Cultural Differences in Worldview and Communication

Multicultural Psychology

Cultural Differences in Worldviews & Communication

Worldview

  • Definition: A psychological perception of the world that determines how individuals think, behave, and feel.

Different Perspectives for Looking at Cultures

Etic Perspective

  • Definition: An attempt to build theories of human behavior by examining commonalities across many cultures.

Emic Perspective

  • Definition: An attempt to derive meaningful concepts within one specific culture.

Imposed Etics

  • Definition: The imposition of one culture's worldview on another culture, assuming that one's own worldviews are universal.

Delay of Gratification (Mischel, 1958, 1961)

Replication of “Marshmallow Experiment”

  • Findings: Different responses to delay of gratification among children based on cultural backgrounds.

  • Example: White children at the Stanford Day Care Center chose to wait for a more desirable reward, whereas Black/African American children from the inner city opted for immediate, less desirable rewards.
      - Conclusion Issue: The conclusion that Black/African American children did not know how to delay gratification lacks cultural consideration.

Different Emic Interpretations May Lead to Well-Meaning Clashes

  • Definition: Cultural differences in interpretation that are not intended to harm others.

The Society: Individualism vs. Collectivism

Definitions

  • Individualism: Motivated by personal preferences, needs, and rights.

  • Collectivism: Motivated by the group's or collective's preferences, needs, and rights.

The Individual: Idiocentrism vs. Allocentrism

Idiocentrism

  • Definition: Individualistic tendencies that reside within an individual; contrasts with the broader society's individualism.

Allocentrism

  • Definition: Collectivistic tendencies that reside within an individual; contrasts with the broader society's collectivism.

Countercultural Individuals

  • Definition: Individuals who are idiocentric within a collectivistic culture, or allocentric within an individualistic culture.

Ways of Being Individualistic and Collectivistic (Triandis, 1995; Triandis & Singelis, 1998)

Horizontal vs. Vertical Distinctions

  • Horizontal Individualism: Emphasizes uniqueness and independence among individuals.

  • Vertical Individualism: Highlights competition and the need to excel above others.

  • Horizontal Collectivism: Focuses on shared happiness and pride in group success.

  • Vertical Collectivism: Stresses familial duty and respect for group decisions.

Triandis & Gelfland (1998) Culture Orientation Scale

Horizontal Individualism Items

  1. I'd rather depend on myself than others.

  2. I rely on myself most of the time; I rarely rely on others.

  3. I often do "my own thing."

  4. My personal identity, independent of others, is very important to me.

Vertical Individualism Items

  1. It is important that I do my job better than others.

  2. Winning is everything.

  3. Competition is the law of nature.

  4. When another person does better than I do, I get tense and aroused.

Horizontal Collectivism Items

  1. If a coworker gets a prize, I would feel proud.

  2. The well-being of my coworkers is important to me.

  3. To me, pleasure is spending time with others.

  4. I feel good when I cooperate with others.

Vertical Collectivism Items

  1. Parents and children must stay together as much as possible.

  2. It is my duty to take care of my family, even at the cost of personal desires.

  3. Family members should stick together, no matter what sacrifices are required.

  4. It is important to me that I respect the decisions made by my groups.

Cultural Tendencies and Their Impact on Behavior

  • Influence Areas:
      - Self-concept
      - Decision making
      - Communication style
      - Social relationships
      - Health and well-being practices
      - Emotional expression

Cultures' Differences in Emotion

Guilt vs. Shame

  • Discussion: Which emotion is associated with individualism or collectivism?

Face Giving/Giving Face

  • Definition: Extolling the virtues of another person in public, which is often considered boastful and individualistic if done by oneself.

  • Cultural Context: Bragging is more inappropriate in Asian cultures; giving face promotes positive relationships.

Worldview of People of Color

Clark & Clark (1947)

  • Research Findings: Early emergence of differences in worldview among people of color demonstrated through experiments like the "Doll Experiment."

What is Causing the Differences in Worldview?

Prejudice & Discrimination

  • Types:
      - Direct experience
      - Indirect experience (e.g., observation)

Worldview of Women

Causes of Differences

  • Factors:
      - Sexism
      - Direct experience
      - Indirect experience
      - Gender norms/socialization

Worldview of LGBTQ+

  • Characteristic Views: Often includes elements of fear, danger, rejection, and discrimination influenced by societal perceptions.

Worldview Based on Social Class

Differences in Worldview

  • Individuals from high SES versus low SES experience differences in worldview.

  • Rationale: Education and financial freedom allow self-focus.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

  • Stages:
      1. Physiological Needs: Basic life requirements.
      2. Safety Needs: Security and free from danger.
      3. Love/Belonging: Social needs for relationships and connections.
      4. Esteem: Respect, self-esteem, recognition from others.
      5. Self-Actualization: Achieving personal potential and self-fulfillment.

Self-Reflection Exercise

  • Prompt: Consider the importance of work-life balance and how cultural identity influences views on family time, leisure, or personal obligations related to work.

Conversational Rules

Cooperative Principle

  • Definition: Psycholinguistic term suggesting that we strive to communicate sincerely and effectively.

Grice (1975)’s 4 Maxims

  1. Maxim of Quality: Communicate the truth.

  2. Maxim of Quantity: Contribute an appropriate amount of talk.

  3. Maxim of Relevance: Ensure discussion is relevant.

  4. Maxim of Manner: Be clear and adhere to conversational norms.

Relations with Conversational Partner

  • Description: Utilize previous relationships to avoid repetition of shared experiences.

Rule Violations

  • Significance: Indicate when engaging in a violation of maxims to maintain clarity in conversation.

Conversational Rules Across Cultures

  • Observation: Similar general maxims guide behavior, yet the greatest differences appear in the Maxim of Manner.

Nonverbal Aspects of Language

Proxemics

  • Definition: Personal space in conversations.

Hall’s Classification (1966)

  • Distance Zones:
      1. Intimate: 0 to 18 inches
      2. Personal-Casual: 1.5 to 4 feet
      3. Social-Consultative: 4 to 10 feet
      4. Public: 10 feet or more

Cultural Differences in Proxemics

  • General Observations: Men and women approach personal space differently; Americans prefer 18 inches of personal space, while many Europeans and Latin Americans may stand closer.

Kinesics

  • Definition: Bodily movements in conversation, including gestures, expressions, and eye contact.

Cultural Differences

  • Examples:
      - Arab cultures favor longer, more direct gazes.
      - East Asians exhibit less eye contact in conflict situations.

Paralanguage

  • Definition: Nonverbal vocal cues in conversation, such as voice loudness and rate of speech.

Cultural Difference in Meaning/Interpretation of “Silence”

  • Examples:
      - Silence in Russian & Spanish cultures often indicates agreement.
      - In Asian cultures, silence is seen as a sign of respect for elders.

High vs. Low Context Communication

Example Scenario

  • A narrative illustrating high-context communication in Malaysia where direct mentions of marriage proposal intentions are avoided in initial discussions.

Communication Patterns in Interracial Contexts

Factors Affecting Communication

  1. Cultural norms and communication styles.

  2. Bias & stereotypes.

  3. Power dynamics & privilege.

  4. Language & code switching.

  5. Cultural understanding, sensitivity, and perspective-taking.

Code Switching

  • Definition: Alternating between two or more languages.

  • Examples: In Black American speech, code switching may involve adjustments in speech style and language use.

Communication Patterns Based on Age

Communication Patterns of Older Adults

  • Observation: Prefer personal networks for health-related information delivery.

  • Motivation: Transmission of knowledge and wisdom during interaction with grandchildren based on Erik Erikson's psychosocial stages.

Communication Patterns of Teens & Young Adults

  • Discussion: Evaluate differences in technology access, internet usage, and communication preferences as compared to older generations.

Gender Differences in Communication

Tag Questions

  • Hedging Communication: Utilizing uncertainty in speech (e.g., "I may be wrong, but…").

Qualifiers

  • Expressions: Indicators of uncertainty in conversation (e.g., using softer speech).

Causes of Gender Differences in Communication

  • Influences of societal expectations, socialization, and role modeling.

Bilingualism/Multilingualism

Types of Bilingualism

  • Additive Bilingualism: Acquisition of a second language without replacing the native language.

  • Subtractive Bilingualism: A second language replaces the native language.

Cognitive Consequences of Bilingualism

  • Findings:
      - Initially, bilingual children showed lower academic performance than monolinguals, but later studies revealed better performance when controlling for SES.
      - Bilingualism may support cognitive resilience and delay cognitive decline.

Stroop Task

  • Example: Responding to printed color words without reading the text.

Social Consequences of Bilingualism

  • Impact: Influences identity development and social interactions.