Chapter 4 – How Culture Works: Fundamentals of Cross-Cultural Interaction

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Chapter 4 on how culture influences perception, attribution, motivation, and interaction in cross-cultural business contexts.

Cultural Stereotype

A generalized belief about a cultural group that may be accurate or inaccurate and influences expectations in cross-cultural encounters.

Monochronic Time Orientation

A view of time that values schedules, deadlines, and doing one thing at a time; typical of U.S. business culture.

Polychronic Time Orientation

A flexible view of time that accepts multitasking and less rigid scheduling; common in Mexican business culture.

Mañana Orientation

A relaxed, delay-tolerant attitude toward time associated with polychronic cultures such as Mexico.

Attribution

The mental process of linking observed behavior to its presumed cause.

Internal (Dispositional) Attribution

Explaining behavior as caused by factors inside the person—e.g., personality, ability, or effort.

External (Situational) Attribution

Explaining behavior as caused by factors outside the person—e.g., context, luck, or social pressure.

Differential Attribution

The tendency to assign different types of causes to in-group versus out-group behavior based on cultural expectations.

Ultimate Attribution Error

Group-serving bias where positive in-group acts are given internal causes while similar out-group acts are given external causes.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The bias toward attributing others’ behavior to personal traits while underestimating situational influences—stronger in Western cultures.

Group-Serving Bias (In-Group Bias)

The tendency to favor one’s own cultural group in judgments and evaluations.

Country-of-Origin Effect

Preference for products from one’s own nation due to favorable in-group perceptions.

Type 1 Cognition

Automatic, script-based mental processing used when a situation matches familiar cultural patterns.

Type 2 Cognition

Deliberate, effortful thinking used when no familiar script exists or expectations are violated.

Cultural Script

A culturally learned sequence of expected behaviors for a specific situation.

Selective Perception

Perceiving information through culturally biased filters that highlight expected cues and ignore unexpected ones.

Cross-Cultural Interaction Model

A sequence of behavior, perception, attribution, and reaction that explains how culture shapes interpersonal encounters.

Situational Cues

Contextual signals that help observers judge whether behavior is under personal control or externally constrained.

Social Categorization

Classifying others as in-group or out-group members, influencing perceptions and attributions.

Projection (in Attribution)

Inferring causes of others’ behavior by imagining what would motivate oneself in the same situation.

Self-Schema

An individual’s culturally shaped cognitive representation of the self.

Independent Self-Schema

Self-view emphasizing autonomy, uniqueness, and internal traits; typical in individualistic cultures.

Interdependent Self-Schema

Self-view emphasizing connectedness, roles, and social harmony; typical in collectivistic cultures.

Vertical Collectivism

A form of collectivism accepting hierarchical differences and unequal status among groups.

Cognitive Dissonance

Psychological discomfort from inconsistencies between attitudes and behavior, motivating change—felt more strongly in independent selves.

Self-Enhancement Motive

Desire to maintain a positive self-image, expressed differently across independent versus interdependent selves.

Self-Verification Motive

Desire to confirm one’s self-concept, shaped by cultural definitions of what constitutes the self.

Social Norms

Culturally endorsed rules guiding acceptable behavior; stronger determinants of action in collectivistic societies.

Stereotype Accuracy

The extent to which a stereotype correctly predicts group behavior; accuracy can aid but not guarantee effective interaction.

Script Adjustment

The skill of modifying old scripts or creating new ones to respond effectively in unfamiliar cross-cultural situations.