Cultural Influences on Health and Psychology

Judging people from other cultures by the standards of one's own culture, often leading to prejudice and misinterpretations.

A process where knowledge, ideas, and skills are passed down from generation to generation, accumulating and evolving over time. This is unique to humans.

The tendency to imitate and learn from individuals who are successful or prestigious within a culture. This contributes to the development of cultural norms and practices.

The ability of humans to participate in different social groups, change their social networks, and adapt to new environments. This is critical for cultural learning and social change.

The ability of humans to understand and share knowledge with others, fostering a sense of shared experience and facilitating cultural learning.

A culture that is shaped by the environment, such as climate, resources, and geography. This type of culture involves behaviors and practices that are adaptive to the specific environment.

A culture that arises from ideas and practices that are transmitted from one individual to another, often spreading widely within a society. This includes beliefs, values, and customs.

A culture that is characterized by individualism, independence, and focus on personal achievement. Societies with WEIRD cultures often prioritize individual goals and self-reliance.

The idea that the way a symptom is expressed and understood depends on the cultural context in which it occurs. A symptom may be interpreted differently based on societal norms, beliefs, and even physical characteristics of a specific population.

A psychological distress unique to a particular culture characterized by an intense fear of one's genitals retracting into the body.

A cultural script is a learned pattern of behavior, thinking, and feeling associated with a specific situation or role. It influences how people interpret and respond to experiences, including symptoms of distress. It can affect what symptoms are considered acceptable to express, how they are perceived by others, and how they are treated.

The idea that the way a symptom is expressed can be influenced by the learned ways of understanding and talking about experiences related to the symptom. These are the ways a culture frames emotions and the body. Cultures may focus on different aspects of experiences, which leads to different symptom expressions.

The degree to which individuals integrate their two cultural identities into a unified self-concept, leading to more flexible and adaptive thinking.

A motivational state that is characterized by focusing on goals, aspirations, and ideals. It is about striving for gains and achieving success.

A motivational state that is characterized by focusing on obligations, responsibilities, and avoiding negative outcomes. It is about preventing losses and staying safe.

The tendency for individuals to perceive a greater sense of agency and control over their lives when they believe that they have made choices rather than having situations imposed on them.

Individuals from different cultures might have vastly different interpretations of what is considered helpful behavior based on their own cultural norms and values.

A cognitive style that is characterized by attending to the individual elements within a field of information and analyzing them independently. It involves breaking down objects and situations into their components.

A cognitive style that is characterized by attending to the relationships between objects or events and how they form a cohesive whole. It emphasizes understanding the interconnectedness of things.

The process of assigning meaning to experiences, especially in the face of challenging events. It helps individuals maintain a sense of coherence and purpose in their lives.

The tendency for individuals to view themselves more positively than others, which is often more pronounced in Western cultures compared to East Asian cultures.

A cultural model of the self that emphasizes independence, autonomy, and self-reliance. Individuals with an independent self-construct view themselves as separate and unique from others, focusing on personal goals and achievements.

A cultural model of the self that emphasizes interdependence, connection, and relationships. Individuals with an interdependent self-construct view themselves as part of a social network, prioritizing group harmony and collective goals.

A psychological process that involves adapting to a new culture. It involves changes in attitudes, behaviors, and values as individuals navigate the cultural differences between their original culture and the new one.

A model suggesting that individuals experience a series of stages when adjusting to a new culture, including excitement, disillusionment, adaptation, and integration.

A theoretical framework that proposes that individuals can switch back and forth between different cultural frames of reference, depending on the context. This allows them to navigate different cultural situations effectively.

A motivation for self-enhancement that emphasizes maintaining a positive public image. Individuals with a strong concern for face strive to avoid shame, embarrassment, and loss of dignity.

A motivation for self-enhancement that emphasizes striving for personal improvement and growth. Individuals with a strong self-improvement motivation seek to develop their skills and abilities, and to reach their full potential.

A motivation for self-enhancement that emphasizes seeking control over one's environment and outcomes. Individuals with a strong control motivation desire agency and autonomy, seeking to influence events and make choices that shape their destiny.

A motivation for self-enhancement that emphasizes fitting in with a group or conforming to social norms. Individuals with a strong conformity motivation prioritize belonging and acceptance, seeking to avoid social disapproval or isolation.

The way emotions are expressed and understood within a specific culture.

A research approach that focuses on studying cultural influences on emotions.

A research approach that focuses on understanding emotional expressions through facial movements.

Emotional expressions that are influenced by cultural norms, such as how intensely or subtly emotions are displayed.

The idea that people are attracted to others who share similar qualities, values, and beliefs.

A type of love characterized by intense passion, intimacy, and commitment.

A type of love that is stable and enduring, characterized by trust, respect, and a deep bond.

A type of love that is selfless and focused on the well-being of the loved one.

The study of how culture shapes emotional experiences.

The degree to which individuals perceive their lives as positive and fulfilling.

The phenomenon where individuals in a group privately disagree with a norm, but believe that most others agree with it.

When cultures persist in the face of changes, they tend to build upon existing structures rather than completely replacing them.

The idea that a child's learning and development are influenced by their social interactions within their specific environment.

The influence of early conditions, such as genetics, environment, and early experiences, on later development.

A psychological perspective that emphasizes the role of cultural factors in shaping human thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

A branch of psychology that investigates the similarities and differences in psychological processes across diverse cultures.

A concept that describes how different levels of analysis in psychology, such as individual, social, and cultural, are interconnected.

The idea that the human mind and culture influence each other mutually. Culture shapes the mind, and the mind contributes to the development and transmission of culture.

A set of methods used to collect and analyze data from different cultures.

The tendency for cultural traits to persist over time, especially in environments that are relatively stable.

Key ideas of cross-cultural psychology include understanding cultural influences on psychological processes, comparing and contrasting different cultural perspectives, and exploring the universality vs. cultural specificity of psychological phenomena

Key ideas of cultural psychology include exploring how culture shapes human mind and behavior, understanding the interplay between individual and cultural factors, and investigating the cultural transmission of knowledge and practices.

The idea that the human capacity for culture is deeply rooted in our biology and evolutionary history.

A research method that explores cultural differences in how people perceive, process, and remember information.

Methods to study culture involve gathering data through surveys, interviews, observations, and experiments. It requires selecting appropriate samples, translating materials accurately, and considering cultural contexts.