Deck 1: Introduction

Question 1

Berry, Poortinga, & Pandey (1997) provided the following definition for one of the concepts central to this class, "the systematic study of relationships between the cultural context of human development and the behaviors that become established in the repertoire of individuals growing up in a particular culture." This defines

A) developmental sociology
B) cross-cultural psychology
C) human development
D) cultural anthropology

Answer 1

cross-cultural psychology

Question 2

The authors of the text argue that cross-cultural psychology would greatly benefit if many different types of social scientists collaborated to develop theories and conduct research. Which of the following social science fields is most relevant to cross-cultural psychology?

A) social work
B) political science
C) anthropology
D) biology

Answer 2

anthropology

Question 3

E.B. Tylor, who was the first anthropologist to define the term "culture," referred to it as

A) the values and beliefs societies pass down from one generation to the next.
B) that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, laws, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.
C) the shared beliefs and customs that members of a given society view as important in sustaining identity.
D) the totality of societal norms derived from historical and social customs and beliefs.

Answer 3

that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, laws, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.

Question 4

In a comprehensive overview of cross-cultural psychology, Berry, Poortinga, Segall, and Dasen (2002) identified three goals for the field. The first involves

A) testing or extending the generalizability of existing theories and findings.
B) analyzing the literature and summarizing the conclusions.
C) discussing the limitations of current research findings.
D) identifying the major confounds in cross-cultural theory.

Question 5

Which of the following involves studying behaviors of multiple cultures from outside the system, and compares/contrasts features using criteria thought to be absolute or universal?

A) emic approach
B) etic approach
C) homogeneous approach
D) none of the above

Question 6

Brian, Michael, and Jennifer, as part of their senior thesis, are conducting a cross-cultural study of rites of passage among young Native American adults. They have already met the first two goals of the cross-cultural research method as outlined in the text. They are about to embark on the third goal of cross-cultural research, which is

A) comparing culture-specific behaviors.
B) generalizing comparative research findings.
C) combining research findings from one cross-cultural study with those of related studies conducted in other cultures.
D) integrating findings in such a way as to generate a more universal psychology applicable to a wider range of cultural settings and societies.

Question 7

One of the many goals of the Human Genome Project was to

A) clarify legal issues related to genetic manipulation in humans.
B) explain cultural influences on genotypes.
C) change randomly occurring genetic mutations in a deliberate scientific effort.
D) map the DNA sequence included in the human organism.

Question 8

According to Gardiner, one of the benefits of conducting cross-cultural research that cannot be overlooked is the notion that

A) cross-cultural researchers can gather regularly at international meetings to discuss the latest research findings.
B) the number of independent and dependent variables to be investigated can be greatly increased in a cross-cultural design.
C) cross-cultural research findings can be used to generalize across cultures.
D) countries participating in cross-cultural research can become increasingly interdependent.

Question 9

Hasari is conducting a cross-cultural project looking at the frequency with which preschool children share toys and how sharing is related to parental involvement during play. In this study, the independent variable is

A) parental involvement.
B) sharing of toys.
C) number of toys shared.
D) none of these

Question 10

In Hasari's study, the dependent variable is

A) parental involvement.
B) the type of toys shared.
C) sharing of toys.
D) none of these.

Question 11

Azuma (2005) asserts that "traditional culture" no longer exists. Rather, he introduces a new concept that considers the interaction and influential forces that occur between cultures. He refers to this type of culture-one that goes beyond nationality, geography, class, and ethnicity-as:

A) ethnocentrism.
B) functional culture.
C) globalization.
D) pop culture.

Question 12

An important consideration for anyone doing cross-cultural research in human development is ethnocentrism. The authors define this anthropological term as

A) the belief that ethnicity is the most important cultural variable.
B) the belief that tribal social structure is basic to all humanity.
C) the belief that one's culture is superior to others.
D) the belief that one's ethnic group has historical land rights.

Question 13

In Super and Harkness's developmental niche, the unit of analysis is the

A) family within its cultural setting.
B) culture.
C) tribe or micro-culture.
D) individual, often the child, within his or her cultural setting.

Question 14

One culture-specific practice that researchers have found to affect the degree to which a person is considered to be dependent or independent is

A) who is included in the child's play group.
B) where infants sleep after they are born.
C) the overall size of the child's extended family.
D) The type of punishment administered to the child.

Question 15

Hana and Ahmed are studying for their final exam in cross-cultural human development.Hana correctly describes Bronfenbrenner's ecological model to Ahmed as

A) a framework for understanding how various aspects of a culture guide the developmental process by focusing on the child as the unit of analysis within his sociocultural setting or context.
B) a model for integrating various levels of interaction between culture and the individual.
C) a theoretical foundation for appreciating how historical and cultural factors influence human development across the lifespan.
D) a paradigm for illustrating how a child and her environment interact with genetic predisposition.

Question 16

Marcus comes to you for help. He needs to give an oral presentation in class on the developmental niche concept. He plans to discuss how the developmental niche can be used in cross-cultural human development research. Based on your understanding of Chapter 1, what would you tell Marcus to say? Be sure to include examples.

Question 17

As a developmental psychologist interested in studying the impact of culture on gender identity, explain how the lifespan perspective might be used to gather data. Give examples.

Question 18

Think of a profession apart from academia, e.g. in the business world, professional sports, or a service industry. Consider how your increased knowledge and understanding ofcross-cultural human development could be an asset to you on the job. Give at least one specific example of a practical application of this knowledge in your "chosen" profession.