, 1
INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL TO ACCOMPANY
CULTURE CONSCIOUS
Prepared by Lawrence T. White, Ph.D.
1. How to Use This Manual
2. Activities and Online Resources (beginning on page 3)
3. Test Bank (beginning on page 33)
How to Use This Manual
Culture Conscious is a supplemental reader that can also be used as the primary text for a short
course in cultural psychology. Forty-three briefings are arranged into 10 chapters. The chapters
address major topics typically covered in introductory psychology courses, but the briefings
themselves address specific topics that are usually not mentioned in introductory psychology
textbooks. For example, one of the briefings in Chapter 4 (Perceptual Processes) discusses
cultural variations in susceptibility to visual illusions. One of the briefings in Chapter 7 (Health
and Well-Being) explains why expressing anger is associated with poor heart health in the
United States but good heart health in Japan.
Every chapter begins with a two-page introduction that is designed to stimulate students’ interest,
but reading the introductions is not essential. Every briefing in Culture Conscious is a self-
contained “lesson” that can stand on its own. The briefings require no previous background and
can be read in any order.
With all this in mind, I have created teaching and learning resources to accompany every
briefing. The first portion of this manual is devoted to activities for students and online
resources for instructors and students. Several activities require advance preparation, but most
do not. Some activities work better in a small class with 25 or fewer students, whereas other
activities work better in a large class with more than 100 students.
I have also prepared a comprehensive test bank. For each briefing, there are two true/false items,
two multiple-choice items, and two essay questions. By reading the test questions (and answers),
instructors can quickly become acquainted with key concepts and issues in the briefings.
Some instructors may wish to use Culture Conscious as a supplemental reader for an
intermediate or upper-level course that has a substantial cultural component.
For a course in intercultural communication, I recommend briefings 1-5, 9, 10-13, 15-16,
18-21, 33, 36, 39-40, and 43.
For a course in cross-cultural research methods, I recommend briefings 1-2, 6-9, 11, 14,
18, 24, 26-28, 31, and 35.
, 2
For a course in international business, I recommend briefings 1-5, 10-13, 16, 19, 22, 26, 30,
34, 36-40, and 43.
For a course in multicultural education, I recommend briefings 2-6, 9, 11, 13, 16, 19, 21,
23-24, 28, 39-40, and 42-43.
For a course in culture and human development, I recommend briefings 1-6, 9, 11, 14-15,
17, 19-21, 23-24, 28, 36, 39-40, and 42.
For a course in multicultural counseling, I recommend briefings 2-6, 12-13, 16, 19, 21-22,
24-30, 33, 36, and 39-41.
I hope you find these resources useful. If you have questions or would like to give feedback, I
invite you to contact me at .
Lawrence T. White
Beloit, Wisconsin, USA
August 2020
, 3
ACTIVITIES AND ONLINE RESOURCES
Briefing 1 – Unpacking Culture
WEIRD OR JUST DIFFERENT? In this activity, students watch and discuss a short, highly
entertaining TED talk by Derek Sivers. Sivers presents fascinating examples of cultural
practices that seem strange until one views the practice from the perspective of a cultural insider.
Students can be prompted to think about their own cultural practices that probably seem
nonsensical to cultural outsiders. In the United States, for example, most shops do not post
actual prices. Customers must calculate the actual price (by adding sales tax) on their own, a
practice that foreigners find baffling. 2 minutes. November 2009.
http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_weird_or_just_different.html.
“Unpackaging Culture and Cultural Differences.” This blog post by a behavioral scientist in
New Zealand presents an extended description and discussion of unpackaging studies.
http://culturemindspace.blogspot.com/2013/05/unpackaging-culture-cultural-differences.html
“The Shape of Personal Space.” In this journal article, German researchers describe the use of
avatars to measure the size of an individual’s personal space. The article contains illustrative
diagrams. http://bbk.ac.uk/psychology/bodylab/docs/hechtEtal-acta-2019.pdf
Briefing 2 – Differences Between and Differences Within
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AND WITHIN CUTURAL GROUPS. In this activity, students
watch a short video in which Kris Gutiérrez, a professor of education at UCLA, explains that,
because there is more variation within groups than between groups, teachers need to rethink how
they categorize members of cultural groups. After watching the video, students form small
groups to generate examples of differences within cultural groups that are larger than differences
between cultural groups. 2 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE2yozwluvQ
“After 50 Years of ‘Asian American,’ Advocates Say the Term Is More Essential than Ever.” In
this NBC News story, Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil says the numbers and diversity of Asian
Americans raise “new questions of who is included in Asian America, what it stands for and if
it’s still relevant.” May 2018. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/after-50-years-
asian-american-advocates-say-term-more-essential-n875601
“Truth in Stereotypes.” In this thought-provoking and potentially controversial essay, social
psychologist Lee Jussim debunks the myth of stereotype inaccuracy. August 2016. 3,700 words.
https://aeon.co/essays/truth-lies-and-stereotypes-when-scientists-ignore-evidence
Briefing 3 – Is the World Becoming More Individualistic?
, 4
LOOKING FOR LOVE: A CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE. In this activity, students
read and compare personal ads written by Americans and immigrants from India. The content of
the personal ads nicely illustrates important differences between individualistic and collectivistic
cultures. All materials needed for this activity can be found at
http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/crow/carducci.pdf
“Collectivism/Individualism Through Dance.” This short video shows how people dance
differently in collectivistic and individualistic societies. The video is a bit cheesy and superficial
but still worth watching. 3 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO9TyiAj7BM
“iGen: The Smartphone Generation.” In this TEDx talk, researcher and author Jean Twenge
discusses society’s smartphone addiction through a generational lens. She claims that college
students today, who have grown up with smartphones, are more individualistic and less happy
than earlier generations. 8 minutes. January 2018.
https://www.ted.com/talks/jean_twenge_igen_the_smartphone_generation_jan_2018
“A Visual Profile of Chinese Society.” This graph describes Chinese society in terms of its
location on six different cultural dimensions, including individualism and power distance. The
graph was developed by Hofstede Insights, an international management consulting company.
https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country/china/
Briefing 4 – Like Pants, Some Countries Are Tighter Than Others
IS YOUR CAMPUS TIGHT OR LOOSE? In this activity, students are prompted to think about
the social norms on their campus and what happens to students who deviate from the norms.
Students can also be prompted to offer their opinions about whether their campus culture is
relatively loose or tight compared to other colleges and universities.
“The Secret Life of Social Norms.” In this excellent TEDx talk, cultural researcher and leading
expert Michele Gelfand describes the many behavioral differences between tight and loose
societies. She also explains why some cultures are tighter than others and introduces the
Goldilocks Principle. 18 minutes. November 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqkzp9C2VyI
“To Survive the Coronavirus, the United States Must Tighten Up.” In this short essay for the
Boston Globe, Michele Gelfand discusses the federal government’s disorderly response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. March 2020. https://6df1098c-05f3-4ab1-a049-
b59ba7f3ecfe.usrfiles.com/ugd/6df109_6da2e95a748c49adb1fefdc34d966569.pdf
“Mapping Cultural Tightness and Its Links to Innovation, Urbanization, and Happiness across 31
Provinces in China.” This journal article presents an in-depth analysis of tightness and its
correlates in China. The article has a map of China that depicts the level of tightness in each
province. April 2019. https://www.pnas.org/content/116/14/6720
, 5
Briefing 5 – What Can a Cow, Chicken, and Grass Tell Us About How We Think?
DO YOU HAVE AN INDEPENDENT OR INTERDEPENDENT SENSE OF SELF? In this
activity, students draw a 10 x 10 grid on a sheet of paper. Across the top, they list the 10 most
important decisions they will make in their lifetime. Along one side, they list the 10 most
significant persons or groups in their life. Students then place a mark in every box that links a
decision with a person or group. In other words, they mark a box if the person or group will
affect that decision. Students then count the number of boxes they have marked. If more than
half the boxes are marked, it is safe to say the student has an interdependent social orientation
(and probably belongs to a collectivistic culture). If fewer than one-third of the boxes are
marked, the student almost certainly has an independent social orientation (and probably belongs
to an individualistic culture).
“Do Asians THINK Differently?” This excellent video examines the different cognitive styles of
Easterners and Westerners and their origins in antiquity. The presenter quickly covers many
concepts and studies, so students may want to watch the video more than once. 13 minutes.
September 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEd7msMYLgU
“Individual Differences in Analytic Versus Holistic Thinking.” This research report presents the
24-item Analysis-Holism Scale, which can be used to measure one’s cognitive style. Scoring
instructions are included.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6388835_Individual_Differences_in_Analytic_Versus_
Holistic_Thinking
“Developing a New Measure of Independent and Interdependent Views of the Self.” This
research report presents the 42-item Independent and Interdependent Self Scale, which can be
used to measure one’s social orientation. Scoring instruction are included.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247350304_Developing_a_new_measure_of_independ
ent_and_interdependent_views_of_the_self
Briefing 6 – Making Psychology Less “WEIRD”
IS PSYCHOLOGY BECOMING LESS WEIRD? In this activity, students visit their campus
library and find a print issue of a psychology journal. (I recommend the APA journal
Developmental Psychology, which should be available in many academic libraries.) Every
student should select an issue from a different calendar year. Students skim every article in their
issue and record one piece of information from each article—the nationality or nationalities of
the study participants. When students return to the classroom, they share their data and figure
out how to plot the results on a timeline. Looking at the data collected, has the discipline of
Psychology become less WEIRD over time?
“The Hidden Biases in WEIRD Psychology Research.” This is a brief yet excellent presentation
that delves into aspects of the WEIRDness problem that are not addressed in Briefing 6. The
lecturer speaks rapidly, so students may want to watch the video more than once. 5 minutes.
October 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho6OlPrD7sA
, 6
“Joseph Henrich on WEIRD Societies.” This video is a brief conversation with Joseph Henrich,
anthropologist, behavioral economist, and lead author of the much-cited 2011 article, “The
Weirdest People in the World?” 2 minutes. December 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5RxKitXHyc
Briefing 7 – Why Behavioral Scientists Conduct Cross-Cultural Studies
ESTABLISHING THE UNIVERSALITY OF A PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER. In this activity,
students form small groups and receive the following assignment.
Imagine your team has been hired by the World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct
a study. You have unlimited resources in terms of money, time, and staff. Your job is
to design a large-scale, cross-national study to answer one question: Is ADHD
(attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) a universal disorder? In other words, does
ADHD exhibit the same symptoms, occur with the same frequency, and respond to
treatment in the same way everywhere?
WHY DO CROSS-CULTURAL RESEARCH? In this activity, students discuss the degree to
which they agree or disagree with the following statements.
1. The most important purpose of cross-cultural studies is to identify differences
between cultural groups.
2. The most important purpose of cross-cultural studies is to identify similarities
across cultural groups.
3. The most important purpose of cross-cultural studies is to test and confirm the
generalizability of theories.
4. The most important purpose of cross-cultural studies is to deepen our
understanding of the phenomenon of interest.
“Tales from the Jungle: Malinowski.” This is an excellent BBC documentary about the life and
work of Bronislaw Malinowski, the early cultural anthropologist and ethnographer. Malinowski
was at first revered but later, when his personal diary was discovered, he became a controversial
figure. The film is divided into six parts, with each part about 10 minutes in length. 2007. The
first part of the film can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f22VsAlOwbc. 60
minutes.
“Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development.” This video from the Khan Academy describes
Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations,
and formal operations). It also describes two developmental milestones (object permanence and
conservation of volume). 6 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt3-PIC2nCs
Briefing 8 – Geographical Psychology and the Seductive Allure of Psychological Atlases
, 7
THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL ATLASES. In this activity, students
work alone or in small groups. They receive the following assignment.
Search online for psychological atlases. (A psychological atlas is a map that shows
regional or national variations in a psychological characteristic or outcome.) Find a
map that is, in your opinion, a well-constructed psychological atlas. Find another map
that is, in your opinion, a poorly constructed atlas. Finally, write 250 to 300 words to
explain why one atlas is better than the other. Be sure to include copies of the maps
with your essay.
“Exploring Culture by Geert Hofstede.” This blog post reviews Hofstede’s 2002 book titled
Exploring Culture: Exercises, Stories, and Synthetic Cultures. The post includes concise
descriptions of Hofstede’s six cultural dimensions and several psychological atlases. (Hofstede’s
dimensions are individualism vs. collectivism, large vs. small power distance, masculinity vs.
femininity, uncertainty tolerance vs. uncertainty avoidance, long-term vs. short-term orientation,
and indulgence vs. restraint.) November 2018. https://curiousturk.com/2018/11/04/exploring-
culture-cultural-dimensions-by-geert-hofstede/
“Suicide Rates by State.” This brief article (from the CDC) has a map of the United States that
depicts the age-adjusted suicide rate in all 50 states. The map is an example of a well-
constructed psychological atlas because the map does not rely on small, unrepresentative
samples and provides numerical values in addition to color coding. May 2020.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6917a4.htm
Briefing 9 – Does Speaking a Second Language Make You Smarter?
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SPEAKING MORE THAN ONE
LANGUAGE. In this activity, students work together to create a list of advantages (benefits)
and disadvantages (costs) of knowing how to speak more than one language. Multilingual
students should be encouraged to talk about their own experiences. Two issues students may not
think of on their own: Is it a mistake to teach a young child to speak three different languages?
When it comes to speaking a foreign language, can a little knowledge be a dangerous thing?
“The Cat and the Goldfish.” This funny commercial (for a language school) illustrates the
advantage of being able to speak a second language. 1 minute.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDO3KKyQ6r4
“Four Reasons to Learn a New Language.” With instant translation technology improving every
year, why bother to learn a foreign language? In this excellent TED talk, linguist John
McWhorter talks about nonobvious reasons for learning to speak another language. 10 minutes.
February 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQRjouwKDlU
“Creating Bilingual Minds.” In this TEDx talk, researcher Naja Ferjan Ramirez explains why all
babies can learn two languages at the same time. She also discusses the benefits of bilingual
environments for language and brain development. 17 minutes. February 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp2Fvkt-TRM
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Briefing 10 – Communication Styles in Estonia and the United States
DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS. In this activity, students visit a location
that is frequented by people from different countries and cultural backgrounds. The international
arrivals hall of a large airport, for example. Or the student union at a college or university that
enrolls students from many different cultural backgrounds. At the location, the student sits
unobtrusively for 30-60 minutes and observes the communication styles used by people from
different cultures or subcultures. How do people greet each other and say goodbye? How close
do they stand or sit to each other? How often do they gesture or show facial expressions? How
loudly or softly do they speak? How often do they touch each other? Laugh together? Cry
together? Determining the nationalities of the subjects is less important than carefully observing
their behavior. Students record and share their observations with classmates or in a short essay
for the instructor.
“Doing Business in Estonia.” This entry for Estonia at the Communicaid site includes key facts
about Estonian culture and business etiquette. (Communicaid is a company that offers language
and intercultural skills training for individuals who wish to do business in a specific country.)
The page also includes an Estonian Culture quiz.
https://www.communicaid.com/country/estonia/
“Cross Cultural Communication.” In this highly rated TEDx talk, Pellegrino Riccardi shares his
personal and professional experiences of living and working in different countries, with special
attention given to Norway and Italy. 20 minutes. October 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMyofREc5Jk
Briefing 11 – Study Abroad and Intercultural Competence
WHAT IS GAINED BY LIVING IN ANOTHER COUNTRY? In this activity, students who
have lived in a foreign country share their experiences with classmates. (If no one has lived in a
foreign country, the instructor can invite two or three international students or faculty to visit
class and talk about their experiences.) Here are some questions the instructor can pose to the
group. What did you learn about yourself by living abroad? What did you learn about your own
country or culture? Did you become more culturally competent by living abroad? How so? If
you have not lived in another country, would you like to have that experience? Why or why not?
“Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Checklist.” This is a free, self-administered inventory
that assesses a person’s cultural competence. The checklist was created with funding from the
Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia. By completing the inventory,
students recognize what they can do to “become more effective in working and living in a
diverse environment.” Scoring instructions are included. http://rapworkers.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/08/cultural-competence-selfassessment-checklist-1.pdf
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“Cross-Cultural Competence in Action: The Power of Building Bridges.” In this TEDx talk,
German business trainer Nina Frauenfeld shares her approach of “creating meaningful
interaction between people across cultures by taking responsibility for your own behavior.” 16
minutes. October 2017.
https://www.ted.com/talks/nina_frauenfeld_cross_cultural_competence_in_action_the_power_of
_building_bridges
Briefing 12 – Reading People’s Faces and Between the Lines
YOU’RE PROBABLY IN A HIGH-CONTEXT CULTURE IF … In this activity, students work
together in small groups. Each group is a team that has been assigned to travel to another
country to negotiate a business contract. Working together, team members must create a list (on
a virtual or actual blackboard) of clues that indicate whether they are in a high-context or a low-
context society. An airport with extensive and detailed signage, for example, is usually a clue
that one is in a low-context culture. On the other hand, the use of a middleman is a common
practice when doing business in a high-context culture. To create their list, teams go online to
learn as much as they can about the indicators of high-context and low-context. At the end of the
activity, teams share and compare their lists with other teams.
“What Is the Difference Between a High-Context and Low-Context Culture?” This clearly
presented, informative video elaborates on the distinction between high-context and low-context
communication. The content is especially pertinent to business students who plan to live and
work in a foreign country. 3 minutes. November 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKViQSnW-UA
“List of Countries Ranked by Ethnic, Linguistic, and Religious Diversity.” This interactive page
at Wikipedia allows users to rank the world’s nations in terms of ethnic diversity, linguistic
diversity, and religious diversity. African countries are the most linguistically diverse countries
in the world. Islamic countries are the least diverse in terms of religion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_ranked_by_ethnic_and_cultural_diversity_level
“Historical Heterogeneity.” This resource page at the Neidenthal Emotions Lab web site clearly
explains the concept of historical heterogeneity and how it relates to a cultural group’s emotional
expressiveness. The page also includes a colorful world map that shows how many other
countries have contributed to a nation’s present-day population. The most heterogeneous
countries are Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, and the United States. The least
heterogeneous are China, Japan, Finland, Norway, and several African countries.
https://www.niedenthalemotionslab.com/historical-heterogeneity
Briefing 13 – How to Respond to A Cultural Incident
CULTURAL INCIDENTS AT HOME AND ABROAD. In this activity, students share their
thoughts about confusing or embarrassing encounters they have had with people who are
culturally different. The instructor can pose these (and other) questions to students.
INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL TO ACCOMPANY
CULTURE CONSCIOUS
Prepared by Lawrence T. White, Ph.D.
1. How to Use This Manual
2. Activities and Online Resources (beginning on page 3)
3. Test Bank (beginning on page 33)
How to Use This Manual
Culture Conscious is a supplemental reader that can also be used as the primary text for a short
course in cultural psychology. Forty-three briefings are arranged into 10 chapters. The chapters
address major topics typically covered in introductory psychology courses, but the briefings
themselves address specific topics that are usually not mentioned in introductory psychology
textbooks. For example, one of the briefings in Chapter 4 (Perceptual Processes) discusses
cultural variations in susceptibility to visual illusions. One of the briefings in Chapter 7 (Health
and Well-Being) explains why expressing anger is associated with poor heart health in the
United States but good heart health in Japan.
Every chapter begins with a two-page introduction that is designed to stimulate students’ interest,
but reading the introductions is not essential. Every briefing in Culture Conscious is a self-
contained “lesson” that can stand on its own. The briefings require no previous background and
can be read in any order.
With all this in mind, I have created teaching and learning resources to accompany every
briefing. The first portion of this manual is devoted to activities for students and online
resources for instructors and students. Several activities require advance preparation, but most
do not. Some activities work better in a small class with 25 or fewer students, whereas other
activities work better in a large class with more than 100 students.
I have also prepared a comprehensive test bank. For each briefing, there are two true/false items,
two multiple-choice items, and two essay questions. By reading the test questions (and answers),
instructors can quickly become acquainted with key concepts and issues in the briefings.
Some instructors may wish to use Culture Conscious as a supplemental reader for an
intermediate or upper-level course that has a substantial cultural component.
For a course in intercultural communication, I recommend briefings 1-5, 9, 10-13, 15-16,
18-21, 33, 36, 39-40, and 43.
For a course in cross-cultural research methods, I recommend briefings 1-2, 6-9, 11, 14,
18, 24, 26-28, 31, and 35.
, 2
For a course in international business, I recommend briefings 1-5, 10-13, 16, 19, 22, 26, 30,
34, 36-40, and 43.
For a course in multicultural education, I recommend briefings 2-6, 9, 11, 13, 16, 19, 21,
23-24, 28, 39-40, and 42-43.
For a course in culture and human development, I recommend briefings 1-6, 9, 11, 14-15,
17, 19-21, 23-24, 28, 36, 39-40, and 42.
For a course in multicultural counseling, I recommend briefings 2-6, 12-13, 16, 19, 21-22,
24-30, 33, 36, and 39-41.
I hope you find these resources useful. If you have questions or would like to give feedback, I
invite you to contact me at .
Lawrence T. White
Beloit, Wisconsin, USA
August 2020
, 3
ACTIVITIES AND ONLINE RESOURCES
Briefing 1 – Unpacking Culture
WEIRD OR JUST DIFFERENT? In this activity, students watch and discuss a short, highly
entertaining TED talk by Derek Sivers. Sivers presents fascinating examples of cultural
practices that seem strange until one views the practice from the perspective of a cultural insider.
Students can be prompted to think about their own cultural practices that probably seem
nonsensical to cultural outsiders. In the United States, for example, most shops do not post
actual prices. Customers must calculate the actual price (by adding sales tax) on their own, a
practice that foreigners find baffling. 2 minutes. November 2009.
http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_weird_or_just_different.html.
“Unpackaging Culture and Cultural Differences.” This blog post by a behavioral scientist in
New Zealand presents an extended description and discussion of unpackaging studies.
http://culturemindspace.blogspot.com/2013/05/unpackaging-culture-cultural-differences.html
“The Shape of Personal Space.” In this journal article, German researchers describe the use of
avatars to measure the size of an individual’s personal space. The article contains illustrative
diagrams. http://bbk.ac.uk/psychology/bodylab/docs/hechtEtal-acta-2019.pdf
Briefing 2 – Differences Between and Differences Within
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AND WITHIN CUTURAL GROUPS. In this activity, students
watch a short video in which Kris Gutiérrez, a professor of education at UCLA, explains that,
because there is more variation within groups than between groups, teachers need to rethink how
they categorize members of cultural groups. After watching the video, students form small
groups to generate examples of differences within cultural groups that are larger than differences
between cultural groups. 2 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE2yozwluvQ
“After 50 Years of ‘Asian American,’ Advocates Say the Term Is More Essential than Ever.” In
this NBC News story, Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil says the numbers and diversity of Asian
Americans raise “new questions of who is included in Asian America, what it stands for and if
it’s still relevant.” May 2018. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/after-50-years-
asian-american-advocates-say-term-more-essential-n875601
“Truth in Stereotypes.” In this thought-provoking and potentially controversial essay, social
psychologist Lee Jussim debunks the myth of stereotype inaccuracy. August 2016. 3,700 words.
https://aeon.co/essays/truth-lies-and-stereotypes-when-scientists-ignore-evidence
Briefing 3 – Is the World Becoming More Individualistic?
, 4
LOOKING FOR LOVE: A CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE. In this activity, students
read and compare personal ads written by Americans and immigrants from India. The content of
the personal ads nicely illustrates important differences between individualistic and collectivistic
cultures. All materials needed for this activity can be found at
http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/crow/carducci.pdf
“Collectivism/Individualism Through Dance.” This short video shows how people dance
differently in collectivistic and individualistic societies. The video is a bit cheesy and superficial
but still worth watching. 3 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO9TyiAj7BM
“iGen: The Smartphone Generation.” In this TEDx talk, researcher and author Jean Twenge
discusses society’s smartphone addiction through a generational lens. She claims that college
students today, who have grown up with smartphones, are more individualistic and less happy
than earlier generations. 8 minutes. January 2018.
https://www.ted.com/talks/jean_twenge_igen_the_smartphone_generation_jan_2018
“A Visual Profile of Chinese Society.” This graph describes Chinese society in terms of its
location on six different cultural dimensions, including individualism and power distance. The
graph was developed by Hofstede Insights, an international management consulting company.
https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country/china/
Briefing 4 – Like Pants, Some Countries Are Tighter Than Others
IS YOUR CAMPUS TIGHT OR LOOSE? In this activity, students are prompted to think about
the social norms on their campus and what happens to students who deviate from the norms.
Students can also be prompted to offer their opinions about whether their campus culture is
relatively loose or tight compared to other colleges and universities.
“The Secret Life of Social Norms.” In this excellent TEDx talk, cultural researcher and leading
expert Michele Gelfand describes the many behavioral differences between tight and loose
societies. She also explains why some cultures are tighter than others and introduces the
Goldilocks Principle. 18 minutes. November 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqkzp9C2VyI
“To Survive the Coronavirus, the United States Must Tighten Up.” In this short essay for the
Boston Globe, Michele Gelfand discusses the federal government’s disorderly response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. March 2020. https://6df1098c-05f3-4ab1-a049-
b59ba7f3ecfe.usrfiles.com/ugd/6df109_6da2e95a748c49adb1fefdc34d966569.pdf
“Mapping Cultural Tightness and Its Links to Innovation, Urbanization, and Happiness across 31
Provinces in China.” This journal article presents an in-depth analysis of tightness and its
correlates in China. The article has a map of China that depicts the level of tightness in each
province. April 2019. https://www.pnas.org/content/116/14/6720
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Briefing 5 – What Can a Cow, Chicken, and Grass Tell Us About How We Think?
DO YOU HAVE AN INDEPENDENT OR INTERDEPENDENT SENSE OF SELF? In this
activity, students draw a 10 x 10 grid on a sheet of paper. Across the top, they list the 10 most
important decisions they will make in their lifetime. Along one side, they list the 10 most
significant persons or groups in their life. Students then place a mark in every box that links a
decision with a person or group. In other words, they mark a box if the person or group will
affect that decision. Students then count the number of boxes they have marked. If more than
half the boxes are marked, it is safe to say the student has an interdependent social orientation
(and probably belongs to a collectivistic culture). If fewer than one-third of the boxes are
marked, the student almost certainly has an independent social orientation (and probably belongs
to an individualistic culture).
“Do Asians THINK Differently?” This excellent video examines the different cognitive styles of
Easterners and Westerners and their origins in antiquity. The presenter quickly covers many
concepts and studies, so students may want to watch the video more than once. 13 minutes.
September 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEd7msMYLgU
“Individual Differences in Analytic Versus Holistic Thinking.” This research report presents the
24-item Analysis-Holism Scale, which can be used to measure one’s cognitive style. Scoring
instructions are included.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6388835_Individual_Differences_in_Analytic_Versus_
Holistic_Thinking
“Developing a New Measure of Independent and Interdependent Views of the Self.” This
research report presents the 42-item Independent and Interdependent Self Scale, which can be
used to measure one’s social orientation. Scoring instruction are included.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247350304_Developing_a_new_measure_of_independ
ent_and_interdependent_views_of_the_self
Briefing 6 – Making Psychology Less “WEIRD”
IS PSYCHOLOGY BECOMING LESS WEIRD? In this activity, students visit their campus
library and find a print issue of a psychology journal. (I recommend the APA journal
Developmental Psychology, which should be available in many academic libraries.) Every
student should select an issue from a different calendar year. Students skim every article in their
issue and record one piece of information from each article—the nationality or nationalities of
the study participants. When students return to the classroom, they share their data and figure
out how to plot the results on a timeline. Looking at the data collected, has the discipline of
Psychology become less WEIRD over time?
“The Hidden Biases in WEIRD Psychology Research.” This is a brief yet excellent presentation
that delves into aspects of the WEIRDness problem that are not addressed in Briefing 6. The
lecturer speaks rapidly, so students may want to watch the video more than once. 5 minutes.
October 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho6OlPrD7sA
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“Joseph Henrich on WEIRD Societies.” This video is a brief conversation with Joseph Henrich,
anthropologist, behavioral economist, and lead author of the much-cited 2011 article, “The
Weirdest People in the World?” 2 minutes. December 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5RxKitXHyc
Briefing 7 – Why Behavioral Scientists Conduct Cross-Cultural Studies
ESTABLISHING THE UNIVERSALITY OF A PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER. In this activity,
students form small groups and receive the following assignment.
Imagine your team has been hired by the World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct
a study. You have unlimited resources in terms of money, time, and staff. Your job is
to design a large-scale, cross-national study to answer one question: Is ADHD
(attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) a universal disorder? In other words, does
ADHD exhibit the same symptoms, occur with the same frequency, and respond to
treatment in the same way everywhere?
WHY DO CROSS-CULTURAL RESEARCH? In this activity, students discuss the degree to
which they agree or disagree with the following statements.
1. The most important purpose of cross-cultural studies is to identify differences
between cultural groups.
2. The most important purpose of cross-cultural studies is to identify similarities
across cultural groups.
3. The most important purpose of cross-cultural studies is to test and confirm the
generalizability of theories.
4. The most important purpose of cross-cultural studies is to deepen our
understanding of the phenomenon of interest.
“Tales from the Jungle: Malinowski.” This is an excellent BBC documentary about the life and
work of Bronislaw Malinowski, the early cultural anthropologist and ethnographer. Malinowski
was at first revered but later, when his personal diary was discovered, he became a controversial
figure. The film is divided into six parts, with each part about 10 minutes in length. 2007. The
first part of the film can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f22VsAlOwbc. 60
minutes.
“Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development.” This video from the Khan Academy describes
Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations,
and formal operations). It also describes two developmental milestones (object permanence and
conservation of volume). 6 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt3-PIC2nCs
Briefing 8 – Geographical Psychology and the Seductive Allure of Psychological Atlases
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THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL ATLASES. In this activity, students
work alone or in small groups. They receive the following assignment.
Search online for psychological atlases. (A psychological atlas is a map that shows
regional or national variations in a psychological characteristic or outcome.) Find a
map that is, in your opinion, a well-constructed psychological atlas. Find another map
that is, in your opinion, a poorly constructed atlas. Finally, write 250 to 300 words to
explain why one atlas is better than the other. Be sure to include copies of the maps
with your essay.
“Exploring Culture by Geert Hofstede.” This blog post reviews Hofstede’s 2002 book titled
Exploring Culture: Exercises, Stories, and Synthetic Cultures. The post includes concise
descriptions of Hofstede’s six cultural dimensions and several psychological atlases. (Hofstede’s
dimensions are individualism vs. collectivism, large vs. small power distance, masculinity vs.
femininity, uncertainty tolerance vs. uncertainty avoidance, long-term vs. short-term orientation,
and indulgence vs. restraint.) November 2018. https://curiousturk.com/2018/11/04/exploring-
culture-cultural-dimensions-by-geert-hofstede/
“Suicide Rates by State.” This brief article (from the CDC) has a map of the United States that
depicts the age-adjusted suicide rate in all 50 states. The map is an example of a well-
constructed psychological atlas because the map does not rely on small, unrepresentative
samples and provides numerical values in addition to color coding. May 2020.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6917a4.htm
Briefing 9 – Does Speaking a Second Language Make You Smarter?
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SPEAKING MORE THAN ONE
LANGUAGE. In this activity, students work together to create a list of advantages (benefits)
and disadvantages (costs) of knowing how to speak more than one language. Multilingual
students should be encouraged to talk about their own experiences. Two issues students may not
think of on their own: Is it a mistake to teach a young child to speak three different languages?
When it comes to speaking a foreign language, can a little knowledge be a dangerous thing?
“The Cat and the Goldfish.” This funny commercial (for a language school) illustrates the
advantage of being able to speak a second language. 1 minute.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDO3KKyQ6r4
“Four Reasons to Learn a New Language.” With instant translation technology improving every
year, why bother to learn a foreign language? In this excellent TED talk, linguist John
McWhorter talks about nonobvious reasons for learning to speak another language. 10 minutes.
February 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQRjouwKDlU
“Creating Bilingual Minds.” In this TEDx talk, researcher Naja Ferjan Ramirez explains why all
babies can learn two languages at the same time. She also discusses the benefits of bilingual
environments for language and brain development. 17 minutes. February 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp2Fvkt-TRM
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Briefing 10 – Communication Styles in Estonia and the United States
DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS. In this activity, students visit a location
that is frequented by people from different countries and cultural backgrounds. The international
arrivals hall of a large airport, for example. Or the student union at a college or university that
enrolls students from many different cultural backgrounds. At the location, the student sits
unobtrusively for 30-60 minutes and observes the communication styles used by people from
different cultures or subcultures. How do people greet each other and say goodbye? How close
do they stand or sit to each other? How often do they gesture or show facial expressions? How
loudly or softly do they speak? How often do they touch each other? Laugh together? Cry
together? Determining the nationalities of the subjects is less important than carefully observing
their behavior. Students record and share their observations with classmates or in a short essay
for the instructor.
“Doing Business in Estonia.” This entry for Estonia at the Communicaid site includes key facts
about Estonian culture and business etiquette. (Communicaid is a company that offers language
and intercultural skills training for individuals who wish to do business in a specific country.)
The page also includes an Estonian Culture quiz.
https://www.communicaid.com/country/estonia/
“Cross Cultural Communication.” In this highly rated TEDx talk, Pellegrino Riccardi shares his
personal and professional experiences of living and working in different countries, with special
attention given to Norway and Italy. 20 minutes. October 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMyofREc5Jk
Briefing 11 – Study Abroad and Intercultural Competence
WHAT IS GAINED BY LIVING IN ANOTHER COUNTRY? In this activity, students who
have lived in a foreign country share their experiences with classmates. (If no one has lived in a
foreign country, the instructor can invite two or three international students or faculty to visit
class and talk about their experiences.) Here are some questions the instructor can pose to the
group. What did you learn about yourself by living abroad? What did you learn about your own
country or culture? Did you become more culturally competent by living abroad? How so? If
you have not lived in another country, would you like to have that experience? Why or why not?
“Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Checklist.” This is a free, self-administered inventory
that assesses a person’s cultural competence. The checklist was created with funding from the
Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia. By completing the inventory,
students recognize what they can do to “become more effective in working and living in a
diverse environment.” Scoring instructions are included. http://rapworkers.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/08/cultural-competence-selfassessment-checklist-1.pdf
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“Cross-Cultural Competence in Action: The Power of Building Bridges.” In this TEDx talk,
German business trainer Nina Frauenfeld shares her approach of “creating meaningful
interaction between people across cultures by taking responsibility for your own behavior.” 16
minutes. October 2017.
https://www.ted.com/talks/nina_frauenfeld_cross_cultural_competence_in_action_the_power_of
_building_bridges
Briefing 12 – Reading People’s Faces and Between the Lines
YOU’RE PROBABLY IN A HIGH-CONTEXT CULTURE IF … In this activity, students work
together in small groups. Each group is a team that has been assigned to travel to another
country to negotiate a business contract. Working together, team members must create a list (on
a virtual or actual blackboard) of clues that indicate whether they are in a high-context or a low-
context society. An airport with extensive and detailed signage, for example, is usually a clue
that one is in a low-context culture. On the other hand, the use of a middleman is a common
practice when doing business in a high-context culture. To create their list, teams go online to
learn as much as they can about the indicators of high-context and low-context. At the end of the
activity, teams share and compare their lists with other teams.
“What Is the Difference Between a High-Context and Low-Context Culture?” This clearly
presented, informative video elaborates on the distinction between high-context and low-context
communication. The content is especially pertinent to business students who plan to live and
work in a foreign country. 3 minutes. November 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKViQSnW-UA
“List of Countries Ranked by Ethnic, Linguistic, and Religious Diversity.” This interactive page
at Wikipedia allows users to rank the world’s nations in terms of ethnic diversity, linguistic
diversity, and religious diversity. African countries are the most linguistically diverse countries
in the world. Islamic countries are the least diverse in terms of religion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_ranked_by_ethnic_and_cultural_diversity_level
“Historical Heterogeneity.” This resource page at the Neidenthal Emotions Lab web site clearly
explains the concept of historical heterogeneity and how it relates to a cultural group’s emotional
expressiveness. The page also includes a colorful world map that shows how many other
countries have contributed to a nation’s present-day population. The most heterogeneous
countries are Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, and the United States. The least
heterogeneous are China, Japan, Finland, Norway, and several African countries.
https://www.niedenthalemotionslab.com/historical-heterogeneity
Briefing 13 – How to Respond to A Cultural Incident
CULTURAL INCIDENTS AT HOME AND ABROAD. In this activity, students share their
thoughts about confusing or embarrassing encounters they have had with people who are
culturally different. The instructor can pose these (and other) questions to students.
