Psychology Commons^™

Kluckhohn And Strodtbeck's Values Orientation Theory, Michael D. Hills

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

People's attitudes are based on the relatively few, stable values they hold. Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck's (1961) Values Orientation Theory proposes that all human societies must answer a limited number of universal problems, that the value-based solutions are limited in number and universally known, but that different cultures have different preferences among them. Suggested questions include humans' relations with time, nature and each other, as well as basic human motives and the nature of human nature. Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck suggested alternate answers to all five, developed culture-specific measures of each, and described the value orientation profiles of five SW USA cultural …

Life-Span Developmental Psychology: Midlife And Later Years In Western And Non-Western Societies, Frank Eyetsemitan

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

This chapter discusses the basis on which studies have been done on the later years of life in Western and non-Western cultures. It suggests that because Westerners value independence, most research on aging in Western societies has focused on how to help the individual maintain his or her functional independence throughout the life-span. Non-Westerners, on the other hand, value interdependence. Therefore, most research on aging has focused on the availability of social support in later life. But with Westernization influences in non-Western societies, there should be a shift in research efforts in order to accommodate a new understanding of aging …

A Model Of Family Change In Cultural Context, Cigdem Kagitcibasi

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

This reading is about the psychological study of the family with a cross-cultural comparative orientation. It attempts to provide answers to some basic questions regarding the family in context - whether there are systematic global changes in the family, what might be some of the important factors that characterize family and family change, and how they function. A model of family change is proposed to address these questions and to shed light on the variations in family patterns in different socio-cultural-economic contexts. These patterns also help understand the development of the self in family and society. It is proposed that …

Sojourners To Another Country: The Psychological Roller-Coaster Of Cultural Transitions, Nan M. Sussman Ph.D.

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

Cultural sojourners are temporary visitors to another country who return to their home country. They can be students enrolled in a foreign university or corporate employees assigned to an international branch of their company. This chapter explores the psychological aspects of the cultural transition cycle experienced by the sojourner. The concepts of enculturation and cultural identity are introduced followed by a discussion of a transition model which focuses on awareness, adjustment, adaptation, self-concept change, cultural identity response and repatriation. Ideas for minimizing repatriation distress are suggested.

Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors Across Cultures, P. Wesley Schultz

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

One of the fundamental aspects of culture is the relationship it prescribes between individuals and environment. Am I part of the natural environment, or am I separate and perhaps superior to nature? The answer to this question influences the types of attitudes that individuals within a given culture are likely to develop, the types of environmental behaviors that individuals are likely to adopt, and more generally, beliefs about how to solve environmental problems. This chapter examines differences in attitudes about environmental issues across cultures. We distinguish between egoistic environmental attitudes, and biospheric environmental attitudes, and summarize recent cross-cultural research on …

Subjective Well-Being Across Cultures, Eunkook M. Suh, Shigehiro Oishi

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

All individuals strive to be happy. How they pursue this ultimate human goal, however, seems to vary in interesting ways across cultures. Three key findings have emerged from recent scientific research: 1) individualist cultures are happier than collectivists, 2) psychological attributes characterizing the self (e.g., self-esteem, self-consistency) are more relevant to the happiness of Western individualists than to the happiness of collectivists, and 3) the self-judgment of happiness is anchored on different types of cues and experiences across cultures.

What Questions Arise When Studying Cultural Universals In Depression? Lessons From Abnormal Psychology Textbooks, Junko Tanaka-Matsumi, Robert Chang

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

We examined 70 abnormal psychology textbooks published from 1920s to the present to identify consistent cross-cultural themes with regard to human depressive experiences over time and across regions of the world. The cultural and cross-cultural literature on abnormality and depression, in particular, has contributed to widening the scope of abnormal psychology textbooks over time. However, the texts are almost entirely dependent on Western diagnostic categories, particularly with regard to definitions of depression. Within the Western classification framework, authors of abnormal psychology textbooks have increasingly recognized the role of culture in depressive experiences and their communication. On the basis of our …

Automobiles, Individualism-Collectivism, And Psychic Systems: An Essay On The Functional Perspective In Cross-Cultural Psychology, Stefan Strohschneider

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

This chapter identifies the mainstream approach in (cross-cultural) psychology as "variables psychology" and contrasts it with two versions of functionalist thinking. Functionalist approaches are concerned with the purpose of cultural differences and with the psychological mechanisms that produce them. Whereas questions of purpose are frequently debated in cross-cultural psychology, the problem of the basic psychological mechanisms is not. This reading demonstrates how this problem might be tackled by explaining empirical differences between individualists and collectivists through the concepts and mechanisms of a general model of action regulation. The consequences of this approach for the development of cross-cultural psychology are briefly …

Cross-, Intra-, And Just Plain Cultural, Douglass R. Price-Williams

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

No abstract provided.

Culture, Psychology, And Education, David Matsumoto

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

In my view, the study of culture provides three main contributions to our understanding of human behavior and mental processes. First there is great knowledge to impart about cultural similarities and differences in behavior, and these form the basis for improving psychological theories. Second the study of culture is a prime example of critical thinking in the field, as cross-cultural research begs the question about whether our notions of truth and psychological principles are applicable to people beyond those whom were studied. Third research on intercultural adjustment provides us with clues about possible psychological constructs that may be universally necessary …

Levels Of Analysis In Cross-Cultural Psychology, Peter B. Smith

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

Cross-cultural psychologists seek to understand the nature of culture, a concept that can only be understood at the collective, supra-individual level. In most areas of psychology, researchers treat each individual as a separate source of data. Cross-cultural psychologists therefore need a clear understanding of the relationship between individual-level and group or collective-level analysis. Selected studies are reviewed that illustrate the way in which research may yield results that differ at different levels of analysis. Indications are given as to how cross-cultural psychologists can best handle the complexities of culture-related measurements for individuals and groups.

Directions In Gender Research In American Indian Societies: Two Spirits And Other Categories, Beatrice Medicine

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

Indigenous social role categories that represent third and fourth gender characteristics, such as the Lakota (Sioux) winkte and the Dino (Navajo) n and other Native terms, mark the status of these individuals. However, they are often blanketed by the term, berdache, in social science literature. Contextualization in an ethnographic frame is essential to greater comprehension of these roles. A critical review of contemporary research and the writings of the Native occupants of these categories has resulted in an all encompassing term: "Two Spirits." Coterminously, Native terms for lesbians are also emerging. However, all Native gay males and lesbians have …

The Relationship Of Corpus Callosum And Cingulate Gyrus Surface Areas With Intelligence Scores In Persons With Early Hydrocephalus, Heather Gerschler

Theses and Dissertations

This study served as a pilot study of cingulate gyrus surface areas and their relation to intelligence in individuals with hydrocephalus. Surface areas of the corpus callosum and cingulate gyrus regions were compared between individuals with early hydrocephalus (n = 9) and controls (n = 7). Subsequently, the surface areas were correlated with full-scale intelligence scores and the verbal and nonverbal discrepancy scores. Corpus collosum surface areas were significantly smaller in participants with hydrocephalus. These areas also robustly correlated with full-scale intelligence scores. Although the cingulate gyrus did not differ significantly between the groups, the cingulate gyrus regions were increasingly …

Trying To Understand The Different Pieces Of The Construct Validity Puzzle Of Assessment Centers: An Examination Of Assessor And Assessee Effects, Filip Lievens

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study examined the effects of assessor-related factors (i.e., type of assessor) and assessee-related factors (i.e., type of assessee profile) on the construct validity of assessment center ratings. In particular, 3 types of assessors (26 industrial/organizational [I/O] psychologists, 20 managers, and 27 students), rated assessee performances that varied according to cross-exercise consistency (i.e., relatively inconsistent vs. relatively consistent) and dimension differentiation (relatively undifferentiated vs. relatively differentiated). Construct validity evidence was established for only one assessee profile and only in the I/O psychologist and managerial samples. More generally, these results indicate that 3 factors (poor design, assessor unreliability, and especially cross-situational …

Review Of The Butcher's Tale: Murder And Anti-Semitism In A German Town, Michael F. Russo

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Parents' Homophobia And Childrearing Gender Role Beliefs: Correlates In A Local Populations, Angela Ackerman Brogle

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Harmful To Whom? Panelists Consider The Conservative Backlash Against Judith Levine's New Book, Patrick Mccreery

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

Judith Levine jokingly says that at least she's in good company: Margaret Sanger, Alfred Kinsey, and Jocelyn Elders all were vilified for allegedly promoting sex between adults and children (though of course none of them did any such thing). Levine, a journalist and founder of the National Writers Union, has been vilified and worse because of her new book, Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex (University of Minnesota Press). In it, she argues that sex is not inherently harmful to teenagers, but can be healthy and empowering. Furthermore, she claims that society's responses to fears of …

The Role Of Situational And Dispositional Factors On Sub-Optimal Performance, Shannon Walker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Pressure is known to decrease performance for well-practiced tasks. Research has found that pressure decreases performance for those with high self-consciousness when distracted, but the effects of pressure and distraction are not known for those with low self-consciousness. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess whether a distraction would improve the performance of those with low self-consciousness. A 2 (self-consciousness) x 2 (distraction) analysis of covariance (covariates emotional control, performance distance) factorial design was used to assess putting performance for 125 undergraduate participants. Results revealed that distraction negatively affected performance for both self-consciousness groups, but results indicated that …

The Effectiveness Of Listening Previewing On Oral Reading Performance, Latisha Smith

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

To successfully function in today's society, a skill that is arguably necessary is that of reading. Educators are constantly in search of effective reading interventions to use with students. This study examined the effects of listening previewing on the oral reading fluency of third grade students from regular education classrooms. Twelve participants were assigned to one of two groups: Experimental Group or Control Group. Results indicated that the listening previewing procedure was superior to reading practice only when the progress monitoring data was collected on previewed probes. The findings imply that improvements in oral reading fluency due to the listening …

Effects Of Restricted Spectral Rearing On The Development Of Zebrafish Retinal Physiology, Lee Dixon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research has shown that rearing in abnormal lighting environments affects both visual behavior and retinal physiology in zebrafish larvae. These studies, however, used only darkness and constant white light as the experimental rearing conditions. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects on the development of zebrafish retinal physiology of rearing larvae in restricted spectral lighting environments. Larvae were reared in one of seven different lighting environments: cyclic white light (the control group), constant blue light, constant green light, constant orange light, cyclic blue light, cyclic green light, and cyclic orange light. Assessment of retinal physiology was …

Social Learning Of A Novel Avoidance Task In The Guppy: Conformity And Social Release, Culum Brown, Kevin N. Laland

Sentience Collection

Studies of social learning suggest that many animals are disproportionately likely to adopt the behavior of the majority, and that this conformist transmission hinders the spread of novel behavioural variants. However, novel learned behaviour patterns regularly diffuse through animal populations. We propose a hypothesis, termed the ‘social release hypothesis’, that resolves these apparently conflicting findings by suggesting that animals are released from conforming to traditional behaviour in the absence of demonstrators. We investigated the role of pretrained, female demonstrator guppies, Poecilia reticulata, in influencing the escape response of untrained females to an artificial predator. Naïve ‘observer’ guppies were given the …

Vigilance And Predation Risk In Gunnison’S Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Gunnisoni), J. L. Verdolin, C. N. Slobodchikoff

Sentience Collection

Group living in animals is believed to confer advantages related to a decrease in predation risk and an energetic trade-off between vigilance and foraging efficiency. Eight Gunnison’s prairie dog, Cynomys gunnisoni, colonies in Flagstaff, Arizona (elevation 2300 m), were studied from April to August 2000 to examine the adaptive significance of colonial living in the context of predation risk and antipredator behavioral strategies. Each colony was sampled once every 10 days for a period of 3 h. Upright and quadrepedal vigilance was recorded using scan samples. All predation events were recorded. Results suggest that vigilant behavior in Gunnison’s prairie dogs …

Physiology And Behavior Of Dogs During Air Transport, Renée Bergeron, Shannon L. Scott, Jean-Pierre Émond, Florent Mercier, Nigel J. Cook, Al L. Schaefer

Stress Collection

Twenty-four beagles were used to measure physiological and behavioral reactions to air transport. Each of 3 groups of 4 sedated (with 0.5 mg/kg body weight of acepromazine maleate) and 4 non-sedated (control) dogs was flown on a separate flight between Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto, Ontario, after being transported by road from Quebec City to Montreal. Saliva and blood samples were taken before ground and air transport and after air transport. The heart rate was monitored during the whole experiment except during ground transport, and behavior was monitored by video during air transport. Sedation did not affect any of the variables …

Perceptions Of Fairness Of Discipline Events In The Work Place, Debra Phillips

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Employees are concerned with the fairness of organizational outcomes they receive and the fairness of the decision-making processes used to determine how these outcomes are allocated in accordance with organizational policies. The present study focused on the distributive justice and procedural justice outcomes of disciplinary actions in work place settings. This study assessed the effects of three levels of the severity of rule violation, severity of punishment, and decision-making processes utilized. The results indicated that conditions allowing participation in the decision-making process resulted in perceptions of greater procedural fairness to employees, but did not influence perceptions of distributive fairness. The …

Effects Of Sleep Duration, Sleep Quality, And Time Of Day On Executive Function Performance In Children, Judy T. Klaus

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

Executive functions are the cognitive abilities that include self-regulation, inhibition of responding, planning, and mental flexibility. Previous studies on executive functions I I have focused on people with ADHD and other impairments. Studies on sleep and cognitive function abilities have focused on the effects of lack of sleep and the ability to perform executive function tasks. This study examined the cognitive abilities of children with no impairment in relationship to Time of Day, Sleep Duration and Sleep Quality.

Thirty children ranging from age 7 to age 12 were recruited from the area. A self-report questionnaire on typical Sleep Duration and …

Time-Based Work-Family Conflict: Myth Or Reality?, Karyn H. Bernas

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study examined a time-based model of work-family conflict for a sample of 176 working women with childcare responsibilities. Building on the work of Edwards and Rothbard (2000) and role theory, a model was proposed to test the specific variables that define time-based work-family conflict. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the proposed hypotheses. Contrary to assumptions about time-based conflict, the results suggest that role time has a very limited impact on work-family conflict. Variables that were related to role performance and satisfaction included traditional gender role expectations, family involvement, family instrumental support, leader-member exchange, role overload, and …

Creating Inclusive Organizations: Its Meaning And Measurement, Bryan Christopher Hayes

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

There is growing interest in the concept of inclusion by both scientists and practitioners. The goal of the current study was to bring empirical support to the organizational inclusion literature. Inclusion was defined as a psychosocial need and a model was developed specifying its relationship to antecedent and consequence variables. The measurement model was explored with a sample of responses from 418 undergraduate students (Study 1). The measurement model was confirmed and the structural model was assessed with a sample of responses from 609 employees of a medical center (Study 2). Results of structural equation modeling provided limited support for …

Relationship Between Behavioral Measures In A Driving Simulator And Eeg Activity On Day-Shift And Night-Shift Workers, Jennifer L. Freeman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Driver fatigue is a concern that demands a closer investigation into ways of detection and populations at risk. This study examined the relationship between EEG activity and several driving behaviors, as well as differences between day-shift and nightshift workers. Twenty adults, five males and ten females between the ages of 18 and 45, participated in this experiment. Participants included 10 day-shift and 10 night-shift workers. Participants were wired for EEG recording and asked to drive in a 1-hour highway-driving scenario in a driving simulator. Relative powers of alpha, theta and beta were recorded and an EEG index of alertness was …

Stress-Counter Response Training: Flight Simulation Ans Biofeedback, Debra K. Stewart

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Many attempts to reduce Human Error (HE) in aviation have been applied in the past. However, HE remains the largest reported cause of accidents and incidents in aviation. The present study was designed to implement a novel training method to produce voluntary control over the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Twenty-one participants flew a PC based F-16 flight simulator. There were three conditions: 1. Stress-Counter Response training (SCR), 2, traditional biofeedback training, and 3. A control. It was hypothesized that the SCR training group would show improved physiological control, better flight performance, and lower subjective workload ratings compared to the other …

Update - July 2002, Loma Linda University Center For Christian Bioethics

Update

In this issue:

-- Having Enough Faith Not To Be Healed
-- Theological Warrants for Palliative Care
-- Congratulations (master program graduates)