Psychology

Compare and contrast the three main types of research methods used by cross-cultural psychologists: method validation, indigenous cultural studies, and cross-cultural comparisons. Share an example of how you would research a cultural issue using one of the three research methods listed above.

ANSWER

Cross-Cultural Research Methods

Cross-cultural validation studies examine whether a measure of a psychological construct originally generated in a single culture is applicable. Indigenous cultural studies use rich, complex, and in-depth descriptions of cultures (Keith, 2019). According to indigenous cultural studies, psychological processes and behavior can only be understood within the cultural state it occurs. Different cultural systems produce different concepts of self. This explains how cultural systems produce different types of self-concerns. Indigenous cultural studies are used to explain cultural differences (Berry & Dasen, 2019). On the other hand, cross-cultural comparisons involve comparing two or more cultures. Cross-cultural comparisons involve psychological variables of interest, and that one culture has higher scores than the next. Cross-cultural comparisons involve exploratory studies and hypothesis testing studies.

I would use indigenous cultural studies to study the origins of gender roles. I would study a single culture, the origins of gender roles, and the cultural differences between communities to understand the rise of gender roles and the rise of the role of a woman as the caretaker in different cultures. I would use it to study the origins of human beings’ concept of male and female and the woman as the weaker species (Shiraev & Levy, 2020). Indigenous cultural studies are used to study cultural systems and how they produce different concepts of self. This would therefore help me understand how the concepts of human beings developed and how the man ended up being the provider. I would also use the method to study the emerging and changing concept of gender roles. I would study it from the past to the recent past and how it has evolved. I will also use this method to explain the different concepts of self and how they have evolved depending on the culture.

References

Berry, J. W., & Dasen, P. R. (2019). Culture and cognition: Readings in cross-cultural psychology. Routledge.

Keith, K. D. (Ed.). (2019). Cross-cultural psychology: Contemporary themes and perspectives. John Wiley & Sons.

Shiraev, E. B., & Levy, D. A. (2020). Cross-cultural psychology: Critical thinking and contemporary applications. Routledge.