Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Self-Compassion And Cultural Values: A Cross-Cultural Study Of Self-Compassion Using A Multitrait-Multimethod (Mtmm) Analytical Procedure, Jesus Montero-Marin, Willem Kuyken, Catherine Crane, Jenny Gu, Ruth A. Baer, Aida A. Al-Awamleh, Satoshi Akutsu, Claudio Araya-Véliz, Nima Ghorbani, Zhuo Job Chen, Min-Sun Kim, Michail Mantzios, Danilo N. Rolim Dos Santos, Luiz C. Serramo López, Ahmed A. Teleb, P. J. Watson, Ayano Yamaguchi, Eunjoo Yang, Javier García-Campayo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Self-compassion is natural, trainable and multi-faceted human capacity. To date there has been little research into the role of culture in influencing the conceptual structure of the underlying construct, the relative importance of different facets of self-compassion, nor its relationships to cultural values. This study employed a cross-cultural design, with 4,124 participants from 11 purposively sampled datasets drawn from different countries. We aimed to assess the relevance of positive and negative items when building the self-compassion construct, the convergence among the self-compassion components, and the possible influence of cultural values. Each dataset comprised undergraduate students who completed the “Self-Compassion Scale” …

Trauma Therapy And The Need For Cross Cultural Competence, Marijke Sommer

Honors Projects

This project addresses the relevance of cross cultural competence for work in trauma therapy. I begin with a review of the literature on approaches to trauma therapy, identifying similarities and differences in key approaches, and comparing outcomes where that information is available. I then review a variety of cross cultural variations in mental health conditions and symptoms, attempting to roughly position each within the ethnic group or groups in which the variation is mostly likely to be found. Finally, I review the very small existing literature examining the impact of culturally sensitive approaches to trauma therapy in several non-Western ethnic …

Diversity And Inclusion In The Science Classroom, Sowmya Anjur

Faculty Publications & Research

A Diversity, Epidemiology and social justice unit was incorporated into the Physiology and Disease curriculum in Fall 2016. Students discussed topics such as social and cultural influences on diversity thinking, and selective treatment in hospitals based on race. It was very noteworthy that students were united in their thinking regarding diversity and inclusion, despite the fact that they were from different backgrounds and diverse cultures. In 2017, additional discussions were held on equity in education. Students who were otherwise reserved were encouraged enough to express their views, and everyone appreciated the fact that they had been included.

An Integrative Approach To Investigating Bilingual Advantages In Cognitive Decline: The Australian Longitudinal Study Of Ageing, Wei Xing Toh, Andree Hartanto, Joanne Qin Ying Tan, Hwajin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

A commentary on “The relationship of bilingualism to cognitive decline: The Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing” by Mukadam N, Jichi F, Green D, Livingston G (2018). International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 33(2), e249‐e256, .

Bilingualism Confers Advantages In Task Switching: Evidence From The Dimensional Change Card Sort Task, Hwajin Yang, Andree Hartanto, Sujin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We examined the influence of bilingualism on task switching by inspecting various markers for task-switching costs. English monolinguals and Korean–English bilinguals completed a modified Dimensional Change Card Sort task based on a nonverbal task-switching paradigm. We found advantages for Korean–English bilinguals in terms of smaller single-task (pure-block) switch costs and greater reactivation benefits than those of English monolinguals. However, bilingual advantages in mixing costs were relatively weak, and the two groups did not differ on local switch costs. Notably, when we approximated the cue-based priming effect in single-task (pure) blocks, we found no evidence that the locus of bilingual advantages …

Integrated Mental Health Care In Education For Syrian Refugees: An Exploratory Study, Emily Goldstein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Trauma-inducing experiences during conflict can significantly impede the ability to function and effectively learn in the classroom; thus, it is essential to integrate mental health services into the school setting for refugee populations. This study investigated the state of integrated mental healthcare for Syrian refugees in Jordan by surveying Syrian students on their attitudes towards seeking mental health and interviewing educators on their classroom practices. The scope of the study was extremely limited, as data was collected on only 21 students and 5 educators in one school and a number of biases could have skewed the results. It was found …

Adjusting Bilingual Ratings By Retest Reliability Improves Estimation Of Translation Quality, Dustin Wood, Lin Qiu, Jiahui Lu, Han Lin, William Tov

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The quality of cross-language scale translations is often explored by having bilingual participants complete the scale in both languages and then correlating their scores. However, low cross-language correlations can be observed due to score unreliability rather than due to poor scale translation. McCrae, Yik, Trapnell, Bond, and Paulhus suggested that a better indicator of translation quality can be formed by dividing the raw cross-language correlation by the same-language retest correlations over a similar measurement interval. Here, we illustrate how this method can be extended to evaluate the translation quality of individual items. We translated the English version of the Inventory …

Supporting Newcomer Students: A Chicago-Specific Exploration Of Social And Emotional Learning Initiatives, Lincoln Hill

Center for the Human Rights of Children

Due to the large number of immigrant children and families within its borders as well as its sanctuary jurisdiction, the city of Chicago serves as an ideal case study towards investigating specialized services for one of its most vulnerable subpopulations of children, primarily the development needs of its immigrant children. The desired outcome for this non-exhaustive research brief is to provide empirical evidence and best practices for Chicago community and school specialists seeking to support the social and emotional needs of their newcomer student population.

Acute Salivary Cortisol Response Among Mexican American Adolescents In Immigrant Families, Su Yeong Kim, Minyu Zhang, Katharine H. Zeiders, Lester Sim, Marci E. J. Gleason

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Objectives: Though previous research has indicated that language brokering can be stressful, the findings are mixed, pointing to potential moderators of the association. Guided by an ecological perspective, we examined the role of individual, family, and environmental factors in Mexican American adolescents’ acute cortisol responses to language brokering. Method: The study consisted of 46 Mexican American adolescents recruited around a metropolitan city in Central Texas. Participants translated a difficult medical document from English to Spanish for their parents, followed by an arithmetic task (modeled after the Trier Social Stress Test [TSST]). Participants’ perceptions (perceived efficacy and parental dependence), parental hostility, …

The Perception Of Spontaneous And Volitional Laughter Across 21 Societies, Gregory A. Bryan, Daniel M. Fessler, Riccardo Fusaroli, Edward Clint, Dorsa Amir, Brenda Chavez, Kaleda K. Denton, Cinthya Diaz, Lealaiailoto T. Duran, Jana Fancovicova, Michal Fux, Erni F. Ginting, Youssef Hasan, Anning Hu, Shanmukh V. Kamble, Tatsuya Kameda, Kiri Kuroda, Norman P. Li, Et Al

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Laughter is a nonverbal vocalization occurring in every known culture, ubiquitous across all forms of human socialinteraction. Here, we examined whether listeners around the world, irrespective of their own native language andculture, can distinguish between spontaneous laughter and volitional laughter—laugh types likely generated by differentvocal-production systems. Using a set of 36 recorded laughs produced by female English speakers in tests involving 884participants from 21 societies across six regions of the world, we asked listeners to determine whether each laugh wasreal or fake, and listeners differentiated between the two laugh types with an accuracy of 56% to 69%. Acoustic analysisrevealed that …

The Cultural Boundaries Of Perspective-Taking: When And Why Perspective-Taking Reduces Stereotyping, Cynthia S. Wang, Margaret Lee, Gillian Ku, Leung, Angela K. Y.

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Research conducted in Western cultures indicates that perspective-taking is an effective social strategy for reducing stereotyping. The current article explores whether and why the effects of perspective-taking on stereotyping differ across cultures. Studies 1 and 2 established that perspective-taking reduces stereotyping in Western but not in East Asian cultures. Using a socioecological framework, Studies 2 and 3 found that relational mobility, that is, the extent to which individuals’ social environments provide them opportunities to choose new relationships and terminate old ones, explained our effect: Perspective-taking was negatively associated with stereotyping in relationally mobile (Western) but not in relationally stable (East …

Inherent Multiculturalism: An Ancient Chinese Practice Becomes A Part Of The Indonesian Everyday, Margaret Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Several methods are used to trace cultural transfer between countries. The time-honoured methods are chronicles of early travellers and archaeology. We can also look to epigraphs and loan words. Present-day ethnic communities also suggest earlier settlements. Edward B. Tylor proposed the world distribution of games as anthropological evidence. Tylor's method combined with an archaeology into the Everyday provides evidence of earlier cultural transfer and present-day applications of the game enables analysis to draw socio-cultural knowledge of inter-ethnic, inter-cultural reception to foreign influences in host societies.

Innovating At Cultural Crossroads: How Multicultural Social Networks Promote Ideas Flow And Creativity, Roy Y. J. Chua

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Diversity in social networks is often linked to enhanced creativity. Emerging research on exposure to diverse informational resources (e.g., ideas and knowledge) however has painted a more complex picture regarding its effect on individuals’ creative performance. This research examines the effects of culturally diverse networks on the flow of ideas and individuals’ creativity. Combining social network analysis with experimental methods, two studies using different samples found that a culturally diverse network increases the likelihood of receiving culture-related novel ideas (but not other types of novel ideas) from network contacts, whether or not these contacts share one’s own culture of origin. …

The Savanna Theory Of Happiness, Satoshi Kanazawa, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This chapter describes the savanna theory of happiness, which posits that it may not be only the consequences of a given situation in the current environment that affect individuals’ happiness but also what its consequences would have been in the ancestral environment. The theory further suggests that the effect of such ancestral consequences on happiness is stronger among less intelligent individuals than among more intelligent individuals. Consistent with the theory, being an ethnic minority, living in urban areas, and socializing with friends less frequently all reduce happiness, but the effects of these conditions are significantly stronger among less intelligent individuals …

Revealed Traits: A Novel Method For Estimating Cross-Cultural Similarities And Differences In Personality, Cory Costello, Dustin Wood, William Tov

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Cross-cultural research on personality has often led to surprising and countertheoretical findings, which have led to concerns over the validity of country-level estimates of personality (e.g., Heine, Buchtel, & Norenzayan, 2008). The present study explores how cross-cultural differences can be indexed via revealed trait estimates, which index the personality traits of individuals or groups indirectly through their likelihood of responding in particular ways to particular situations. In two studies, we measure self-reports of personality, revealed traits, and revealed preferences for different expected effects (e.g., experiencing excitement) of two cultural groups (U.S. and Singaporean participants). We found typical East–West differences in …

Analysis Of Endocrine Response To Perceived Difference In Cross-Cultural Interactions, Carole Woolford-Hunt, Marlene Murray, Tevni Grajales Guerra, Kristina Beenken-Johnson

Faculty Publications

We live in a world where awareness of ethnic and cultural diversity is an ever increasing reality. Business and education turn to the social sciences to inform them about how to manage and optimize cross-cultural interactions. Although much research has been done on the impact of cross-cultural interactions on a wide range of variables, one less researched area is the endocrine response to cross-cultural interactions. In this study we set out to investigate the endocrine response to cross cultural interactions and the impact of these interactions on perceived differences. To do so we measured the pre and post levels of …

Racial And Cultural Minority Experiences And Perceptions Of Health Care Provision In A Mid-Western Region, Stephane M. Shepherd, Cynthia Willis-Esqueda, Yin Paradies, Diane Sivasubramaniam, Juanita Sherwood, Teresa Brockie

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Disparities across a number of health indicators between the general population and particular racial and cultural minority groups including African Americans, Native Americans and Latino/a Americans have been well documented. Some evidence suggests that particular groups may receive poorer standards of care due to biased beliefs or attitudes held by health professionals. Less research has been conducted in specifically non-urban areas with smaller minority populations.

Methods: This study explored the self-reported health care experiences for 117 racial and cultural minority Americans residing in a Mid-Western jurisdiction. Prior health care experiences (including perceived discrimination), attitudes towards cultural competence and satisfaction …

Decreasing Stigma Against Depression In Chinese International Students, Elizabeth Trader

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Higher levels of stress and a shift in support systems during the transition to another culture can put international students at risk for mood disorders like depression. Previous research supports there is also a higher level of depression stigma within Eastern cultures in comparison to Western cultures (Rao, Feinglass, & Corrigan, 2007). This may account for the strikingly low numbers from the Chinese population that seek and maintain professional counseling services while studying in the U.S. (Yakushko, Davidson, & Sandford-Martens, 2008). The present study sought to determine whether two self-produced Chinese videos regarding information about stigma, symptoms, and treatment of …

An Integrated Dual-Pathway Model Of Multicultural Experience And Creativity, Lay See Ong, Yi Wen Tan, Chi-Ying Cheng

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In this chapter, we present the dual-pathway multicultural experience and creative knowledge (MEACK) model, depicting how multicultural experience influences creative performance through the building of two types of knowledge: content knowledge (the what of creativity) and normative knowledge (the how and why of creativity). The MEACK model also takes into account the role of multicultural identity integration (MII), an individual difference in the levels of integration among multiple cultural identities, by showing that MII moderates the two pathways. We posit that high MIIs, who see their identities as more compatible than low MIIs, are better able to experience creative conceptual …

The Role Of Culture In Creative Cognition, Angela K. Y. Leung, Brandon Koh

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In this chapter, we propose the complementary model of culture and creativity (CMCC) to account for three pairs of contrasting forces that characterize the manners in which individuals manage their cultural experiences and that produce impacts on creative pursuits. We theorize three bidimensional psychological processes that explain the effects of culture on creativity: (a) stereotyping versus destabilizing cultural norms, (b) fixating on one cultural mindset versus alternating between cultural frames, and (c) distancing from versus integrating cultures. We contend that a broader and diversifying cultural experience offers an impetus to break down cultural confines, to oscillate between a variety of …

Bilingualism Positively Predicts Mathematical Competence: Evidence From Two Large-Scale Studies, Andree Hartanto, Hwajin Yang, Sujin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Although little is known about the link between bilingualism and mathematical achievement in children, the established link between executive functions (EFs) and mathematical achievement suggests that bilingualism—which has been shown to affect EFs—may positively predict math skills. Drawing on two large-scale datasets collected in the US—the Multi-State Study of Pre-Kindergarten and the State-Wide Early Education Programs (Study 1) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (Study 2)—we examined the relation between bilingualism and mathematical achievement among preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first-grade students (ages 4–7), while controlling for key covariates of (a) demographic variables, such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status; and …