Cross-Cultural Research Methods in Psychology

Description

Cross-cultural research is now an undeniable part of mainstream psychology and has had a major impact on conceptual models of human behavior. Although it is true that the basic principles of social psychological methodology and data analysis are applicable to cross-cultural research, there are a number of issues that are distinct to it, including managing incongruities of language and quantifying cultural response sets in the use of scales. Cross-Cultural Research Methods in Psychology provides state-of-the-art knowledge about the methodological problems that need to be addressed if a researcher is to conduct valid and reliable cross-cultural research. It also offers practical advice and examples of solutions to those problems and is a must-read for any student of culture.

David Matsumoto is an internationally acclaimed author and psychologist. He received his BA from the University of Michigan in 1981 with high honors in psychology and Japanese. He subsequently earned his MA (1983) and Ph.D. (1986) in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley. He is currently Professor of Psychology and Director of the Culture and Emotion Research Laboratory at San Francisco State University, where he has been since 1989. Matsumoto has studied culture, emotion, social interaction, and communication for 25 years. His books include well-known titles, such as Culture and Psychology and The Cambridge Dictionary of Psychology. He is the recipient of many awards and honors in the field of psychology, including being named a G. Stanley Hall lecturer by the American Psychological Association. He is the series editor for Cambridge University Press' Culture and Psychology series. He is also editor for the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. Fons J. R. van de Vijver earned his Ph.D. in psychology from Tilburg University in the Netherlands in 1991. He has published more than 300 articles, mainly in the domain of cross-cultural psychology. The most important themes in his work on psychological acculturation and multiculturalism are the domain dependence of acculturation strategies and behaviors, the assessment of acculturation, cultural distance, antecedents and consequences of multiculturalism, and the stability of multiculturalism. He holds a chair in cross-cultural psychology at Tilburg University and is Extraordinary Professor at North-West University, South Africa. Van de Vijver is one of the most frequently cited cross-cultural psychologists in Europe. He is the current Vice Dean for Research and former Vice Dean for Education of his faculty and Vice Director of Babylon, the interdisciplinary research center for studies of multicultural societies at Tilburg University. He was President of Division 2, Assessment and Evaluation, of the International Association of Applied Psychology and is now President-Elect of the European Association of Psychological Assessment.

"Studies of culture are requisite to express the full scope of human psychology. However, the knowledge base of contemporary behavioral and social science almost entirely reflects Western (European and North American) origins. In response to this state of affairs, cultural study is on the ascendancy, and to ensure meaningful, appropriate, and practical cultural research, it is necessary that design, measurement, and analysis in cultural science begin on reliable and valid footing. This edited volume collects state-of-the-art, comprehensive, and informative chapters by leading authorities. Each chapter lucidly conveys in-depth coverage of the most important methodological topics in the field - equivalence and bias, translation, sampling, response style, data analysis, multilevel modeling, and even meta-analysis - and illuminates its subject matter with illustrations from cutting-edge research." - Marc H. Bornstein, Editor, Parenting: Science and Practice "The why, where, who, what, and when involved in the complex dance between culture and psychological research invite many questions. But the how in this dance - selecting the right methods of inquiry - is absolutely necessary to help interpret what the dance means. Editors David Matsumoto and Fons van de Vijver have compiled a valuable book which will help guide the current generation of culture-oriented psychologists. As co-author of the first relatively comprehensive book in this area (Cross-Cultural Research Methods by Brislin, Lonner and Thorndike, 1973), I join many in welcoming this contribution that impressively updates the many advances in methods." - Walter J. Lonner, Founding and Special Issues Editor, Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology "This book responds wonderfully to a long-felt need: a full-length exploration of the broad range of distinctive methodological problems faced by those who wish to undertake cross-cultural studies of psychological issues. Problems are not just identified, a wealth of hands-on advice on how to manage them is also provided. The editors have assembled a panel of many of the best-known methodologists in the field and provided a structure that leads the reader gently toward more productive and thoughtful ways of doing research. This volume should find a place on every cultural researcher's bookshelf." - Peter B. Smith, University of Sussex "....Those with the relevant background will appreciate these well-written essays, most of which offer concrete examples from the research literature that allow readers to see how to execute cross-cultural studies with whatever tools the authors describe. In sum, cross-cultural researchers who use quantitative methods will find the book useful.... Recommended...." - B. J. Lovett, Elmira College, CHOICE "...Readers can use this book in its entirety or just read individual chapters. It is a must read for cross-cultural researchers in psychology, and reading it would be a great way to build more knowledge and critical thinking skills for advanced doctoral students and early career professionals who are hoping to contribute to the cross-cultural psychology literature in the future. It would also be a useful tool for faculty members and researchers who direct a research team or who teach an advanced seminar in cross-cultural psychology." -Dr. Yuki Okubo, Alliant International University-San Francisco campus, PsycCRITIQUES