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peggy Robinson

This report summarizes activities that have taken place in the last six (6) months (January 2005-June 2005) under the DOE-NETL cooperative agreement ''Adaptive Management and Planning Models for Cultural Resources in Oil and Gas Fields, New Mexico and Wyoming'' DE-FC26-02NT15445. This project examines the practices and results of cultural resource investigation and management in two different oil and gas producing areas of the United States: southeastern New Mexico and the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. The project evaluates how cultural resource investigations have been conducted in the past and considers how investigation and management could be pursued differently in themore » future. The study relies upon full database population for cultural resource inventories and resources and geomorphological studies. These are the basis for analysis of cultural resource occurrence, strategies for finding and evaluating cultural resources, and recommendations for future management practices. Activities can be summarized as occurring in either Wyoming or New Mexico. Gnomon as project lead, worked in both areas.« less

Individualism and collectivism: cultural orientation in locus of control and moral attribution under conditions of social change.

PubMed

Santiago, Jose H; Tarantino, Santo J

2002-12-01

This study examined the validity of the view that the constructs of individualism and collectivism are coherent cultural manifestations necessarily reflected in an individual's attribution patterns. It was hypothesized that the attribution patterns of locus of control and moral accountability would show divergent individualistic and collectivistic influences in a culture during change from a collectivist culture to an individualist culture. 98 university students from the United States and Puerto Rico were administered the Singelis Individualism-Collectivism Scale, Rotter's Locus of Control Scale, and Miller and Luthar's justice-related moral accountability vignettes. Contrary to expectation, the Puerto Rican sample scored less external in locus of control than the United States sample. No cultural differences in moral accountability were found. No strong correlations were found among the variables at the individual level of analysis. Accounting for these results included the lack of representativeness of the samples, the independence of relation between variables at different levels of analysis, and social change.

Cross-cultural explanations of body image disturbance in Western cultural samples.

PubMed

Mautner, R D; Owen, S V; Furnham, A

2000-09-01

We replicated and extended the findings of S. M. Stormer and J. K. Thompson (1996), by comparing the relationships among body image disturbance (BID) and teasing history, age of pubertal onset, societal pressures to be thin, and appearance comparison, across three Western cultures. College females from the United States, Italy, and England completed several BID measures, as well as measures of the four predictors. Body mass levels and self-esteem, two known correlates of BID, were also examined. Data were analyzed using first standard, then hierarchical regression procedures. This investigation essentially found no cultural differences in the relationships among BID and its correlates for six of the seven criteria (BID) measures. Only one of the measures, the Figure Rating Scale (FRS), distinguished across groups. A lack of true cultural differences, or general similarities among university students, might explain these results. Nevertheless, these findings support the use of a Western cross-cultural research model. Copyright 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

From Paternalistic to Patronizing: How Cultural Competence Can Be Ethically Problematic.

PubMed

Muaygil, Ruaim A

2018-03-01

Cultural competence literature and training aim to equip healthcare workers to better understand patients of different cultures and value systems, in an effort to ensure effective and equitable healthcare services for diverse patient populations. However, without nuanced awareness and contextual knowledge, the values embedded within cultural competence practice may cripple rather than empower the very people they mean to respect. A narrow cultural view can lessen cultural understanding rather than grow it. In its first part, this paper argues that a hasty, unrestrained, and uneducated willingness to accept something as a cultural good, despite being well intentioned, can still cause significant harms-particularly when based on false, misinformed, and stereotypical conceptions-including the minimization of issues, the reinforcement of stereotypes, and the impediment of cultural change. The second part of this paper examines medical autonomy within the context of Saudi Arabian women. It pushes back on the common perception that Saudi women, by virtue of culture and religion, view dependency on and deference to male relatives as a cultural good. Through a historical examination and a presentation of the current women's movement in Saudi Arabia, it is argued that the continued assumption that personal agency is a value external to Saudi women is false, misguided, and ethically problematic. Lastly, this paper considers some approaches to help providers navigate the narrow grounds between paternalism and patronization when caring for patients.

Culturally Responsive Active Citizenship Education for Newcomer Students: A Cross-State Case Study of Two Teachers in Arizona and New York

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramirez, Pablo; Jaffee, Ashley Taylor

2016-01-01

This paper examines how two social studies teachers in New York and Arizona engage newcomer youth in active citizenship education. Using a framework of culturally responsive active citizenship education, this article sheds light on how two teachers, in two different social, political, and educational contexts, enact critical citizenship practices…

Cultural differences and economic development of 31 countries.

PubMed

Nadler, Scott; Zemanek, James E

2006-08-01

To update and extend the empirical research of Hofstede, the influence of culture on 31 nations' economic development was examined and support for modernization theory provided. Per capita gross domestic product, literacy rates, the negative of the population growth rate, and life expectancy development data were collected from 31 countries. The pattern of correlations among measures provided partial support for Hofstede's 1980 findings.

Universities as a Meeting Point with New Academic Knowledge, Society and Culture: Cognitive and Emotional Transitions during Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiner-Levy, Naomi

2008-01-01

This paper examines how exposure to a different culture, acquired knowledge and everyday practices at Israeli universities affected the identities of the "First Women" students from the Druze minority who broke gender roles and turned to acquire higher education. The short distance between the Druze villages and the university required a…

Scuba diving & underwater cultural resources: differences in environmental beliefs, ascriptions of responsibility, and management preferences based on level of development

Treesearch

Sharon L. Todd; Tiffany Cooper; Alan R. Graefe

2001-01-01

This study examined SCUBA divers' level of development in relationship to environmental beliefs, ascriptions of responsibility, and management preferences concerning the use and management of New York's Great Lakes' underwater cultural resources. More than 850 New York State divers were surveyed during the fall of 1999, ranging from novices to experts...

Cultural Differences in Face-ism: Male Politicians Have Bigger Heads in More Gender-Equal Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konrath, Sara; Au, Josephine; Ramsey, Laura R.

2012-01-01

Women are visually depicted with lower facial prominence than men, with consequences for perceptions of their competence. The current study examines the relationship between the size of this "face-ism" bias (i.e., individual or micro-level sexism) and a number of gender inequality indicators (i.e., institutional or macro-level sexism) at the…

Recasting Border Crossing Politics and Pedagogies to Combat Educational Inequity: Experiences, Identities, and Perceptions of Latino/a Immigrant Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Camille M.; Ek, Lucila D.; Douglas, Ty-Ron M. O.

2014-01-01

Educational borderlands are the physical and/or conceptual landscapes where one must negotiate notions of cultural difference as she or he lives and learns--landscapes that envelop an array of pedagogical and cultural spaces, yet are typically guarded by exclusionary tactics. In this article, we examine how US immigrant youth navigate three…

Educational Practice in India and its Foundations in Indian Heritage: A Synthesis of the East and West?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Madhu

2013-01-01

The paper examines education practice in India in terms of the division between indigenous cultures on the one hand, and the formal culture of learning and knowledge systems inherited from colonial times on the other. These "two Indias" are still reflected in the modern educational system in India, seen in the vast differences between…

Parenting Style as a Moderator of Effects of Political Violence: Cross-Cultural Comparison of Israeli Jewish and Arab Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slone, Michelle; Shechner, Tomer; Farah, Oula Khoury

2012-01-01

This study examined cross-cultural differences in the moderating function of authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive parenting styles for Jewish and Arab Israeli children exposed to political violence. Respondents were parents and children aged 10-11 from 94 families (42 Arab, 52 Jewish). Parents completed the Parenting Styles and Dimensions…

A Window into Different Cultural Worlds: Young Children's Everyday Activities in the United States, Brazil, and Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tudge, Jonathan R. H.; Doucet, Fabienne; Odero, Dolphine; Sperb, Tania M.; Piccinini, Cesar A.; Lopes, Rita S.

2006-01-01

A powerful means to understand young children's normative development in context is to examine their everyday activities. The daily activities of 79 children (3 years old) were observed, for 20 hr each, in their usual settings. Children were selected from 4 cultural groups: European American and African American (Greensboro, United States), Luo…