PSYC A190H: Cross-Cultural Psychology Honors

Course Outline of Record
Item	Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	02/26/2025
Top Code	200100 - Psychology, General
Units	3 Total Units
Hours	54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours	0
Course Credit Status	Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee	No
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	No
Open Entry/Open Exit	No
Grading Policy	Standard Letter (S)
Associate Arts Local General Education (GE)	Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences 4C Behavioral Science (OD3)
Associate Science Local General Education (GE)	Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences (OSD)
California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)	Cal-GETC 4 Social & Behavioral Sciences (4) Cal-GETC 4I Psychology (4I)
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)	IGETC 4 Social&Behavioral Sci (4) IGETC 4I Psychology (4I)
California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth)	CSU D9 Psychology (D9)

Course Description

This course is an introduction to essential theories and research in cross-cultural psychology. The course will explore how culture influences human behavior and psychological processes including cognition, lifespan development, emotion, language, personality, mental health, self concept, and social behavior. Topics include identity development, worldview, stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, enculturation, acculturation, cultural competence, and mental health, with particular emphasis placed on the influence of race, ethnicity, sex, gender, disability, socioeconomic status, nationality, sexual orientation, and religion. Examination of these topics will prepare students to more fully engage in an increasingly diverse society where cross-cultural contact is a routine occurrence. Enrollment Limitation: PSYC A190; students who complete PSYC A190H may not enroll in or receive credit for PSYC A190. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

Identify major theories in multicultural and cross cultural psychology and apply knowledge of those theories to explain interactions among diverse groups.
Identify and/ or explain the significance of culture in psychological processes.
Identify the various types of research methods used in multicultural and cross cultural psychology and evaluate scientific literature relative to culture.

Course Objectives

1. Evaluate the various ways that the term culture has been defined.
2. Distinguish between the objective and subjective elements of culture.
3. Assess the importance of culture in better explaining psychological processes.
4. Distinguish among the various methods of conducting multicultural and cross-cultural research.
5. Distinguish between individual and cultural levels of analysis in cross-cultural research.
6. Identify the potential sources of bias when conducting and interpreting cross-cultural research.
7. Examine the various elements that contribute to enculturation.
8. Analyze how culture affects developmental processes such as temperament, attachment, cognitive development, and moral reasoning.
9. Analyze how culture influences cognitive processes such as perception, thought processes, and consciousness.
10. Evaluate how culture affects the definition, understanding, and measurement of intelligence.
11. Compare gender roles and gender stereotypes across cultures.
12. Identify variations in verbal and nonverbal communication patterns across cultures.
13. Examine how personality attributes, such as the Big Five and locus of control, are affected by culture.
14. Examine variations in the prominence of psychological disorders across cultures, differences in mental health among ethnic minorities, migrants, and refugees, and differences in attitudes towards and utilization of mental health services.
15. Evaluate the influence of culture on the development of self-concept.
16. Analyze how culture influences the development of attributional styles.
17. Describe the influence that culture has on our perceptions of others.
18. Describe the influence that culture has on mate selection, love, sexual behavior, and marriage.
19. Define ingroups, outgroups, stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination, and apply them appropriately to descriptions of cross-cultural situations.
20. Examine the process of acculturation and evaluate the impact it has on an individual's perception of the home and host cultures.
21. Assess how variations in culture and cultural values (e.g., power distance, individualism-collectivism, and long versus short-term orientation) affect work environments.
22. Consider how one's unique cultural background has contributed to current life circumstances.

Lecture Content

A. Culture and Psychology 1. The Cultural Perspective of Psychology 2. Defining Culture 3. The Objective and Subjective Contents of Culture 4. The Influence of Culture on Human Behaviors and Mental Processes B. Cross-Cultural Research Methods 1. Types of Cross-Cultural Research 2. Types of Cross-Cultural Comparisons 3. Designing Cross-Cultural Comparative Research 4. Bias and Equivalence C. Enculturation 1. Enculturation and Socialization 2. Culture Parenting and Familieis 3. Culture and Peers 4. Culture and Education D. Culture and Developmental Processes 1. Culture and Temperament 2. Culture and Attachment 3. Cognitive Development 4. Moral Reasoning E. Culture and Cognition 1. Culture and Attention 2. Culture Sensation and Perception 3. Culture and Thought Processes 4. Culture and Consciousness 5. Culture and Intelligence F. Culture and Gender 1. Sex and Gender 2. Gender DIfferences Across Cultures 3. Culture Gender Roles and Stereotypes 4. Modification of Gender Roles G. Culture and Health 1. Cultural Differences in the Definition of Health 2. Differences in Health 3. Genetic Psychosocial and Sociocultural Influences on Physical Health and Disease 4. Differences in Health Care and Treatment H. Culture and Emotion 1. The Evolution of Human Emotion 2. The Biological Bases of Basic Emotions 3. Cultural Regulation of Basic Emotions 4. Cultural Construction of Concepts Attitudes Values and Beliefs about Emotion I. Culture Language and Communication 1. Cultural Influences on Verbal Langa uge 2. Cultural Influences on Nonverbal Communication 3. Intracultural and Intercultural Communication 4. Bilingualism Multilingualism and Culture J. Culture and Personality 1. Defining and Measuring Personality across Cultures 2. Cross-Cultural Research on Personality Traits 3. Integrating Universal and Culture-Specific Understanding of Personality K. Culture and Psychological Disorders 1. Culture and the Categorization and Assessment of Psychological Disorders 2. Cross-Cultural Research on Psychological Disorders 3. Culture-Bound Syndromes 4. Mental Health of Ethnic Minorities Migrants and Refugees L. Culture and Psychotherapy as Treatment for Psychological Disorders 1. Culture and Psychotherapy 2. Receiving Treatment and Barriers to Treatment 3. Culture and Clinical Training M. Culture Self and Identity 1. Culutre and Self 2. Culture Self-Esteem and Self-Enhancement 3. Culture and Identity 4. Culture and Attributions N. Culture and Social Behavior 1. Culture and Person Perception 2. Love Sex and Marriage Across Cultures 3. Culture Conformity Compliance and Obedience 4. Culture and Intergroup Relations 5. Acculutration O. Culture and Organizations 1. Cultural Differences in Work-Related Values 2. Organizational Culture and Climate 3. Culture and Attitudes about Work 4. Culture Motivation and Productivity 5. Culture Leadership and Management Styles 6. Culture and Negotiation

Method(s) of Instruction

Lecture (02)
DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
DE Online Lecture (02X)

Instructional Techniques

Lecture Large group discussion Small group discussion In0class demonstration

Reading Assignments

Students will spend 2-4 hours per week engaged in reading activities that include textbook chapters, contemporary research articles, and supplementary texts that will be assigned throughout the semester.

Writing Assignments

Students will spend 2-4 hours per week engaged in written self-reflection exercises, summaries of in-vivo observations, and review of cross-cultural research articles.

Out-of-class Assignments

Students will spend 2-4 hours per week engaged in self-reflection exercises, observations of in-vivo interactions, and literature searches on class discussion topics.

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

A. In-class quizzes B. Written assignments C. Exams D. Self-reflection exercises

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

A. Written outcomes of self-reflection exercises B. Essay questions on exams C. Review of multicultural or cross-cultural research research articles

Eligible Disciplines

Psychology: Master's degree in psychology OR bachelor's degree in psychology AND master's degree in counseling, sociology, statistics, neuroscience, or social work OR the equivalent. Master's degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Matsumoto, D., Juang, L.. Culture and Psychology, 7 ed. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, 2023

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