Psychology

Analysis of cross-cultural psychology

Cross-cultural psychology is a comparative analysis of the differences in human behavior as a factor of different cultural backgrounds. This paper focuses on cross-cultural psychology seeking to outline how different it is from cultural psychology as well as how they relate. Cross-cultural psychology comes out as an empirical approach on cultural psychology. It uses critical thinking to explain variations and universalities in behavior across different cultures.

Introduction
Human behavior is influenced by many factors including cultural factors. Differences in cultures therefore imply that behavior is bound to vary among individuals. While psychologists have studied influence of a particular culture on behavior, they have also gone ahead to determine whether and how these variations exist among different cultural settings. This is the basis for cross-cultural psychology which is an empirical scientific approach of human psychology.

Cultural versus cross cultural psychology
Cultural psychology is the study of how a particular culture influences an individuals mental life. In essence, cultural psychology tries to identify meaningful relationships between a culture and the psychology of individuals living in this culture (Shiraev  Levy, 2006). In cultural psychology, the notion is that a persons mental life is shaped by the interaction the individual has with the culture they are in. As such, a cultural psychologist will try to identify whether a person or certain persons take up the qualities of the culture in which they are brought up in. It is important to point out that the definition of culture may differ considerably but certain variables remain the same. In this case, culture entails a collection of attitudes such as political or religious beliefs among other values, behaviors as well as symbols upheld by a large group of people. These are usually passed from generation to generation. Cultural psychology will therefore also determine when and how these aspects of culture are internalized by individuals.

Cross-cultural psychology on the other hand differs from plain cultural psychology in that comparison of cultures comes in. As such, Shiraev  Levy (2006) defines cross-cultural psychology as the comparative study of cultural effects on human psychology. In a cross-cultural psychology study, there has to be at least two samples from two different cultures which must be compared. Core to cross-cultural psychology is that differences in human behavior are studied with the cultural influence of each behavior being put into consideration. This brings in the concept of critical thinking while studying cross-cultural psychology. Not only is the diversity in psychology examined in cross-cultural studies but the reasons leading to these variations are looked into. Cross-cultural interactions are also studied with an effort to know whether and how individuals psychology is affected by interactions between different cultures. It should also be noted that it is also the endeavor of cross-cultural psychology to identify common psychological processes across different cultures. In this case, a common behavior may be studied in different cultures. It is also important to mention that cross-cultural psychology must be studied using modern scientific methods as it involves systematic comparisons (Shiraev  Levy, 2006).

From the above definitions of cultural and cross-cultural psychology, it is no doubt that these two areas of psychology have several things in common. In cultural psychology, efforts are devoted in understanding a particular variable that characterizes a society in depth. The study of cultural psychology becomes enhanced not only by taking a considerable sample size but also getting deeper understanding of the interrelationship of the particular variable and human behavior. Using this deep understanding of a single cultural regarding a certain behavior, it is possible to get a well grounded comparison when individual cultural psychology studies are pooled for comparison purposes. The comparison portion of individual cultural psychology studies brings in the concept of cross-cultural psychology (Berry, 2002).

Critical thinking and methodology in cross-cultural research
While carrying out a cross-cultural research, it is possible to take several approaches. Taking an evolutionary approach, the role of biological factors in shaping human behavior is analyzed. The biological fate is then subjected to social forces which complete the behavior of the individual. In a society or a certain group of people, an individuals behavior will tend to be shaped by what the society upholds or demands of them. On the other hand, cross-cultural psychology may take the ecocultural approach. Here, the environment in which the individual is brought up is brought into the scene. As such, it is theorized that there is a continual interaction with the environment resulting into a two-way impact that is also impacted on by the environment. Taking a cultural mixtures approach in cross-cultural research, one bears in mind that cultures do not exist exclusively but instead there are interconnections and cultural mixtures which must be considered (Shiraev  Levy, 2006). Perhaps a more elaborate approach that is intensive as far as critical thinking is concerned is the integrative approach. In this case, human behavior which is partly shaped by the environment is taken to be inseparable from human activity. Human activity is then viewed as a factor of the environment whether individual or socioeconomic. All these are part of critical thinking in cross-cultural psychology as they try to unearth the reasons behind differences or universality in human behavior across cultures (Berry, 2002).

For excellent comparison of human behavior in different cultures in cross-cultural research, critical thinking is an important ingredient. This helps in determining whether a certain behavior can be generalized across cultures. The reliance of cross-cultural research on contemporary scientific methods where empirical data is generated for comparison is a unique feature. Even with application of contemporary scientific methods, the indigenous approaches of psychology are not excluded. This presents cross-cultural psychology as one that in addition to acknowledging variations in cultures, it also appreciates that cultures are unique in their own way. This exclusivity as found in indigenous psychology is taken as an assumption in cross-cultural research. While recognizing such views as ethnocentrism, cross-cultural studies are important in reducing the same. This is achieved through comparing data from a single cultural with those from a different culture. The ecocultural approach of cross-cultural studies is effectual in critically understanding why differences or similarities exist in different cultures. This is not as exclusive as ethnocentrism thus it makes cross-cultural studies superior (Berry, 2002).

It is important to note that comparison is the central aspect of cross-cultural research this is achieved through ecological-level studies, individual cultural studies or through linkage studies. In effect, it becomes possible to interpret any variations or universalities as far as mental life and behavior thereof is concerned.

Conclusion
Cross-cultural psychology is strongly based on comparing human behavior with differences in cultural background in consideration. As such, cross-cultural research in psychology presents as a scientific approach to cultural psychology that critically compares variations and commonness in human behavior across different cultures. Critical thinking in cross-cultural psychology is an important aspect that helps in explaining whether, how and when differences occur in human behavior due to cultural differences.