Methods and Data Analysis for Cross-Cultural Research

Description

This book gives an up-to-date overview of methodological and data-analytical issues of cross-cultural studies. Written by leading experts in the field, it presents the most important tools for doing cross-cultural research and outlines design considerations, methods, and analytical techniques that can improve ecological validity and help researchers to avoid pitfalls in cross-cultural psychology. By focusing on the relevant research questions that can be tackled with particular methods, it provides practical guidance on how to translate conceptual questions into decisions on study design and statistical techniques. Featuring examples from cognitive and educational assessment, personality, health, and intercultural communication and management, and illustrating key techniques in feature boxes, this concise and accessible guide is essential reading for researchers, graduate students, and professionals who work with culture-comparative data.

Fons J. R. van de Vijver (1952-2019) held a chair in cross-cultural psychology at Tilburg University, the Netherlands, and extraordinary chair positions at North-West University, South Africa, and the University of Queensland, Australia. One of the most frequently cited cross-cultural psychologists worldwide, he also served as president of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology and the European Association of Psychological Assessment. Kwok Leung (1958-2015) was head of the Department of Management at the City University of Hong Kong and the Choh-Ming Li Professor of Management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He also served as president of the International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology, chair of the Research Methods Division of the Academy of Management, and president and founding member of the Asian Association of Social Psychology.

'This is an excellent book written by two of the leading authorities in the field. It covers the key measurement issues in cross-cultural psychology and provides easy-to-follow procedures and guidance on assessing effects of bias. It is great to see this new edition now in print.' David Bartram, Professor of Psychology, Hull University, UK, and International Research Director, SHL Group PLC 'With updated terminology and revised methodological approaches since the first edition, this second edition is a goldmine of information for cross-cultural researchers that includes multilevel analyses, partial and approximate invariance, as well as introduction of alignment and Bayesian structural equation modeling.' Barbara Byrne, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Canada 'Following the landmark first edition, the second edition of this book extends Van de Vijver and Leung's legacy on cross-cultural research methodology with updated approaches and new tools, including emic and etic perspectives, mixed-methods approaches, equivalence, bias avoidance, validity enhancement, and multilevel analysis. This book is an indispensable guide for culture-comparative researchers.' Fanny M. Cheung, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Former Pro-Vice-Chancellor, The Chinese University of Hong Kong 'This is a much-needed and anticipated second edition of the classic research methods text, which has served as the gold standard for researchers conducting cross-cultural research. The revised edition reviews new methods and updated research frameworks to help researchers to improve the quality and validity of cross-cultural comparisons.' Ronald Fischer, Professor of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand 'This is a state-of-the-art resource for cross-cultural designs that could be an introductory textbook or a reference for those late-night design worries. It deals with both design and statistical issues, along with topics such as validity, various biases, and sampling concerns.' Kurt F. Geisinger, W. C. Meierhenry Distinguished University Professor and Director of the Buros Center for Testing, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA 'This book is a must-read for anyone making cross-cultural comparisons in any scientific field. Written by the foremost authorities on the topic, it is a tour-de-force of the methodological issues that arise when doing cross-cultural research. Bravo to the authors for providing the gold standard of excellence in the field!' Michele Gelfand, Distinguished University Professor of Cultural Psychology, University of Maryland, USA 'This book provides an extremely useful and methodologically sound manual to guide cross-cultural investigations. Readers will find a readable, concise, well-organized, and carefully reasoned presentation of state-of-the-art thinking on how to plan, carry out, and understand results of cross-cultural research. It is a remarkable contribution.' Gerard Saucier, Professor of Psychology, University of Oregon, USA