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Cross-cultural Research (cross-cultural + research)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Psychology	50%
Medical Sciences	33%
Humanities and Social Sciences	11%

Selected Abstracts

Lost in Translation: Methodological Considerations in Cross-Cultural Research

CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2007
Elizabeth D. Peña
In cross-cultural child development research there is often a need to translate instruments and instructions to languages other than English. Typically, the translation process focuses on ensuring linguistic equivalence. However, establishment of linguistic equivalence through translation techniques is often not sufficient to guard against validity threats. In addition to linguistic equivalence, functional equivalence, cultural equivalence, and metric equivalence are factors that need to be considered when research methods are translated to other languages. This article first examines cross-cultural threats to validity in research. Next, each of the preceding factors is illustrated with examples from the literature. Finally, suggestions for incorporating each factor into research studies of child development are given. [source]

Nonverbal assessment of the Big Five personality factors

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 1 2001
Sampo V. Paunonen
The Nonverbal Personality Questionnaire (NPQ) is an experimental, structured, nonverbal measure of 16 personality traits. Its items lack verbal content and, therefore, the inventory is useful for cross-cultural research. Our goal is this research was to select a subset of the NPQ items to form a new nonverbal questionnaire based on the Five-Factor Model of personality. We describe the construction of the Five-Factor Nonverbal Personality Questionnaire (FF-NPQ), and present data on its psychometric properties. These data include scale internal consistencies, intercorrelations, convergences with verbal measures of the Big Five factors, discriminant validity correlations, correlations with peer ratings, and ability to predict socially important behaviour criteria such as smoking and alcohol consumption. In a second study, we report on the psychometric properties of the FF-NPQ in an independent sample of respondents from seven different countries. The utility of the new nonverbal inventory for cross-cultural research is discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Self-Construal Scales Lack Validity

HUMAN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH, Issue 2 2003
Timothy R. Levine
Self-construal is thought to mediate and explain the effects of culture on a wide variety of outcome variables. A meta-analysis of published cross-cultural self-construal research is reported in this article, and the results across studies suggests that the evidence for the predicted cultural differences is weak, inconsistent, or nonexistent. The results of 3 priming experiments (N = 121, N = 99, and N = 361) suggest that (a) priming does not account for the inconsistent results observed in the meta-analysis, (b) that scores on a self-construal scale appear to be measuring trait-like constructs that are not sensitive to priming, and (c) that measures of self-construals lack convergent validity. The results of several measurement studies (N = 121, 223, 230, 323, 214, 206, 126, 204, 148, 141, and 150) were inconsistent with the a priori two-factor measurement model in every case. Self-construal scales were found to be radically multidimensional and highly unstable within and across cultures. These results lead us to conclude that catastrophic validity problems exist in research involving the use of self-construal scales in cross-cultural research. [source]

Deliberate self-harm in older adults: a review of the literature from 1995 to 2004

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 8 2007
Jenifer Chan
Abstract Background The prevention of suicide is a national and international policy priority. Old age is an important predictor of completed suicide. Suicide rates in old age differ markedly from country to country but there is a general trend towards increasing rates with increasing age. In 1996 Draper reviewed critically the evidence on attempted suicide in old age in the 10 years between 1985 and 1994. The review highlighted a need for prospective controlled studies in older people with more representative samples as well as studies examining the interaction of risk factors, precipitants, motivations, psychopathology and response to treatment. The aim of this paper is to update this review and to summarise the advances in our understanding of DSH in later life. Method We have critically reviewed relevant studies published between 1995 and 2004 to summarise the advances in our understanding of factors associated with deliberate self-harm in later life. Results The main advances in understanding have been to clarify the effect of personality and cultural factors, service utilisation pre and post attempt, and the (lesser) impact of socio-economic status and physical illness. Methodological weaknesses continue to include inadequate sample sizes performed on highly selected populations, inconsistent age criteria and lack of informant data on studies relating to role of personality. Conclusions Future studies should include prospective, cross-cultural research with adequate sample sizes and which are population-based. Such approaches might confirm or refute the results generated to date and improve knowledge on factors such as the biological correlates of deliberate self-harm, service utilisation, costs and barriers to health care, and the interaction of these factors. Intervention studies to elucidate the impact of modifying these factors and of specific treatment packages are also needed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

The adolescent origins of substance use disorders

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue S1 2008
Matt McGue
Abstract Although early use of alcohol during adolescence has been consistently associated with increased risk of alcoholism in adulthood, the specific mechanisms that underlie this association remain unclear. We describe a program of epidemiological twin-family research that shows that early use of alcohol is best conceptualized as an indicator of a more general propensity to engage in adolescent problem behavior. Adolescent problem behavior, in turn, is a risk factor for a broad range of adult externalizing disorders, of which alcoholism is but one manifestation. These findings are shown to be consistent with a dual-process model whereby early adolescent problem behavior is associated with increased risk of adult psychopathology because both are indicators of a common inherited liability and because early adolescent problem behavior increases the likelihood an adolescent is exposed to high-risk environments. We conclude with a discussion of the importance of cross-cultural research, which may be especially informative for identifying the consequences of early adolescent drinking. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Culture and Personality Studies, 1918,1960: Myth and History

JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 6 2001
Robert A. LeVine
The field known as "culture and personality studies" in the middle decades of the 20th century was a precursor of contemporary cross-cultural research on personality. Its rejection by anthropologists and sociologists after 1950 was accompanied by stereotypes that have hardened into myth and obscured its character and relevance for contemporary investigators. This article dispels some prevalent misconceptions (concerning its chronology, its theoretical unity, its positions on individual differences and its relationship to Freudian psychoanalysis) and proposes a tentative explanation of its decline. [source]

The challenge of cross-cultural, multi-national research: potential benefits in the functional gastrointestinal disorders

NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY & MOTILITY, Issue 4 2009
A. D. Sperber
Abstract, The increasing interest in research in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), taken together with the growing sophistication of communication technology, makes cross-cultural, multi-national research a feasible endeavour. The aim of this study is to encourage collaborative cross-cultural studies in FGIDs by discussing relevant methodological issues, and by suggesting potential areas in which cross-cultural research can make a significant contribution to the understanding of FGIDs and to patient care. To this end, methodological issues related to cross-cultural research and competences required for its conduct are presented together with a critique of published studies and recommendations for future research in the area. The term ,cross-cultural' research in FGIDs is usually applied to the results of prevalence studies, for example comparative studies of IBS prevalence in different countries and ethnic groups. The validity of these comparisons is impacted negatively by the lack of uniformity in research methods. In addition to prevalence studies, cross-cultural research can make a significant contribution in areas such as molecular biology, genetics, psychosocial factors, symptom presentation, extra-intestinal comorbidity, diagnosis and treatment, determinants of disease severity, healthcare utilization, and health-related quality of life, all issues that can be affected by culture, ethnicity and race. Well-designed and implemented cross-cultural studies can advance our knowledge in many FGID-related areas ranging from epidemiology through psychosocial factors, pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutics. These studies, conducted by investigators with competence in cross-cultural research methodology, can advance our understanding of the FGIDs and contribute to improved patient care. [source]

The Arabic ICIQ-UI SF: An alternative language version of the English ICIQ-UI SF

NEUROUROLOGY AND URODYNAMICS, Issue 3 2006
H. Hashim
Abstract Aims Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common and distressing condition. A variety of questionnaires are currently available to assess UI and its impact on patients' lives. However, most have not been adapted for international use. Following a systematic review of the literature and existing questionnaires the International Consultation on Incontinence short form questionnaire (ICIQ-UI SF) was developed, and has since been translated into many languages for local use. This paper reports the development and validation of the first UI questionnaire in the Arabic language. The development of this questionnaire will facilitate the assessment of UI in both clinical practice and research in the Middle-East. Methods Translation and validation of the Arabic version of the ICIQ-UI is described. Standard methods of translation by native Arabic and English speakers (including translation and back translation) are followed. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire, including its validity, reliability and sensitivity to change, are examined. The validation of the questionnaire involved patients attending urology outpatient clinics in two Middle-Eastern countries. Results The Arabic ICIQ-UI SF was found to be valid, reliable and responsive, indicating that the psychometric properties of the questionnaire have remained constant throughout the adaptation process. Furthermore, the findings of the psychometric testing confirm those found for the UK-English ICIQ-UI SF. Conclusions The development of this questionnaire will allow the study of Arabic speaking groups with UI in many countries around the world. This may act as an example to initiate the translation and validation of other patient reported outcomes into the Arabic language, thereby enabling more multinational and cross-cultural research into diseases in given areas. Neurourol. Urodynam. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Prevention of elderly falls

NURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 2 2004
Akihiro Fujii
Falling is a leading cause of morbidity and immobil-ity in people over 65 years of age in Japan. Many researchers have studied the relationship of physical decline and falls in older adults. However, only a few studies have focused on describing the Japanese living environment and lifestyle as potential risk factors for falls. The purpose of this study is to describe situational factors contributing to falls among community dwelling elderly people in Japan. After analyzing traditional Japanese housing characteristics and daily living behaviors of older Japanese adults, possible interventions to reduce situational fall risk factors are discussed. The results from this study are important as they suggest strategies to prevent falls in community dwelling elderly in Japan as well as providing a foundation for future cross-cultural research. [source]

AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF MEASUREMENT EQUIVALENCE WITH THE INDCOL MEASURE OF INDIVIDUALISM AND COLLECTIVISM: IMPLICATIONS FOR VALID CROSS-CULTURAL INFERENCE

PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2006
CHRISTOPHER ROBERT
The INDCOL measure of individualism and collectivism (Singelis et al., 1995) has been used increasingly to test complex cross-cultural hypotheses. However, sample differences in translation, culture, organization, and response context might threaten the validity of cross-cultural inferences. We systematically explored the robustness of the INDCOL, for various statistical uses, in the face of those 4 threats. An analysis of measurement equivalence using multigroup mean and covariance structure analysis compared samples of INDCOL data from the United States, Singapore, and Korea. The INDCOL was robust with regard to the interpretability of correlations, whereas differences in culture and translation pose an important potential threat to the interpretability of mean-level analyses. Recommendations regarding the interpretation of the INDCOL and issues in the analysis of measurement equivalence in cross-cultural research are discussed. [source]

Global perspective on Wikipedia research

PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2008
Pnina Shachaf
This panel will provide a global perspective on Wikipedia research. The literature on Wikipedia is mostly anecdotal, and most of the research has focused attention primarily on the English Wikipedia examining the accuracy of entries compared to established online encyclopedias (Emigh & Herring, 2005; Giles, 2005; Rosenzweig, 2006) and analyzing the evolution of articles over time (Viégas, Wattenberg, & Dave, 2004; Viégas, Wattenberg, Kriss, & van Ham, 2007). Others have examined the quality of contribution (Stvilia et al., 2005). However, only a few studies have conducted comparative analyses across languages or analyzed Wikipedia in languages other than English (e.g., Pfeil, Zaphiris, & Ang, 2006). There is a need for international, cross-cultural understanding of Wikipedia. In an effort to address this gap, this panel will present a range of international and cross-cultural research of Wikipedia. The presenters will contribute different perspectives of Wikipedia as an international sociocultural institution and will describe similarities and differences across various national/language versions of Wikipedia. Shachaf and Hara will present variation of norms and behaviors on talk pages in various languages of Wikipedia. Herring and Callahan will share results from a cross-language comparison of biographical entries that exhibit variations in content of entries in the English and Polish versions of Wikipedia and will explain how they are influenced by the culture and history of the US and Poland. Stvilia will discuss some of the commonalities and variability of quality models used by different Wikipedias, and the problems of cross-language quality measurement aggregation and reasoning. Matei will describe the social structuration and distribution of roles and efforts in wiki teaching environments. Solomon's comments, as a discussant, will focus on how these comparative insights provide evidence of the ways in which an evolving institution, such as Wikipedia, may be a force for supporting cultural identity (or not). [source]

Composite estimates of physiological stress, age, and diabetes in American Samoans

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
Douglas E. Crews
Abstract Composite estimates of physiological stress such as allostatic load (AL) were developed to help assess cumulative impacts of psychosocial and physical stressors on the body. Physiological responses to stress generally accelerate somatic wear-and-tear and chronic degenerative conditions (CDCs). Following McEwen (Neuropsychopharmacology 22 (1999) 108,124) and others, primary physiological mediators of somatic stress responses include glucocorticoids (cortisol), catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenaline), and serum dihydroepiandosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S). Conversely, blood pressure (BP), serum HDL and total cholesterol, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and waist/hip (w/h) ratio are modulated by such hormones, thereby acting as secondary mediators of stress response. When these risk factors are aggregated into a composite score, higher stress loads are associated with increased risks for days of school/work missed, functional losses, morbidity, and mortality in US samples. To examine stress loads in American Samoans, data on all 6 secondary mediators along with estimates of body habitus (i.e. height, weight, circumferences, skinfolds) and physiology (i.e. fasting insulin, LDLc, triglycerides, fasting glucose) were measured on 273 individuals residing on Tutuila Island in 1992. Four combinations of these physiological factors were used to determine composite estimates of stress. These were then assessed by sex for associations with age and the presence of diabetes. Composite estimates of stress load were higher in Samoan women than men. Associations with age tended to be low and negative in men, but positive in women, appearing to reflect cultural circumstances and population history. Stress load scores also were higher among those with diabetes than those without among both men and women. These results suggest that composite estimates of stress may be useful for assessing future risks of CDC's and the senescent processes that may underlie them in cross-cultural research. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Values and Justice as Predictors of Perceived Stress in Lebanese Organisational Settings

APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
Dania Dbaibo
Research investigating predictors of stress perceptions in organisational settings has been extensive. Value incongruence between employees and the organisation as well as organisational justice (distributive, procedural, informational, and interpersonal) are thought to be significant predictors of organisational outcomes. The current study investigated value incongruence and organisational justice as predictors of perceived stress in a sample of 362 organisational employees in Beirut, Lebanon. Results indicated that incongruence on value types of benevolence, power, and self-direction are weakly predictive of perceived stress, while perceptions of interpersonal and distributive injustice are strongly predictive of perceived stress in the Lebanese organisational context. Implications of these differential findings for organisational and cross-cultural research are discussed. Nombreuses ont été les recherches sur les prédicteurs du vécu du stress dans les organisations. La contradiction des valeurs des salariés et de l'organisation ainsi que la justice organisationnelle (distributive, procédurale, informationnelle et interpersonnelle) sont considérées comme étant des prédicteurs efficaces des réalités organisationnelles. Ce travail porte sur l'incohérence des valeurs et la justice organisationnelle en tant que prédicteurs du stress ressenti dans un échantillon de 362 salariés de Beyrouth (Liban). Les résultats montrent que des contradictions sur des valeurs comme la bienveillance, le pouvoir et l'autonomie sont peu prédictives du stress perçu, tandis que la perception des injustices interpersonnelle et distributive est fortement prédictive du stress ressenti dans le contexte organisationnel libanais. On discute des retombées de ces résultats différentiels sur les travaux organisationnels et transculturels. [source]

Use of Western and Indigenously Developed Personality Tests in Asia

APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2004
Fanny M. Cheung
Cet article passe en revue les recherches transculturelles sur les grandes évaluations de la personnalité dans les pays asiatiques, à savoir le MMPI, l'EPQ, le STAI et le NEO-PI-R. On aborde la question de l'application interculturelle de tests traduits. L'Inventaire d'Evaluation de la Personnalité Chinois (CPAI) est mentionné comme exemple de travaux autochtones qui ont mis en évidence des dimensions originales ou importantes. Développéà l'origine en tant qu'outil d'évaluation culturellement approprié au peuple chinois, le CPAI a ensuite permis de mettre à l'épreuve l'universalité des théories occidentales de la personnalité. Le facteur spécifique du CPAI relatif aux liens interpersonnels est utile pour l'étude d'un aspect de la personnalité qui est absent des mesures de la personnalité importées. On examine aussi les défis à venir qui attendent la recherche et les applications concernant l'évaluation de la personnalité en Asie. This paper reviews the cross-cultural research on major personality measures in Asian countries, including the MMPI, EPQ, STAI, and the NEO-PI-R. Considerations in the cross-cultural application of translated tests are discussed. The Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI) is cited as an example of indigenous measures that have identified culturally salient or unique dimensions. Although developed originally as a culturally relevant assessment tool for Chinese people, the CPAI has also become a means to examine the universality of Western personality theories. The unique Interpersonal Relatedness factor of the CPAI is useful to the study of an aspect of personality that has been absent in imported personality measures. Future challenges for research and applications of personality assessment in Asia are discussed. [source]

The rise and rise of social psychology in Asia: A bibliometric analysis

ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2010
Nick Haslam
The growth of social psychology in Asia from 1970 to 2008 was examined through a bibliometric analysis of articles in the ISI Web of Science database that listed Asian-based authors. The 1866 articles have appeared at an accelerating rate, and represent a rapidly-growing share of global publications in the field. Publication trajectories of different Asian nations show the Indian first wave, Hong Kong and Japan's second wave, and China and Taiwan's third wave of growth. Trends in the rates of Asian first authorship, single-nation authorship, and cross-cultural research suggest that Asian social psychology is increasingly more autonomous and distinctive. [source]

Folk theory of social change

ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2009
Yoshihisa Kashima
People have a folk theory of social change (FTSC). A typical Western FTSC stipulates that as a society becomes more industrialized, it undergoes a natural course of social change, in which a communal society marked by communal relationships becomes a qualitatively different, agentic society where market-based exchange relationships prevail. People use this folk theory to predict a society's future and estimate its past, to understand contemporary cross-cultural differences, and to make decisions about social policies. Nonetheless, the FTSC is not particularly consistent with the existing cross-cultural research on industrialization and cultural differences, and needs to be examined carefully. [source]

Mortality salience effects on modesty and relative self-effacement

ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2006
Ryutaro Wakimoto
Terror management theory argues that mortality salience (MS) enhances adherence to cultural norms. Recent cross-cultural research has suggested that Japanese culture emphasizes modesty and the enhancement of important others compared to the self. Thus, it was predicted that Japanese would show increased modesty and relative self-effacement in response to MS. In addition, the moderating effects of degree of enculturation were examined in two studies investigating Japanese undergraduates. Those strongly enculturated to the Japanese worldview showed a tendency to evaluate success more negatively (Study 1) and self-efface more relative to their close friends (Study 2). A view which regards both Easterners' self-effacement and Westerners' self-enhancement after MS to be a reflection of efforts to fit into cultural norm is presented. [source]