Cultural Processes: A Social Psychological Perspective

337 Pages·2010·3.816 MB·English

by  Angela K.-y. Leung, Chi-yue Chiu, Ying-yi Hong

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cultural processes
With the rapid growth of knowledge in the last two decades concerning ethnic and
nationalgroupdifferencesinhumanbehaviors,researchersareincreasinglycuriousas
to why, how, and when such differences surface. The field is ready to leapfrog from
the descriptive science of group differences to the science of cultural processes. The
goalofthisbookistolaydownthetheoreticalfoundationforthisexcitingdevelop-
mentbyproposinganoriginalprocessmodelofculture.Thisnewperspectivediscusses
andextendscontemporarysocialpsychologicaltheoriesofsocialcognitionandsocial
motivationtoexplainwhyculturemattersinhumanpsychology.Weviewcultureasa
loosenetworkofimperfectlysharedknowledgerepresentationsforcoordinatingsocial
transactions.Assuch,cultureservesdifferentadaptivefunctionsimportantforindivid-
uals’goalpursuits.Furthermore,withtheincreasinglyglobalizedandhyperconnected
multiculturalworld,muchcanberevealedabouthowdifferentculturaltraditionscome
intocontact.Theauthorsdiscussthepsychologicalramificationsoftheseculturalinter-
actionstoilluminatethesocialandpracticalrelevanceoftheproposedprocessmodelof
culture.
AngelaK.-y.LeungisAssistantProfessorofPsychologyintheSchoolofSocialSciences
attheSingaporeManagementUniversity(SMU).Herresearchseekstounderstandhow
peopleparticipateactivelyindynamicculturalprocessesinbothintra-andintercul-
turalcontexts,aswellasthepsychologicalimplicationsformulticulturalcompetence
(e.g.,creativityandinterculturalcommunication).Sheisalsointerestedintheroleof
embodimentintheacquisitionandendorsementofculturalvalues.Dr.Leunghaswon
severalresearchawards,includingthefirsthonorablementionfortheOttoKlineberg
InterculturalandInternationalRelationsAwardfromtheSocietyforthePsychological
StudyofSocialIssues(SPSSI)in2009,theLeeFoundationResearchExcellenceAward,
andtheSchoolofSocialSciencesResearchExcellenceAwardconferredbySMU.
Chi-yue Chiu is Professor of Management and Marketing at Nanyang Technological
University,Singapore.Hiscurrentresearchfocusesonthesocial,cognitive,andmotiva-

tionalprocessesthatmediatetheconstructionandevolutionofsocialconsensusandon
thedynamicinteractionsofculturalidentificationandculturalknowledgetraditions.
Dr.ChiureceivedtheMisumiAwardfromtheJapaneseGroupDynamicsAssociation
and Asian Association for Social Psychology in 2007, the Best Paper Award in Con-
flict Resolution from the Academy of Management in 2002, and the Otto Klineberg
InterculturalandInternationalRelationsAwardfromtheSPSSIin2001.
Ying-yiHongiscurrentlyProfessorattheBusinessSchoolofNanyangTechnological
University,Singapore.Hermainresearchinterestsincludecultureandcognition,self,
identity,andintergrouprelations.SheisparticularlyknownforproposingtheDynamic
ConstructivistTheorytounderstandhowindividualsformmentalmodelsofmultiple
cultural knowledge systems and how they switch between cultural frames. Dr. Hong
receivedtheOttoKlinebergInterculturalandInternationalRelationsAwardfromthe
SPSSIin2001andtheYoungInvestigatorAward(conferredbytheInternationalSociety
ofSelfandIdentity)in2004andwaselectedFellowoftheAssociationforPsychological
ScienceandAssociateoftheCenterforAdvancedStudy,UniversityofIllinois,Urbana-
Champaign.

cultureandpsychology
SeriesEditor
DavidMatsumoto,SanFranciscoStateUniversity
As an increasing number of social scientists come to recognize the pervasive
influenceofcultureonindividualhumanbehavior,ithasbecomeimperative
forculturetobeincludedasanimportantvariableinallaspectsofpsychological
research,theory,andpractice.CultureandPsychologyisanevolvingseriesof
works that brings the study of culture and psychology into a single, unified
concept.
Ute Scho¨npflug, Cultural Transmission: Psychological, Developmental, Social,
andMethodologicalAspects
EvertvandeVliert,Climate,Affluence,andCulture
DavidMatsumotoandFonsvandeVijver,Cross-CulturalResearchMethodsin
Psychology

Cultural Processes
a social psychological perspective
Editedby
AngelaK.-y.Leung
SingaporeManagementUniversity
Chi-yueChiu
NanyangTechnologicalUniversity,Singapore
Ying-yiHong
NanyangTechnologicalUniversity,Singapore
cambridgeuniversitypress
Cambridge,NewYork,Melbourne,Madrid,CapeTown,Singapore,
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Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
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noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten
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Firstpublished2011
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
AcatalogrecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationdata
Culturalprocesses:asocialpsychologicalperspective/editedbyAngelaK.-y.Leung,Chi-yue
Chiu,Ying-yiHong.
p. cm.–(Cultureandpsychology)
Includesbibliographicalrefere ncesandindex.
ISBN978-0-521-76523-7(hbk.)–ISBN978-0-521-75841-3(pbk.)
1.Culture–Psychologicalaspects. 2.Culture–Studyandteaching. I.Leung,AngelaK.-y.,
1979– II.Chiu,Chi-yue,1963– III.Hong,Ying-yi,1964– IV.Title. V.Series.
HM621.C853446 2011
306.01–dc22 2010024843
ISBN978-0-521-76523-7Hardback
ISBN978-0-521-75841-3Paperback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyofURLsfor
externalorthird-partyInternetWebsitesreferredtointhispublicationanddoesnotguarantee
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contents
ListofFiguresandTables pageix
ListofContributors xi
Preface xiii
partone. introduction
1 CulturalProcesses:AnOverview 3
Chi-yueChiu,AngelaK.-y.Leung,andYing-yiHong
parttwo. representationaltheoriesofculture
2 CultureasLayPersonalBeliefs 25
KarlDach-Gruschow,EvelynW.M.Au,andHsin-YaLiao
3 CultureasIntersubjectiveRepresentationsofValues 40

ChingWanandChi-yueChiu
4 CultureasNormRepresentations:TheCaseofCollective
ResponsibilityAttribution 65
MelodyManchiChaoandChi-yueChiu
partthree. psychologicalfunctionsofculture
5 EpistemicFunctionsofCulture 81
MelodyManchiChaoandChi-yueChiu
6 ExistentialFunctionsofCulture:TheMonumental
ImmortalityProject 96
PelinKesebir
vii
viii Contents
7 Self-DefinitionalFunctionsofCulture 111
ChingWan,KarlDach-Gruschow,SunNo,andYing-yiHong
partfour. manifestationsofculturalprocesses
8 CultureandSelf-Enhancement 139
Young-HoonKim
9 CulturalProcessesUnderlyingSubjectiveWell-Being 154
Young-HoonKimandWilliamTov
10 CulturalProcessesinTeams:TheDevelopmentofTeam
MentalModelsinHeterogeneousWorkTeams 172
JingQiu,Zhi-XueZhang,andLeighAnneLiu
11 Harmony,IllusoryRelationshipCosts,andConflict
ResolutioninChineseContexts 188
Zhi-XueZhang,YanZhang,andMinWang
partfive. transculturalprocesses
12 BiculturalIdentityNegotiation 213
SunNo,ChingWan,MelodyManchiChao,JenniferL.Rosner,
andYing-yiHong
13 MulticulturalExperiencesandInterculturalCommunication 242
AngelaK.-y.LeungandChi-yueChiu
14 MulticulturalExperienceFostersCreative
ConceptualExpansi on 263
AngelaK.-y.Leung,JingChen,andChi-yueChiu
15 WorkforceDiversityandCreativity:AMultilevelAnalysis 286
JianHan,SiqingPeng,Chi-yueChiu,andAngelaK.-y.Leung
Index 313
figures and tables
figures
1.1 Cultureprovidesanswerstofundamentalquestionsinlife. page5
1.2 PayoffmatrixinaPrisoner’sDilemmagame. 6
1.3 Psychologicalfunctionsofculture. 8
12.1 Biculturalidentitynegotiationprocesses. 215
tables
1.1 Typesofculturalelements. 10
1.2 Contributionsofsixjobcategoriestosociety. 17
11.1 Downstreamrelationshipconsequencesofconflict
avoidance. 199
11.2 MeanandSDvaluesofratingsonthePerceivedRelationship
Costsitemsinthetwoperspectiveconditions. 201

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