201800005A7.5 ECTSEnglishBachelor
Comparing cultures: Theory and research (paid version for the professional)
Faculteit—
NiveauBachelor
Studiejaar2026-2027
Beschrijving
Course goals
- Identify and understand key questions in cross-cultural psychology.
- Formulate plausible explanations for cultural variations in, for example, behavior, cognition, and emotion.
- Critically evaluate the quality of cultural comparative research.
- Present and integrate findings from cross-cultural psychological research in a clear and coherent way.
The goals of the course are reflected in the examinations. The exam contains questions about cross-cultural comparisons, the causes, meanings, and (practical) consequences of cultural differences and similarities. The students present an empirical paper, and critically comment upon a research presented by their peers. Finally, students write a paper in which they critically discuss empirical research addressing a cross-cultural psychological research question.
Content
Cross-cultural psychology examines what is basic about human nature and what emerges as different depending on people’s cultures. It critically evaluates the generality of knowledge from mainstream psychology and covers a wide range of topics. This course provides a thorough introduction to cross-cultural psychology by focussing on three central overlapping aspects within the discipline. First, we will explore basic epistemological and methodological questions. For instance, we will ask whether people from different cultures can be meaningfully compared, how such comparisons should be carried out, and how culture can be operationalized. From the student, this requires a basic knowledge of methodology and statistics. Second, we will consider several explanations for understanding (the impact of) cultural differences and evaluate the cross-cultural validity of mainstream psychology theories. In doing so, we will address a variety of topics, including child-rearing, self-perception, personality, and moral reasoning. Finally, we will study contacts between members of different cultures.
Academic skills
Academic skills
• Acquiring knowledge and insight
• Developing critical judgment
• Communicative skills (written and oral)
• Developing critical judgment
• Communicative skills (written and oral)
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