Culture, self, and identity

What is another important aspect of self-concept

self-esteem

• how we feel about ourselves

What serves as protection against low self-esteem

if an individual is independent and responsible for their successes and failures, then emphasising the positive aspects

What is self-enhancement

it’s another additional aspect of the self with cultural variation

• boost our self-esteem

• self-enhancement is a universal practice, the way it’s done (individually vs. relationally) differs across cultures

Western view of self-enhancement

public self-enhancement is common and socially accepted

• “I got the top grade in my class because I worked really hard and am talented”

Asian view of self-enhancement

public self-promotion is less valued, boosting self-esteem often occurs privately or subtly

• “I was able to contribute to my team’s success”

• “i’m grateful I could help my family”

Western/individualistic cultures view on self-continuity

people often have decontextualised self-continuity:

• they see their past, present and future as connected primarily through their personal traits, goals, and achievements

focus is on internal consistency and personal narrative

• the link to family, community, or social roles is less emphasised

Asian/collectivist cultures view on self-continuity

people often have contextualised self-continuity:

• they see their past, present, and future as connected through relationships, family, place, or social roles

focus is on interconnectedness and fulfilling social obligations

Phinney (2015) developed the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) which is…

examines ethnic identity

• includes two sub scales:

  • exploration (e.g., I have often talked to other people in order to learn more about my ethnic group)

  • commitment (e.g., I feel a strong attachment towards my own ethnic group)

What are the key takeaways from the correlation between MEIM and selected measures of psychological wellbeing

importance of ethnicity has positive relationships with adaptive outcomes (e.g. coping) and negative relationships with maladaptive ones (e.g. loneliness)

• strength of these relationships varies by ethnic group

• ethnicity importance appears to play an important role in psychological well-being across diverse cultural groups

What happens to a multicultural individual when adjusting to a new culture

because of the need to fit into different cultural contexts, multicultural individuals normally develop multiple concepts of the self that can be called upon depending on the context

What are the five coping skills that multicultural individuals typically use, Brislin (1981)

1. non-acceptance

• continuing to act according to traditional norms, ignoring cultural differences

2. substitution

• behaving in the most acceptable manner by substituting Normas from the ‘new’ culture for traditional norms

3. addition

• evaluating the situation and depending on judgement using either non-acceptance or substitution

4. synthesis

• combining elements of different cultures

5. re-synthesis

• integrating ideas from various cultures in an original way

  • Brislin notes, it the more culturally competent example of non-ethnocentric attitudes because no one culture is relied upon as the standard

How do multicultural experiences affect intercultural skills

people with multicultural experiences are more flexible and adaptable in intercultural situations compared to monocultural individuals

What does it mean to have a multicultural mind

means that individuals have a loose network of categories and implicit theories of culture instead of one overall cultural view

• they don’t rely on only one cultural meaning system

What dies the five-factor model (FFM) of personality suggest

it suggests that five personality dimensions are common to all humans regardless of culture

What are the five personality dimensions (FFM)

• extroversion

• neuroticism

• agreeableness

• conscientiousness

• openness

The FFM model may not hold as strongly in what group

less educated or preliterate groups

• Church, 2016

Give an explanation for the universality of FFM

evolutionary approach

• suggests that these particular traits are naturally selected in order to serve and adaptive function necessary for survival

What is an indigenous personality

personality traits and characteristics found and understood only within the context of a particular culture

• contrasts with the universality of FFM because indigenous personality is culture-specific

African model of personal consists of 3 aspects of a person housed by the body:

1. the first layer located at the core of the person is based upon a spiritual principle

2. the second layer involves a psychological vitality principle

3. the third layer contains a physiological vitality principle

What is another example of an indigenous personality concept

amae

• a fundamental and distinct feature of the Japanese personality

• refers to the passive, childlike dependence of one person or another

What is cultural intelligence

defined as the capacity to function effectively across cultural settings

Successful multicultural interactions often depend on…

personality traits collectively known as “psychological engine adjustment”

What is the psychological engine of adjustment (PEA)

a conceptual model which describes traits that facilitate adjustment

What is important to have in the psychological engine of adjustment

1. cultural empathy

2. open-mindness

3. emotional stability

4. goal directness

5. curiosity

6. flexibility

7. extraversion

What does cultural intelligence (CQ), emotional (EQ), and social intelligence (SQ) focus on

focuses on effectiveness across diverse cultural settings

How do you measure and develop CQ

researchers created intercultural assessment tools like “Intercultural adjustment potential scale” (ICAPS) and “Multicultural personality questionnaire” (MPQ)

• evaluates skills and traits which predict successful adaptation

What is the intercultural adjustment potential scale (ICAP), Matsumoto et al., (2003)

measures skill adjustment to successful adaptation

• focuses on:

  • emotional stability

  • open-mindedness

  • flexibility

  • critical thinking

What is the multicultural personality questionnaire (MPQ), Van der Zee and Van Oudenhoven (2000)

measures personality traits that support functioning in multicultural environments

• focuses on:

  • cultural empathy

  • open-mindedness

  • emotional stability

  • social initiative

  • flexibility

In Van der Zee and Van Oudenhoven (2000) framework cultural empathy refers to …

the ability to empathise with he feelings, thoughts, and behaviours of members from different cultural groups

In Van der Zee and Van Oudenhoven (2000) framework open-mindedness refers to …

open and unprejudiced attitudes towards members belonging to other cultural groups and their different values and norms

In Van der Zee and Van Oudenhoven (2000) framework emotional stability refers to …

defined as the tendency to remain calm in stressful situations without showing strong emotional reactions in such circumstances

In Van der Zee and Van Oudenhoven (2000) framework social initiative refers to …

the tendency to actively approach social situations and take initiative

In Van der Zee and Van Oudenhoven (2000) framework flexibility refers to …

the ability to embrace new and unknown situations and view them as a challenge and not as a threat

What do ICAPS skills relate to

• parental modelling of emotion regulation

• exposure to diverse environment

• adolescent identity exploration

• cognitive development and executive function

• social learning (peers, school, media)

What do MPQ traits reflect

• stable temperament (childhood into adulthood)

• genetic predispositions

• socialisation experiences

• attachment and early emotional environment

• normative personality development

What do MPQ help explain

why some individuals adapt more easily than others

Intercultural adjustment potential scale (ICAPS) vs. Multicultural personality questionnaire (MPQ)

What do you think influences how people adapt to new cultural environments

• personality: traits like openness and extraversion can influence adaptability, but personality alone doesn’t explain cultural adjustment fully

• learned skills: cultural intelligence, language skills, and coping strategies are strong predictors of successful adaptation

 

• emotions: emotional regulation and resilience matter, but they often interact with other factors

 

• social relationships: support networks and social integration are consistently shown to be among the most influential factors in acculturation and adaptation

 

• life experiences: prior exposure to diverse environments can ease adjustment, but it’s not always decisive