Cross-Cultural Psychology and Critical Thinking

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1. I need this to be at least 800 words so please provide as much information as possible.

One way to learn about a topic is to research it using the Internet. I used the Google search engine and come up with some relevant information for you to consider for your final copy. Although my response is original, drawing on various sources, which are cited, you need to take this information and make it your "original" work by using the information to write your 800 word paper. Then it is will be your original work, which is what this assignment is asking for. Otherwise, it is plagiarism, as I am sure you have been coached on, as most students are. There is a fairly long quote for you to consider, but think of it as additional information, as the response is well over 800-words without the quote. I thought this information might also be helpful for your final copy, so I include it as well.

With this is mind, let's look at each question, which you can then draw on for your final copy.

a Analyze the relationship between cultural and cross-cultural psychology.

The relationship between cultural and cross-cultural psychology is direct, as cross-cultural psychology is a branch of psychology that looks at how cultural factors influence human behavior. It is a fairly recent addition to the field of psychology with the International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP) being established in 1972, and cross-cultural psychology has increased in growth and development to date (Cherry, n.d).

There are many psychologists, for example, that presently examine how the many worldwide cultures differ on various dimensions. Culture is often referred to as the characteristics of a group of people, such as behaviors, attitudes, traditions or customs, beliefs, behaviors and values that one generation passes on to the next (Matsumoto, 2000). Although cultures may share many similarities on these characteristics, however, cultures throughout the world also have significant differences. As a case in point, there are some universal feelings that people from all cultures experience i.e. such as grief, sadness and happiness, but yet these feelings are expressed differently across each individual culture. Thus, the concept of culture is directly related to cross-cultural psychology, as "the main goal of cross-cultural psychologists is to look at both universal behaviors and unique behaviors to identify the ways in which culture impacts our behavior, family life, education, social experiences and other areas" (Cherry, n.d).

b. Discuss the role of critical thinking in cross-cultural psychology.

Critical thinking is a necessary component to the study of cross-cultural psychology as it is one of the most vital and indispensable components of learning. For example, the principles or metathoughts ("thoughts about thought") are cognitive tools that provide strategies for investigation and problem solving. Critical thinking strategies act to challenge our thinking, which is often prone to be "biased, simplistic rigid, lazy, or just plain sloppy" (Chapter 3 summary, n.d.), which is essential ...