Saylor.org

Back to Psychology

Questions? Consult the FAQs!

Search Q&A Center

Cultural Psychology

Purpose of Course  showclose

Course Information  showclose

Learning Outcomes  showclose

Course Requirements  showclose

• Unit 1
• Unit 2
• Unit 3
• Unit 4
• Unit 5
• Unit 6
• Unit 7
• Final Exam
• All Units

Unit Outline show close

Unit 1: The History and Theories of Cultural Psychology  

Our first unit explores the history and prevailing theories of cultural psychology.  This unit serves as an introduction to the way cultural psychology has developed as a topic of study.  As mentioned in the course introduction, the history of cultural psychology is somewhat limited, partly because many major psychological findings have traditionally been considered true for all individuals, regardless of cultural background.  In this unit, we review some of the ways this belief has been shown to be false.  We also investigate several current theories pertaining to how psychology can be understood in cultural terms.  While these theories are not all-encompassing, they make important contributions to the field.  As such, it will be important to keep these theories in mind as we progress through the different units.  

Unit 1 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 1 Learning Outcomes   show close


1.1 The History of Cultural Psychology  

• Lecture: iTunesU: London School of Economics and Political Science: Professor Michael Cole’s “Re-Searching the Potential of Cultural-Historical Psychology”

  Link: iTunesU: London School of Economics and Political Science: Professor Michael Cole’s “Re-Searching the Potential of Cultural-Historical Psychology” (iTunesU Audio)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link.  The website that opens will have a list of lectures from the London School of Economics and Political Science.  Be sure to locate the item with the title as listed above, “Re-searching the Potential of Cultural-Historical Psychology,” item number 20.  Place your mouse over the title, and a “play” button will appear. Please click this to start the lecture.  Listen to the entirety of this lecture, as it will introduce you to critical elements regarding the history of cultural psychology.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.1.1 The Nature vs. Nurture Debate: How Psychology Answered this Question  

• Lecture: Grand Rapids Community College: Professor Dr. Gregory Forbes’ “Nature or Nurture: How do Genes, Environment, and Free Will Affect Human Behavior?”

  Link: YouTube: Grand Rapids Community College: Professor Dr. Gregory Forbes’ “Nature or Nurture: How do Genes, Environment, and Free Will Affect Human Behavior? (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Please listen to the entirety of this lecture, as it will introduce you to salient information regarding the nature versus nurture debate, a major underlying concept in many of the theories of psychology.  The perspective taken in this debate is often determined by cultural background and belief systems.  
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.1.2 The 20th Century: Replacing Ethnocentrism with Appreciation  

• Reading: Human Communication: A Journal of the Pacific and Asian Communication Association: Dong, Day, and Collaço’s “Overcoming Ethnocentrism through Developing Intercultural Communication Sensitivity and Multiculturalism”

  Link: Human Communication: A Journal of the Pacific and Asian Communication Association: Dong, Day, and Collaço’s “Overcoming Ethnocentrism through Developing Intercultural Communication Sensitivity and Multiculturalism” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: To locate the article, please click the above link.  Once on the organization and journal homepage, please select “Human Communication,” locate the journal year and issue number, “2008, 11(1),” and select primary author “Dong.”  Please read the introduction and literature review sections.  These parts of the article will cover the definition of ethnocentrism and the notion of appreciating other cultures through intercultural communication.  You do NOT need to read the method, results, and conclusion; however, you may choose to do so. 
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.1.3 The Influence of Anthropology and Sociology  

• Reading: DifferenceBetween.net’s “Anthropology vs Sociology”

  Link: DifferenceBetween.net’s “Anthropology vs Sociology” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Review the definitions, history, and focus of anthropology and sociology.  This will introduce you to the concepts and help you compare and contrast in order to distinguish them from one another and see the value in both of them.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.1.4 Social Psychology and the Study of Culture  

• Lecture: iTunesU: Harrisburg Area Community College: Professor David Bailey’s “Social Psychology”

  Link: iTunesU: Harrisburg Area Community College: Professor David Bailey’s “Social Psychology” (iTunesU Audio)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link.  The website that opens will have a list of lectures from the Harrisburg Area Community College.  Be sure to locate the item with the title as listed above, “Social Psychology,” item number 19.  Place your mouse over the title and a “play” button will appear.  Please click this to start the lecture.  Please listen to the presented audio related to how culture and society can affect an individual person’s thoughts, perceptions, and feelings.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.1.5 Current Topics in Cultural Psychology Discussions  

• Reading: San Francisco State University: David Matsumoto’s “Cross-Cultural Psychology in the 21st Century”

  Link: San Francisco State University: David Matsumoto’s “Cross-Cultural Psychology in the 21st Century” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the entire document in order to gain insight regarding the current research and practice issues in the field of cultural psychology, as well as the anticipated future directions of the field.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.1.6 Integration of Culture and Psychology  

• Reading: Bridging Multiple World’s Alliance: Catherine R. Cooper and Jill Denner’s “Theories Linking Culture and Psychology: Universal and Community-specific Processes”

  Link: Bridging Multiple World’s Alliance: Catherine R. Cooper and Jill Denner’s “Theories Linking Culture and Psychology: Universal and Community-specific Processes” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please read pages 1–14.  Often psychological theories are based on the notion that nations are culturally homogenous, and this document helps look at the integration of culturally heterogeneous ideals in psychology. To locate the article, please click the above link.  Once on the homepage, please select “Selected Publications” from the left sidebar.  Then please click the corresponding article with the title as listed above.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.1.7 Shared Elements: Shared Practices and Shared Meanings  

1.1.8 Evolution and Culture  

• Web Media: The Long Now Foundation: Paul Ehrlich’s The Dominant Animal: Cultural Evolution

  Link: The Long Now Foundation: Paul Ehrlich’s The Dominant Animal: Cultural Evolution (Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: Please navigate to the website provided.  Once there, select Chapter 4, with the above title, and watch the brief video regarding the evolution of culture over time.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.1.9 The Eco-cultural Approach: An Inability to Separate Person and Environment  

• Reading: Online Readings in Psychology and Culture: Gisela Trommsdorff’s “An Eco-Cultural and Interpersonal Relations Approach to Development Over the Lifespan”

  Link: Online Readings in Psychology and Culture: Gisela Trommsdorff’s “An Eco-Cultural and Interpersonal Relations Approach to Development Over the Lifespan” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please read this article and note the interpersonal aspects as they relate to the intersection between people and their environment and how it contributes to their perspective on self and the world.  Pay particular attention to the section entitled, “Development in Culture: A Life Span and Interpersonal Relations Approach.”
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.1.10 Distinction Between Cultural Psychology and Sociology and Anthropology  

• Reading: Pub Med Central: I. M. Rosenstock’s “Cultural Anthropology, Social Psychology, and Sociology in Public Health”

  Link: Pub Med Central: I. M. Rosenstock’s “Cultural Anthropology, Social Psychology, and Sociology in Public Health” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: This document reviews some of the particular differences and overlaps between these closely related disciplines.  Please review it to help you differentiate between these closely associated items.  Identify the areas of overlap and the areas of differentiation.  Use the page number tabs to view each page of the article (pp. 1820-1827), or choose the PDF link on the page to download the full PDF.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.1.11 Sociobiology: How Society Can Affect Biology  

• Reading: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s “Sociobiology”

  Link: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s “Sociobiology” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the information regarding sociobiology, a synthesis of sociology and biology and a review of how certain cultures survive in their environments, a term coined byE. O. Wilson's Sociobiology: The New Synthesis (1975).  You may also choose to read this original work for your reference by navigating to the PDF of the same name, although not required for the course.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.2 Functions of Culture  

• Reading: Preserve Article: Ajay Bhatt’s “What Are the Important Functions of Culture?”

  Link: Preserve Article: Ajay Bhatt’s “What Are the Important Functions of Culture?” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review this document to learn the various reasons why culture is important and how it shapes us to view the world in a similar way to a collective group of people while at the same time aligning with individual belief systems.  Note that this reading covers the material you need to know for subunits 1.2.1–1.2.4.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.2.1 The Adjustment Function  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath unit 1.2.  Focus specifically on how culture plays a role regarding social adjustment. 

1.2.2 Ego-Defense  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath unit 1.2.  Focus specifically on how culture keeps our ego intact and may contribute to the shaping of our personalities.   

1.2.3 The Pleasure Function and Value Expressive  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath unit 1.2.  Focus specifically on how culture helps us to create interpretations and perspectives based on our value systems. 

1.2.5 Culture and Personality  

• Web Media: YouTube: Humintell: Dr. David Matsumoto: “Culture and Personality”

  Link: YouTube: Humintell: Dr. David Matsumoto: “Culture and Personality” (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Please watch this brief presentation, which discuss how one’s culture may influence one’s personality, as well as those instances in which a culture cannot account for the individual differences seen in various personalities.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.3 Prevailing Theories of Cultural Psychology  

1.3.1 Cultural Psychology and Ethnocentrism  

• Lecture: iTunesU: Utah Valley University: Dr. Joylin Namie’s “Socio-Cultural Anthropology: Episode 3 – Through our eyes only: Ethnocentrism, Cultural Relativism, and Naïve Reaslim”

  Link: iTunesU: Utah Valley University: Dr. Joylin Namie’s “Socio-Cultural Anthropology: Episode 3 – Through our eyes only: Ethnocentrism, Cultural Relativism, and Naïve Reaslim” (iTunesU Video)
   
  Instructions: This lecture covers specific information related to ethnocentrism, along with information that is imperative for a complete understanding of cultural psychology.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.3.2 Indigenous Theories of Psychology  

• Reading: Pastoral Psychology: Paul Yang and Francis G. Yu’s “Indigenous and Cultural Psychology: Understanding People in Context”

  Link: Pastoral Psychology: Paul Yang and Francis G. Yu’s “Indigenous and Cultural Psychology: Understanding People in Context” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please select “here” after number 4 to bring up the required text, which highlights indigenous psychology theories, to broaden your understanding of people within their cultural context.  
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.3.3 Culture Mixes: Interconnected and Mixing Cultures  

• Web Media: Vimeo: Multiracial Identity’s Documentary, “Multiracial Identity”

  Link: Vimeo: Multiracial Identity’s Documentary, “Multiracial Identity” (Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: Please watch this brief video to learn how race mixing/ multiracism and culture mixing/multiculturalism have significant social, religious, and personal implications, in the past and present, because of the change they represent to the status quo.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.3.4 Evolutionary Framework of Culture  

• Reading: Evolutionary Psychology: California State University, Long Beach: Kevin MacDonald’s “Evolution, Psychology, and a Conflict Theory of Culture”

  Link: Evolutionary Psychology: California State University, Long Beach: Kevin MacDonald’s “Evolution, Psychology, and a Conflict Theory of Culture”(PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please navigate to the homepage for the journal of Evolutionary Psychology.  In the search box, type in keywords “conflict theory.”  The first search result will indicate the above-mentioned article.  Please click the title to retrieve article.  Please read the article in its entirety to learn about the psychological mechanisms that inform culture, including how we regulate and motivate ourselves as humans.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.3.5 Separating Understanding and Judging  

• Reading: Diversity Training Today: Deborah Swallow’s “Understanding Cultural Differences”

  Link: Diversity Training Today: Deborah Swallow’s “Understanding Cultural Differences” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review the webpage in its entirety to gather knowledge related to communicating across cultures.  The concepts posed are those of awareness and acceptance of differences in order to diffuse judgments that may arise based on a lack of information about another culture leading to stereotypes and other maladaptive culture communications and interactions.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

1.3.6 Investigating Cultural-Historical Change  

• Reading: University of Central Missouri: Dorothy Robbins’ “What Is Vygotskian Cultural-Historical Theory?”

  Link: University of Central Missouri: Dorothy Robbins’ “What Is Vygotskian Cultural-Historical Theory?” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Follow the link and locate the above named article to access the PDF.  Please read this document in its entirety to learn about cultural-historical theory as posed by Vygotsky, including its definition, framework, goals, and utility.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 2: Cognition  

This unit focuses on how culture influences cognition (our thought processes).  While many of the processes of cognition are thought to be the same for all humans, there is some evidence that our experience with the environment can shape some of the ways we use cognition.  Each culture creates a certain set of expectations that we use to interpret and understand the stimuli with which we constantly deal.  Think, for example, about television.  We understand that the people on television are somewhere else and are broadcasted to our TV because we live in a culture in which most individuals use TV in their daily lives.  However, if your culture had never seen or used a TV before, you might not know what to think when seeing someone on a television.  While this example is somewhat simplistic, it relays one of the major messages of this unit: Our cognitive processes are, in fact, dependent on our cultural environment.  This unit also investigates the ways in which cognitive processes (like the perception of time and consciousness) can be affected by culture.

Unit 2 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 2 Learning Outcomes   show close


2.1 Sensation and Perception  

• Lecture: iTunesU: David Bailey’s “Sensation and Perception: Part #1” and “Sensation and Perception: Part #2”

  Links iTunesU: David Bailey’s “Sensation and Perception: Part #1” (iTunesU Audio) and  “Sensation and Perception: Part #2” (iTunesU Audio)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link.  The website that opens will have a list of lectures from the Harrisburg Area Community College.  Be sure to locate the item with the title as listed above, “Sensation and Perception Part 1,” item number 12, and “Sensation and Perception Part 2,” item number 13.  Place your mouse over the title and a “play” button will appear.  Please click this to start each lecture.  Please listen to Part 1 to learn about the concept of sensation and Part 2 to learn about the notion of perception.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.1.1 The Perceptual Set  

• Reading: Simply Psychology: Saul Mcleod’s “Perceptual Set”

  Link: Simply Psychology: Saul Mcleod’s  “Perceptual Set” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the overview of what defines a perceptual set and how this limited focus can come from or impact our cultural understanding.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.1.2 Factors Influencing Perception: Physical, Environmental, Genetic, Socialization, and Acculturation  

• Reading: National Institute of Open Schooling: “Biological and Cultural Shaping of Mind and Behaviour”

  Link: National Institute of Open Schooling: “Biological and Cultural Shaping of Mind and Behaviour” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please type the full name of the document, “Biological and Cultural Shaping of Mind and Behavior,” into the search engine that is located on the top right-hand side of the website. The search will return the document as the first option. Please click the title, and utilize the document as a window into both the internal and external factors that influence how we see and interact with the world.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.1.3 Illusion Susceptibility  

• Reading: Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Social Perception: Marshall H. Segall, Donald T. Campbell, and Melville J. Herskovit’s “The Influence of Culture on Visual Perception”

  Link: Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Social Perception: Marshall H. Segall, Donald T. Campbell, and Melville J. Herskovit’s “The Influence of Culture on Visual Perception” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: When clicking the provided link, a list of articles will appear. Please click the link entitled, “socialperception14.pdf” and the article will open.  Please read this brief article, which discusses illusion susceptibility and the impact that culture plays in the notion of how we perceive things with our sense of sight. 
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.1.4 The Learned Tendency Hypothesis  

2.1.5 The Use of Color Terms Across Cultures  

• Reading: American Psychological Association: Rachel Adelson’s “Hues and Views”

  Link: American Psychological Association: Rachel Adelson’s “Hues and Views” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This article reveals the impact of language on the use of color terminology across cultures.  Please read it in its entirety and reflect on your own use of color terms in your own life, including your tendency to become more specific in the denotation of shades or generalize in color genres.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
   

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.2 Time Appraisal  

2.2.1 Monochronic Time  

• Reading: Iowa State University: Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching: “Cultural Differences”

  Link: Iowa State University: Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching: “Cultural Differences” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the document regarding differences in time orientation, communication stylistics, and societal expectations and values amongst cultures.  Note that this reading will cover the material you need to know for subunits 2.2.2–2.2.5 and 2.2.7–2.2.8.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.2.2 Linear and Clock Driven Systems  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.2.1 Focus specifically on the consideration of monochronic or polychronic cultures and if either appears to utilize and follow a linear time system. 

2.2.3 A Closed System of Time  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.2.1 Focus specifically on if time is seen as fluid or closed in monochronic and polychronic systems. 

2.2.4 Individualistic Cultures: Appointment and Schedule Oriented  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.2.1 Focus specifically on if time if followed in a regimented way or if it is more dynamic in both monochronic and polychronic cultures.  

2.2.5 Polychronic Time  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.2.1 Focus specifically on the differences between monochronic and polychronic cultural communities.  

2.2.6 Cyclical and Nature Driven System  

• Web Media: YouTube: Cross Culture Communication: David Solomons’ “Cross Cultural Communication on the Culture of Time”

  Link: YouTube: Cross Culture Communication: David Solomons’ “Cross Cultural Communication on the Culture of Time” (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Please click the above link to access the video.  This video discusses how time is viewed in various cultures, as well as some of the perceptions and implications of these differences. Please watch the video in its entirety. Note that this web media covers the material you need to know subunits 2.2.7–2.2.8.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.2.7 Collectivist Cultures: People Oriented  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.2.1 and the web media in subunit 2.2.6.  Both of these resources cover information regarding collectivist and individualist cultures, including the differences between them, particularly as they relate to time and social interactions. 

2.2.8 Interactions Between Monochronic and Polychronic Time Systems  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.2.1 and the web media in subunit 2.2.6.  Both of these resources provide information regarding the monochronic and polychronic time systems, including their primary traits and the core differences amongst them. 

2.3 States of Consciousness: Dreams  

2.3.1 Cultural Perspectives of Dreams  

• Reading: International Institute for Dream Research: Waud H. Kracke’s “Cultural Aspects of Dreaming”

  Link: International Institute for Dream Research: Waud H. Kracke’s “Cultural Aspects of Dreaming” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please navigate to the provided web resource.  Select “cultural.pdf” in order to retrieve the document.  This document will review cultural differences in dreams, cultural beliefs regarding dreams, and social embeddedness.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.3.2 Material Societies: Monophasic  

• Reading: Sleep For All’s “Sleep Patterns: Polyphasic, Biphasic, and Monophasic”

  Link: Sleep For All’s “Sleep Patterns: Polyphasic, Biphasic, and Monophasic” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the section on “Types of Sleep Patterns” for information on polyphasic, biphasic, and monophasic sleep and awake patterns.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.3.3 Activation Synthesis Theory  

• Reading: About.com: Kendra Cherry’s “What Is the Activation-Synthesis Model of Dreaming?”

  Link: About.com: Kendra Cherry’s  “What Is the Activation-Synthesis Model of Dreaming?” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review McCarley’s and Hobson’s theory as it relates to the physiological aspects of dreams.  Based on this theory of physiological responsiveness to dreams, consider the meaning that this might have for persons who come from different cultures with different psychological definitions attached to the experience of dreaming.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.3.4 Spiritual Societies: Polyphasic  

• Web Media: YouTube: Dr. Claudio Stampi’s “Polyphasic Sleep Study”

  Link: YouTube: Dr. Claudio Stampi’s “Polyphasic Sleep Study” (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Please watch this video regarding the changing of circadian rhythms in efforts to follow a polyphasic sleep pattern and learn of the rationales for doing so for some individuals and societies.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.3.5 Different Meanings for Dreams Across Cultures: Christian, Native American, Chilean, Australian Aborigines, African Tribes  

• Reading: University of California, Santa Cruz: G. William Domhoff’s “Cross-Cultural Studies of Dream Content”

  Link: University of California, Santa Cruz: G. William Domhoff’s “Cross-Cultural Studies of Dream Content” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read this document in its entirety as it presents a very detailed case review of how dream content may differ from one culture to another.  This author looks at several countries, including Canada, Switzerland, India, the Netherlands, and Japan.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.4 States of Consciousness: Trance and Meditation  

2.4.1 What is a Trance?  

• Reading: Psychology 4 All: V. George Mathew’s “Psychology of Consciousness”

  Link: Psychology 4 All: V. George Mathew’s “Psychology of Consciousness” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review the document, including all information regarding trance states, meditation, and other various manifestations of cultural rituals.  Note that this reading covers the material you need to know for subunits 2.4.2–2.4.3.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.4.2 Visionary vs. Possession  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.4.1.  Please focus on the contrast among religion, mysticism, and occultism. 

2.4.3 Inducing Trances: Music, Dance, Song, Drugs and Suggestion  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.4.1. Pay particular attention to the section entitled “Methods of Altering Consciousness.”

2.4.4 Meditation  

• Reading: House, Church, Network Association’s “What’s the Difference between Prayer, Meditation, and Contemplation?”

  Link: House, Church, Network Association’s “What’s the Difference between Prayer, Meditation, and Contemplation?” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read this document in its entirety, paying particular attention to its discussion on the practice of meditation. Note that this reading will cover the material you need to know for subunit 2.4.5.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

2.4.5 Meditation vs. Prayer  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.4.4. Please review the differences between meditation and prayer as they are presented in this document in a compare and contrast format. 

2.4.6 Poloma Study: Number of Americans that Believe in Prayer  

• Reading: Sociology of Religion: Neal Krause and Linda M. Chatters’ “Exploring Race Differences in a Multidimensional Battery of Prayer Measures among Older Adults”

  Link: Sociology of Religion: Neal Krause and Linda M. Chatters’ “Exploring Race Differences in a Multidimensional Battery of Prayer Measures among Older Adults” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: In order to access this article, scroll down under the table of contents and locate the article as indicated above.  Click “full text PDF” to open the document. Please review the article in its entirety.  Please review this research study’s elements and pay particular attention to the results section.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
   

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 3: Intelligence  

Intelligence is a difficult concept to define, even within one culture.  In the West, the concept of “intelligence” started out as a general measure of knowledge and understanding, but it has come to mean everything from emotional acuity to academic potential and everything in between.  It has come to be thought of as essential to success.  However, this idea may not be shared by, or may be construed in a different manner within, other cultures.  The West has even developed tests (like IQ tests) that aim at measuring one’s intelligence.  However, because these tests are based on the Western idea of intelligence, they may fail to accurately measure intelligence in another culture. 

In this unit, we will review the different ways intelligence has been defined, both as part of Western psychology and across different cultures.  We will also ask how, by changing how we understand intelligence, we must change how we measure and quantify it.  

Unit 3 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 3 Learning Outcomes   show close


3.1 Models of Intelligence  

3.1.1 Spearman’s G-Factor: Verbal, Quantitative and Spatial  

• Reading: Bryn Mawr University’s “Understanding Intelligence”

  Link: Bryn Mawr University’s “Understanding Intelligence” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please navigate to the provided link and select author Xuan-Shi, Lim.  The listings provided are in alphabetical order.  Then click on the article title as shown above.  Please utilize this information to help you compare and contrast multiple intelligences as proposed by different well-known theorists.  Note that this reading covers the material you need to know for subunits 3.1.2–3.1.3.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.1.2 Can We Have Multiple Intelligences?  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.1.1.  Please focus on the concept of multiple intelligence as posed by Gardner and the different ways that people learn and retain information—there is no universal means of information processing

3.1.3 Sternberg’s Three Intelligences: Componential, Experiential, and Contextual  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.1.1. Please review Sternberg’s three intelligences that he posed in challenge to the psychometric approach to intelligence.

3.2 Measuring Intelligence  

3.2.1 The Traditional Tests: The Stanford-Binet Scale and Wechsler Scale  

• Reading: About.com: Kendra Cherry’s “History of Intelligence Testing: The History and Development of Modern IQ Testing”

  Link: About.com: Kendra Cherry’s “History of Intelligence Testing: The History and Development of Modern IQ Testing” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read about the two most widely known and utilized intelligence tests, including considerations of how they differ and the circumstances in which each one would be most applicable.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.2.2 Does Speed Equal Intelligence?  

• Reading: Wilderdom’s “Intelligence as Speed of Processing”

  Link: Wilderdom’s “Intelligence as Speed of Processing” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read this article regarding processing speed and speed of information retrieval in regard to measure of intelligence.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.2.3 Does Intelligence Change over Time?  

• Reading: University of Washington School of Medicine’s “The Seattle Longitudinal Study”

  Link: University of Washington School of Medicine’s “The Seattle Longitudinal Study” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the first point (number 1) in this document regarding changes to crystallized and fluid intelligence over the lifespan.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.2.4 Cultural Biases: Based on Dominant Culture  

• Reading: American Psychological Association: Etienne Benson’s “Intelligence across Cultures: Research in African, Asia, and Latin America Is Showing How Culture and Intelligence Interact”

  Link: American Psychological Association: Etienne Benson’s “Intelligence across Cultures: Research in African, Asia, and Latin America Is Showing How Culture and Intelligence Interact” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This document highlights the fundamental differences in ideas and learning that occur amongst various cultures.  Please read the document in its entirety to see how these differences are measured, particularly by Western-based intelligence tests.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.2.5 Possible Cultural Differences in Tests  

• Reading: University of California, San Diego’s “The Illusion of Culture- Free Intelligence Testing”

  Link: University of California, San Diego’s “The Illusion of Culture-Free Intelligence Testing” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read this document in its entirety to review how cultural factors can play a role in both verbal and nonverbal intelligence testing and the notion that we can never separate ourselves from our culture and history, regardless of how a test is constructed.          
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.3 Group Differences in Testing  

3.3.1 Biological and Genetic Factors: Twin and Adoption Studies of Intelligence  

• Reading: SparkNotes’ “The Influence of Heredity and Environment”

  Link: SparkNotes’ “The Influence of Heredity and Environment” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read this document in its entirety to learn about the nature versus nurture debate in regard to intelligence.  Twin studies are reviewed to show how environment may play a role that is not accounted for through genetic components.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.3.2 Environmental Factors: Resources  

• Web Media: YouTube: Yale University: Professor Paul Blooom’s “Why Are People So Different?”

  Link: YouTube: Yale University: Professor Paul Blooom’s “Why Are People So Different?” (YouTube)
   
  Also Available in:
  Adobe Flash, Mp3, or QuickTime
  iTunes
   
  Instructions: Please watch this lecture, as the instructor reviews the environmental factors that play a significant role in the shaping our of cognition and personalities traits. 
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.3.3 The Influence of Nutrition on IQ  

• Reading: Psych Central: Rick Nauert’s “Early Childhood Nutrition May Influence Adult IQ”

  Link: Psych Central: Rick Nauert’s “Early Childhood Nutrition May Influence Adult IQ” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review this document to learn how nutrition in early life may impact IQ, in some instances, regardless of the number of years of education.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.3.4 The Influence of Technology on IQ  

• Reading: CNN Health: Elizabeth Landau’s “Do Digital Diaries Mess Up Your Brain?”

  Link: CNN Health: Elizabeth Landau’s “Do Digital Diaries Mess Up Your Brain?” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read this article in regard to the potential for technology to impact humans’ ability to understand and retain information.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.3.5 Family Factors on IQ: SES, Parental Education, Birth Order, and Family Size  

• Reading: Centros de Estudios Monetario Y Financieros’ “Older and Wiser: Birth Order, Family Size, and IQ of Young Men”

  Link: Centros de Estudios Monetario Y Financieros’ “Older and Wiser: Birth Order, Family Size, and IQ of Young Men” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Follow the above link and then choose the above titled article by Paul Devereux.  Once open, please read the “Introduction” section as well as the “Conclusion.”  You may read other parts of the document as well if you like; however, this is not required. 
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.3.6 Nature vs. Nurture in IQ Testing: Snyderman & Rothman Experiment  

• Reading: eNotes: “The IQ Controversy, the Media and Public Policy”

  Link: eNotes: “The IQ Controversy, the Media and Public Policy” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link and read a synopsis of the experiment conducted by Snyderman and Rothman, including how the psychological community received their work.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.

  Submit Materials

3.4 Cultural Cognitive Styles  

• Reading: Brigham Young University-Hawaii: Lynne Hansen-Strain’s “Educational Implications of Group Differences in Cognitive Style: Evidence from Pacific Cultures”

  Link: Brigham Young University-Hawaii: Lynne Hansen-Strain’s “Educational Implications of Group Differences in Cognitive Style: Evidence from Pacific Cultures” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please navigate to the web page.  In the “Articles” section, scroll down to the provided title and then click on the “PDF” link in order to open the document.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.5 Reasoning  

• Reading: The University of British Columbia: Emma E. Buchtel and Ara Norenzayan’s “Which Should You Use, Intuition or Logic? Cultural Differences in Injunctive Norms about Reasoning”

  Link: The University of British Columbia: Emma E. Buchtel and Ara Norenzayan’s  “Which Should You Use, Intuition or Logic? Cultural Differences in Injunctive Norms about Reasoning” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please click the above link and then navigate to the titled  “BuchtelNorenzayanCulturalValuesReasoning.pdf.”  Be sure to read pages 2–7 and 14–19 in order to review content necessary for this unit; however, you may read the entire article if you wish.  Note that this reading covers the material you need to know for subunit 3.5.1.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed here.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

3.5.1 Types of Reasoning: Formal vs. Informal  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.5.  Please focus on formal reasoning, or logic, and informal reasoning, or intuition, to learn the material required for this subunit. 

3.5.2 Different Cultural Norms in Reasoning  

• Reading: University of Michigan’s Professor Richard E. Nisbett, University of Illinois’ Ara Norenzayan, University of Michigan’s Edward E. Smith, and Yonsei University’s Beom Jun Kim’s “Cultural Preferences for Formal Versus Intuitive Reasoning”

  Link: University of Michigan’s Professor Richard E. Nisbett, University of Illinois’ Ara Norenzayan, University of Michigan’s Edward E. Smith, and Yonsei University’s Beom Jun Kim’s  “Cultural Preferences for Formal Versus Intuitive Reasoning” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and select the article with the corresponding title as mentioned above and click “PDF of Final Manuscript” to open the article.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 4: Emotion  

There are a number of different theories that aim to explain why and how we have emotions because it is impossible to prove whether they are right and wrong.  Even something as seemingly straightforward as the definition of an emotion is a source of disagreement.  Emotion is a particularly interesting topic because of its intensely personal nature; what makes one person mad will not necessarily make another person mad.  That is, emotions are highly subjective—both on a personal level and in terms of cultural norms as well.  Certain emotions are more likely to be felt, or expressed, in certain cultures as a result of set of stimuli.  This leads us to the question of whether an individual’s culture plays a role in determining a person’s emotional response.  There are two theoretical models that aim to answer this question: one argues that emotions are culture-specific and the other claims that there are universal emotions.  You will learn about them both here, recognizing that the debate as to which is correct continues to this day.

Unit 4 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 4 Learning Outcomes   show close


4.1 Innate Emotions  

• Web Media: Walden University: Dr. Gordon Vessels’ “Emotion”

  Link: Walden University: Dr. Gordon Vessels’ “Emotion” (PowerPoint)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link and navigate to line item “Contemporary Issues in Psychology 6—Walden” and the corresponding PowerPoint presentation entitled “Emotion” and click “slide show” to download the file. You may also choose to gain additional background in this domain and review the lecture notes that accompanythis title by clicking “Yes” under the corresponding lecture link.  Please review the PowerPoint presentation regarding the development and measurement of emotional responses.  Note that this presentation covers the material you need to know for subunits 4.1.3–4.1.6.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

4.1.1 The Traditional Theory of Emotions  

• Reading: Psychological Review: Northwestern University’s Anthony Ortony and Terence J. Turner’s “What’s Basic about Basic Emotions?”

  Link: Psychological Review: Northwestern University’s Anthony Ortony and Terence J. Turner’s “What’s Basic about Basic Emotions?” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please click the above link.  Once the webpage opens, please navigate to “Downloadable Publications” and locate the article with the above title.  Please read the entire article to learn about the basic theory of emotions and their biological and psychological basis. Note that this reading covers the material you need to know for subunits 4.1.3–4.1.6.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

4.1.2 Six Innate Emotions: Happiness, Anger, Disgust, Sadness, Fear, and Surprise  

• Reading: Emotion, Evolution, and Rationality: City University of New York, Graduate Center: Jesse J. Prinz’s “Which Emotions Are Basic?

  Link: Emotion, Evolution, and Rationality: City University of New York, Graduate Center:Jesse J. Prinz’s “Which Emotions Are Basic?” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link.  Select “Research” from the left-hand side menu.  Under the “Emotion” category, select the corresponding title and click on it to retrieve the article. This article will review emotions as an innate evolutionary development and also as a socially constructed element—nature versus nurture.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above. 

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

4.1.3 Plutchik’s (2002) Eight Innate Emotions: Joy, Sadness, Acceptance, Disgust, Fear, Anger, Surprise and Anticipation  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1.1.  Please review Plutchik’s theories of the eight innate emotions as presented by the author. 

4.1.4 Plutchik Based his Model on Opposite Spectrums  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1.1.  Please review how Plutchik developed his model of emotional development. 

4.1.5 Evolutionary Base to Models  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1.1.  Please focus on the biological basis of emotions. 

4.1.6 Plutchik’s Emotion Pairs: The Creation of Feelings  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.1.1.  Please pay particular attention to the pairs of emotions that Plutchik discussed in his theory and how this creates the phenomenon of feelings. 

4.2 Theories of Emotion  

4.2.1 James-Lange Two-Stage Process  

• Reading: AllPsych Online’s “Emotion Theories”

  Link: AllPsych Online’s “Emotion Theories” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review the differing theories of emotion, and decide for yourself which you most identify with based on your own background, perception, and knowledge.  Please read and compare and contrast the different theories of emotion.  Note that this reading covers the material you need to know for subunits 4.2.2–4.2.4.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

4.2.2 Physiological Arousal Leads to Innate Emotions  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.2.1.  Please focus on how many of the theories rely on physiological arousal as the basis for inward and outward experiences of emotions. 

4.2.3 James-Lange: Emotions as Universal Processes  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.2.1.  Please pay particular attention to the James-Lange theory of emotions

4.2.4 Schacter & Singer’s Two-Factor Theory  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.2.1.  Please pay particular attention to Schacter and Singer’s theory of emotions.

4.3 The Case for Universal Emotions  

• Reading: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America: Disa A. Sautera, Frank Eisner, Paul Ekman, and Sophie K. Scott’s “Cross-Cultural Recognition of Basic Emotions through Nonverbal Emotional Vocalizations”

  Link: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America: Disa A. Sauter, Frank Eisner, Paul Ekman, and Sophie K. Scott’s  “Cross-Cultural Recognition of Basic Emotions through Nonverbal Emotional Vocalizations” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please read this article in its entirety to learn about the emotions that are not specific to any culture but are universal amongst all human beings, and the purpose of such.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

4.3.1 Evolutionary Theory  

• Reading: University of California, Santa Barbara: Center for Evolutionary Psychology: Leda Cosmides and John Tooby’s “Evolutionary Psychology and the Emotions”

  Link: University of California, Santa Barbara: Center for Evolutionary Psychology: Leda Cosmides and John Tooby’s “Evolutionary Psychology and the Emotions” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the section entitled, “An evolutionary psychological theory of the emotions” to learn about how evolutionary theory and psychology integrate to explain emotions.  Note that this reading covers the materials you need to know for subunit 4.3.2. 
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

4.3.2 Emotions as Signals: Decoding Emotions for Survival  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.3.1.  Please focus on the biological and physiological purpose and goal of emotional output.

4.3.3 Ekman Review: Distinguishing Emotional Facial Expressions from Different Cultures  

• Reading: DataFace: University of California-San Francisco: Joseph C. Hager and Paul Ekman’s “The Inner and Outer Meanings of Facial Expressions”

  Link: DataFace: University of California-San Francisco: Joseph C. Hager and Paul Ekman’s “The Inner and Outer Meanings of Facial Expressions” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the entire document to learn the purpose of facial expressions and the variance from one culture to another in terms of their purpose and appearance.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

4.4 The Case for Culture-Specific Emotions  

• Reading: Western Washington University: Center for Cross-Cultural Research: Jeanette Altarriba, Dana M. Basnight, and Tina M. Canary’s “Emotion Representation and Perception across Cultures”

  Link: Western Washington University: Center for Cross-Cultural Research: Jeanette Altarriba, Dana M. Basnight, and Tina M. Canary’s “Emotion Representation and Perception across Cultures” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the section of the document entitled, “The Processing of Facial Expressions across Cultures,” to learn about culture-specific emotions.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

4.4.1 Izard’s (1969, 1971) Cultural Studies  

• Reading: Boston College: James A. Russell’s “Is There Universal Recognition of Emotion from Facial Expression? A Review of the Cross-cultural Studies”

  Link: Boston College: James A. Russell’s “Is There Universal Recognition of Emotion from Facial Expression?  A Review of the Cross-cultural Studies” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please open the above link and use the left-hand sidebar to navigate to “Publications and Posters” and then click it.  Afterwards, please click “Publications.”  Once there, scroll down to locate author, Russell, J. A. (1994), and select the title as listed above.  Please read the entire document regarding cultural studies on the concept of universality as posed by Izard.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 5: Motivation and Behavior  

Human motivation has long been considered the result of evolutionary processes.  In other words, we tend to be motivated by things that help us survive (food, sex, water) and things that are associated with these essentials (money that can be used to buy food, and so on).  However, motivation is not quite so simple.  We now have a number of theories that attempt to accurately describe why certain states may motivate some people but not others.  This idea can be extrapolated at the level of culture and society as well.  For example, the state of hunger might cause us to be highly motivated by food.  However, hunger itself may be under strict cultural control.  In fact, most aspects of our eating habits are linked in some way to culture.  As such, motivators are also, in some way, linked to our culture.  This unit touches on the universal theories of motivation and examines how certain approaches to culture can better determine what will be a motivating factor versus what will not.

Unit 5 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 5 Learning Outcomes   show close


5.1 Theories of Motivation  

5.1.1 Social Darwinism and Natural Selection  

• Reading: Loyola Marymount University: Department of Psychology: L. C. Bernard, M. E. Mills, L. Swenson, and R. P. Walsh’s “An Evolutionary Theory of Human Motivation”

  Link: Loyola Marymount University: Department of Psychology: L. C. Bernard, M. E. Mills, L. Swenson, and R. P. Walsh’s “An Evolutionary Theory of Human Motivation” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please click on the provided link.  Scroll down to the “Recent publications” category of “Evolutionary Psychology” and select the corresponding title as noted above in order to retrieve the article.  Please read the article in its entirety to review the theory of evolution as it is linked to human motivation.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

5.1.2 Drive-Reduction Hypothesis  

• Reading: Instructional Design: Richard Culatta’s “Drive Reduction Theory (C. Hull)”

  Link: Instructional Design: Richard Culatta’s “Drive Reduction Theory (C. Hull)” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read this brief article regarding the drive-reduction hypothesis and its application.  Consider how this motivational theory may be perceived or implemented in cultures other than your own.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

5.1.3 Homeostasis as a Goal  

• Reading: Donette Steele’s “Motivation and Regulation”

  Link: Donette Steele’s “Motivation and Regulation” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read this document pertaining to how motivation plays a role in the maintenance of homeostasis, homeostatic drives, and theories.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

5.1.4 Physiological and Psychological Deprivation  

5.1.5 Psychoanalytic and Unconscious Desires  

• Web Media: YouTube: Laurenh39’s “Sigmund Freud: The Unconscious Mind (Short Version)”

  Link: YouTube: Laurenh39’s “Sigmund Freud: The Unconscious Mind (Short Version)” (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Please watch this video, which covers unconscious drive theory, instincts, and personality structures as proposed by Freudian theory, all of which are formed from Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

5.1.6 Instincts: Eros (Love) and Thanatos (Death)  

• Reading: Tony White’s “Eros and Thanatos”

  Link: Tony White’s “Eros and Thanatos” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: This link will take you to a magazine index.  Please locate and select the above title to open the intended article.  Please review this document to learn of Freud’s psychodynamic theory of opposites.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

5.1.7 Personality: ID, Ego, Superego  

• Reading: iTunes Podcast: Dr. Linton Hutchinson’s “The Id, Ego, and Superego”

  Link: iTunes Podcast: Dr. Linton Hutchinson’s “The Id, Ego, and Superego” (iTunesU Audio)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link.  The website that opens will have a list of lectures from Dr. Linton Hutchinson.  Be sure to locate the item with the title as listed above, “The Id, Ego, and Superego,” item number 6.  Place your mouse over the title and a “play” button will appear. Please click this to start the lecture.  Please listen to this entire podcast in order to learn about the basic personality constructs as posed by Sigmund Freud.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

5.1.8 Humanistic: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs  

• Web Media: YouTube: Psychetruth Target Public Media’s “Expanded Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Human Needs, Self-Actualization, Humanistic Psychology”

  Link: YouTube: Psychetruth Target Public Media’s “Expanded Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Human Needs, Self-Actualization, Humanistic Psychology” (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Please watch the corresponding video to learn about Maslow’s initial hierarchy theory and its most recently expanded elements.  Note that this web media also covers the material you need to know for subunit 5.1.9.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

5.1.9 Self-Actualization  

Note: This subunit is covered by the web media assigned beneath subunit 5.1.8.  Please pay particular attention to the notion of self-actualization in the video.

5.2 Sex Across Cultures  

• Web Media: iTunesU: Yale University: Professor Paul Bloom’s “What Motivates Us: Sex”

  Link:YouTube: Yale University: Professor Paul Bloom’s “What Motivates Us: Sex” (YouTube)
   
  Also available in:
  Adobe Flash, Mp3, or QuickTime
  iTunes
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link.  The website that opens will have a list of lectures from Open Yale Courses.  Be sure to locate the item with the title as listed above, “What Motivates Us: Sex,” item number 14. Place your mouse over the title and a “play” button will appear.  Please click this to start the lecture.  Please listen to this lecture to learn about sex as a means of human motivation, a critical part of human instinct, and how it appears across cultures.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

5.2.1 Basic Cultural Views on Sex  

• Reading: Psicothema: Silvia Ubillos, Darios Paez, and Jose Luis Gonzalez’s “Culture and Sexual Behavior”

  Link: Psicothema: Silvia Ubillos, Darios Paez, and Jose Luis Gonzalez’s “Culture and Sexual Behavior” (HTML or PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link.  Once there, please select the title of the article as denoted above.  Please read the article in its entirety to learn about some of the basic views on sex and sexuality in the 25 countries that are studied by the researchers, including sexual permissiveness, sexual frequency, and extramarital affairs, and the factors in each culture that may impact each of these notions.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

5.3 Sex Similarities and Differences Across Cultures  

• Reading: University of Hawaii: Elaine Hatfield’s “Passionate Love and Sexual Desire: Cross-Cultural and Historical Perspectives”

  Link: University of Hawaii: Elaine Hatfield’s “Passionate Love and Sexual Desire: Cross-Cultural and Historical Perspectives” (PDF) 
   
  Instructions: Please click on “Publications” on the left-hand sidebar and then click on “Books & Book Chapters.”  Then scroll down to Chapter 80 to find the corresponding title.  Please review the sections on cultural factors affecting passionate love, sexual desire, and mate selection.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

5.3.1 Divorce: Adultery and Sterility  

• Reading: National Healthy Marriage Resource Center’s “Marriage and Divorce Statistics by Culture”

  Link: National Healthy Marriage Resource Center’s “Marriage and Divorce Statistics by Culture” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This document reviews the marriage and divorce patterns in various cultures, including the process of mate selection, courting, and other related areas.  Please read the introductory paragraph that is viewable when you first navigate to the website.  From there, please click on each listed cultural group (African Americans, Asian and Pacific Islanders, etc.) and read the content as described in each category. Note that this subunit covers the material you need to know for subunits in 5.3.2–5.3.7.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

5.3.2 Mate Selection and Reproduction  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 5.3.1.  Please pay attention to the process of mate selections amongst various cultures. 

5.3.3 Courting/Flirting Patterns Similar in Different Cultures  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 5.3.1.  Please pay particular attention to the process of courting in different cultures.

5.3.4 Physical Attraction  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 5.3.1.  Please pay particular attention to the patterns of physical attraction in various cultures. 

5.3.5 Selection Characteristics: Kindness, Intelligent, Exciting, Healthy, Religious  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 5.3.1.  Please pay particular attention to selection characteristics as utilized in different cultures, reviewing both the similarities and differences. 

5.3.6 Differences in Kissing and Touching Among Cultures  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 5.3.1.  Please pay particular attention to information regarding affection as displayed in different cultures.  

5.3.7 Accepting Marital Infidelity  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 5.3.1.  Please focus on infidelities and how they are perceived across various cultures.  

5.4 Food Preference  

• Reading: Marriage and Family Encyclopedia’s “Food and Culture”

  Link: Marriage and Family Encyclopedia’s “Food and Culture” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read this article to learn the role that food plays in culture—often an indicator of differences in accessibility of various food options.  Food also plays a role in shared meaning within a culture, and rituals around food may be transmitted through generations.  Consider your own cultural food practices while reading through this document.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

5.4.1 Religious Rules Concerning Food: Muslims and Jews  

• Reading: Minority Nurses: Gihan ElGindy’s “Meeting Jewish and Muslim Patients’ Dietary Needs”

  Link: Minority Nurses: Gihan ElGindy’s “Meeting Jewish and Muslim Patients’ Dietary Needs” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review this document in its entirety to learn about the differences in dietary restrictions as required by Muslim and Jewish religions, respectively.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Unit 6: Human Development  
Human development was once considered a completely universal process for all humans.  Psychologists like Erikson and Piaget defined the step-by-step stages that they believed all individuals go through as they develop.  While these theories remain important to the field of psychology, they take the issue of environmental interaction too lightly.  While most biological and physical growth is somewhat universal, many aspects of how we develop are more accurately explained by the culture and society in which we develop.  Consider, for example, the fact that these theories are based on the idea of self-sufficiency (or individualism), which is highly regarded in our culture.  However, many cultures are less individualistic and may think that individualism is a sign of poor (rather than satisfactory or average) development.  These observations do not necessarily discredit the stage theories of Erikson and Piaget, but they do raise questions about their applicability to all cultures.  Further, while many psychologists would argue that development is indeed stage-based, there are some examples that seem to suggest otherwise.
Unit 6 Time Advisory   show close

Unit 6 Learning Outcomes   show close

6.1 Early Development: Conception and Pregnancy  
6.1.1 Fertilization  
• Web Media: YouTube: National Geographic’s “In the Womb/ From Conception to Birth”

  Link: YouTube: National Geographic’s “In the Womb/ From Conception to Birth” (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Please watch this video to learn about the early development process, including the fertilization of the embryo through the birth of a child.  Note that this video covers the material you need to know for subunits 6.1.3–6.1.4.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.1.2 Gestation  
• Reading: U.S. National Library of Medicine: Medline Plus’ “Fetal Development”

  Link: U.S. National Library of Medicine: Medline Plus’ “Fetal Development” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review the page to learn about fetal development, including the gestation period of the pregnancy and its salient features.
   
  Terms of Use: This material is in the public domain.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.1.3 The Embryonic Period: Organogenesis, Nutrition, Terotgens  
Note: This subunit is covered by the video assigned beneath subunit 6.1.1.  Please pay particular attention to the embryonic period and the effects of teratogens from the environment and other elements that can impact fetal development. 
6.1.4 Birth  
Note: This subunit is covered by the video assigned beneath subunit 6.1.1.  Please pay attention to the birthing process. 
6.2 Temperament  
• Web Media: Bowdoin College: Samuel Putnam’s “Psychologist Probes the Origins of Temperament”

  Link: Bowdoin College: Samuel Putnam’s “Psychologist Probes the Origins of Temperament” (iTunes Audio)
   
  Instructions: Please review this web media (number 7 on the linked page) in its entirety to learn about the different temperament of children and how this impacts their long-term socialization within their culture.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.2.1 Thomas and Chess: Temperament Styles  
• Reading: Scientific American: Alexander Thomas, Stella Chess, and Herbert G. Birch’s “The Origin of Personality”

  Link: Scientific American: Alexander Thomas, Stella Chess, and Herbert G. Birch’s “The Origin of Personality” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review pages 102–109 of this document as written by the original authors of this theory.  Note that this material covers the material you need to know for subunit 6.2.2.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.2.2 Easy, Difficult, Slow-To-Warm Up  
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.2.1.  Please focus on the easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm up children in Thomas and Chess’ temperament styles. 
6.2.3 Cross-Cultural Temperament Research  
• Reading: UCLA Center on Everyday Lives of Families’ “Culture, Temperament, and the ‘Difficult Child’: A Study in Seven Western Cultures”

  Link: UCLA Center on Everyday Lives of Families’ “Culture, Temperament, and the ‘Difficult Child’: A Study in Seven Western Cultures” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please click the above link.  Navigate to “Sara Harkness & Charles Super (University of Connecticut)” and select the article title as shown above.  Review the document to learn about temperamental differences between children in different cultures and consider what might account for this. 
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.3 Attachment  
6.3.1 Bowlby: Evolutionary Attachment  
• Reading: Simply Psychology: Saul Mcleod’s “Bowly Attachment Theory”

  Link: Simply Psychology: Saul Mcleod’s “Bowly Attachment Theory” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review attachment theory as it relates to parent-child bonding practices and their implications.  Note that attachment styles may be related to cultural background and cultural expectations.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.3.2 Proximity  
• Web Media: Professor Todd Andrew Terhune’s “Nonverbal Communication: Proxemics and Space”

  Link: Professor Todd Andrew Terhune’s “Nonverbal Communication: Proxemics and Space” (PowerPoint)
   
  Instructions: On the web page, please navigate to “Intercultural Communication.”  Then click the document titled, “Nonverbal Communication: Proxemics and Space” to download the PowerPoint presentation.  Please review the media in its entirety.  This resource will review the notion of proxemics as culturally patterned in regard to how different they each define, perceive, and use space.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.3.3 Attachment Across Cultures  
• Reading: Attachment across Cultures’ “Cross-Cultural Studies of Attachment”

  Link: Attachment across Cultures’ “Cross-Cultural Studies of Attachment” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please click the link provided.  Navigate to item three, “Cross-Cultural Studies of Attachment.”  Read the general overview, as well as the brief information regarding each of the countries in which studies have been conducted: Africa, Germany, Japan, China, and Israel. What differences do you notice between each of these countries and their attachment styles?
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.3.4 Exploration and Proximity  
• Reading: Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science: Nina Brown’s “Edward T. Hall: Proxemic Theory”

  Link: Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science: Nina Brown’s “Edward T. Hall: Proxemic Theory” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the brief article regarding the notion of proxemics and expectations relative to various cultures.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.3.5 Attachment Types: Secure, Insecure, Ambivalent, and Avoidant  
• Reading: John Byng-Hall’s “Creating a Secure Family Base: Some Implications of Attachment Theory for Family Therapy”

  Links: John Byng-Hall’s “Creating a Secure Family Base: Some Implications of Attachment Theory for Family Therapy” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link to access the intended article. Please read the article in its entirety to learn about attachment patterns and types, function and dysfunction in attachments, salience of a secure base, and effects of attachment in the family relationship.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.3.6 Ainsworth’s Strange Situation  
• Web Media: YouTube: Thibs44’s “The Strange Situation—Mary Ainsworth”

  Link: YouTube: Thibs44’s “The Strange Situation—Mary Ainsworth” (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Please watch the video in its entirety and focus on the strange situation as it was presented from a Western point of view.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.3.7 The Strange Situation Across Cultures  
• Reading: Leiden University: Open Access Repository: Abraham Sagi, Marinus H. Van IJzendoorn, and Nina Koren-Karie’s “Primary Appraisal of the Strange Situation: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Preseparation Episodes”

  Link: Leiden University: Open Access Repository: Abraham Sagi, Marinus H. Van I Jzendoorn, and Nina Koren-Karie’s“Primary Appraisal of the Strange Situation: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Preseparation Episodes” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Follow the above link and choose “View/Open” to access the PDF.  Please read the document in its entirety and focus on the strange situation, as it was adapted cross-culturally and compare this to what you learned in subunit 6.3.6.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.3.8 No Avoidant Type in Mali, Japan  
• Reading: Parenting Science: Gwen Dewar’s “Is Your Child Securely Attached? The Strange Situation Test”

  Link: Parenting Science: Gwen Dewar’s “Is Your Child Securely Attached? The Strange Situation Test” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the entire document to learn how some babies are insecurely attached, some are disorganized, and some are avoidant.  This document also speculates as to why many theorists believe that the Japanese culture does not rear children of the avoidant type, but rather the disorganized type.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.4 Cognitive Development  
6.4.1 Piaget’s Development  
• Web Media: Virtual Psychology’s “Piaget’s Cognitive Development”

  Link: Virtual Psychology’s “Piaget’s Cognitive Development” (PowerPoint)
   
  Instructions: Please navigate to the “search results.”  The first item will correspond to the title above.  Please download and view this PowerPoint presentation to learn the stages of cognitive development as proposed by theorist Jean Piaget and their implications and utility.  Note that this web media covers the material you need to know for subunit 6.4.2.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.4.2 Stages: Sensorimotor (0-2 years old), Preoperational (2-7 years old), Concrete Operational (7-11 years old) and Formal Operational (11 years old and older)  
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.4.1.  Please pay particular attention to the stages of development and what is achieved during each chronological and developmental phase, according to theorist Jean Piaget. 
6.5 Moral Reasoning  
6.5.1 Kohlberg’s Moral Reasoning  
• Reading: Prince Sultan University’s “Stages of Moral Reasoning According to Kohlberg”

  Link: Prince Sultan University’s “Stages of Moral Reasoning According to Kohlberg” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please locate the article from the above linked page and review the entire document, which discusses Kohlberg’s theory of moral development.  Note that this reading covers the material you need to know for subunits 6.5.3–6.5.5.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.5.2 Stages of Morality  
• Reading: Character Education: Dr. Thomas Lickona’s “The Stages of Moral Reasoning: Preschool to Adulthood”

  Link: Character Education: Dr. Thomas Lickona’s “The Stages of Moral Reasoning: Preschool to Adulthood” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This document reviews a generalized idea of the stages of morality that occur throughout the lifespan, separate from a single theorist. Please read in its entirety and contrast to Kohlberg’s theory from subunit 6.5.1 and Gillian’s theory as posed in subunit 6.5.6.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.5.3 Preconventional: Avoid Punishment and Gain Rewards  
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.5.1. Please review this stage of morality as posed by Kohlberg and contrast to those as presented in subunits 6.5.4 and 6.5.5. 
6.5.4 Conventional: Approval of Group and Legalized Morality  
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.5.1. Please review this stage of morality as posed by Kohlberg and contrast to those as presented in subunits 6.5.3 and 6.5.5. 
6.5.5 Post Conventional: Individual Rights, Circumstances, and Universal Ethical Principles  
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.5.1. Please review this stage of morality as posed by Kohlberg and contrast to those as presented in subunits 6.5.3 and 6.5.4.
6.5.6 Gilligan’s Rebuttal: Male vs. Female Morality  
• Web Media: YouTube: Utah Valley University: Professor David R. Keller’s “Feminist Virtue Ethics”

  Link: YouTube: Utah Valley University: Professor David R. Keller’s “Feminist Virtue Ethics” (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Please review this web media in its entirety and the contents regarding gender-based morality.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.5.7 Are there Universal Ethical Principles Across Cultures?  
• Reading: Santa Clara University: Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, and Michael J. Meyer’s “Ethical Relativism”

  Link: Santa Clara University: Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, and Michael J. Meyer’s “Ethical Relativism” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the entire document, which discusses universalities and differences in ethical principles across cultures.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.6 Psychosocial Development  
6.6.1 Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development  
• Web Media: iTunesU: Missouri State University: Professor Todd Daniels’ “Erik Erikson on Development”

  Link: iTunesU: Missouri State University: Professor Todd Daniels’ “Erik Erikson on Development” (iTunesU Audio)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link.  The website that opens will have a list of lectures from Missouri State University.  Be sure to locate the item with the title as listed above, “Erik Erickson on Development,” item number 31.  Place your mouse over the title and a “play” button will appear.  Please click this to start the lecture.  Please view this web media to review psychosocial development as proposed by Erik Erikson, a psychodynamic theorist who branched off from Freud.  Note that this podcast covers the material you need to know for subunits 6.6.2–6.6.8.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!
6.6.2 Basic Trust vs. Mistrust Stage  
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.6.1.  Please review this stage as posed in Erikson’s psychosocial development theory.
6.6.3 Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt Stage  
This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.6.1.  Please review this stage as posed in Erikson’s psychosocial development theory.
6.6.4 Initiative vs. Guilt Stage  
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.6.1.  Please review this stage as posed in Erikson’s psychosocial development theory.
6.6.5 Industry vs. Inferiority Stage  
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.6.1.  Please review this stage as posed in Erikson’s psychosocial development theory.
6.6.6 Identity vs. Role Confusion Stage  
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.6.1.  Please review this stage as posed in Erikson’s psychosocial development theory.
6.6.7 Generativity vs. Stagnation Stage  
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.6.1.  Please review this stage as posed in Erikson’s psychosocial development theory.
6.6.8 Integrity vs. Despair Stage  
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 6.6.1.  Please review this stage as posed in Erikson’s psychosocial development theory.
6.6.9 Western/Christina Bias  
6.6.10 Value of Independence in Adolescence  
6.6.11 Some Cultures Require Role/Identity from Birth  
Unit 7: Psychological Disorders  

This final unit examines the impact that specific cultures have on psychological disorders.  There are a number of ways in which psychological disorders, their diagnoses, and their treatment are culture specific.  Our culture sees psychological disorders as a legitimate health concern.  In other cultures, however, mental health is not viewed in the same way.  Culture-specific beliefs about religious possession or evil spirits remain common.  Meanwhile, some cultures believe that shamans, medicine men, and other spiritual guides have meaningful prophetic visions.  While no one is discounting these visions, it is interesting to note that our culture might view these visions as a symptom of schizophrenia, a powerful mental disorder.  In addition, psychological disorders like depression and anorexia are fairly uncommon elsewhere, but they are prevalent in our culture.

Even cultures that accept psychological disorders may treat those disorders in different ways.  In our culture, therapy and pharmacological intervention are most common, but in other cultures, religious direction or some other form of intervention may be sought.  These are just a few examples of how psychological disorders are indeed a cultural construct.  It is important to note that this concept in no way reduces the gravity of psychological disorders in our culture; disorders and their effects are quite serious and should be treated as such.

Unit 7 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 7 Learning Outcomes   show close


7.1 DSM-IV Axis Outline  

• Web Media: Wiley Higher Education: Sophia F. Dziegielewski’s “DSM-IV-TR in Action: Assessment and Treatment Strategy in Adults, Adolescents, and Children”

  Link: Wiley Higher Education: Sophia F. Dziegielewski’s “DSM-IV-TR in Action: Assessment and Treatment Strategy in Adults, Adolescents, and Children” (PowerPoint)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link and select “PowerPoint Slides All” from the left-hand tool bar and then click on “All PowerPoint Slides” to download the file.  Review the web media to learn about the categories utilized in the American Psychiatric Association’s most recent version of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a text primarily based on Western psychology.  Note that this web media covers the material you need to know for subunits 7.1.1–7.1.5.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

7.1.1 Axis I: Psychiatric and Developmental Disorders  

Note:This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 7.1.  Please focus on the psychiatric and developmental disorders. 

7.1.2 Axis II: Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 7.1.  Please focus on the personality disorders and mental retardation. 

7.1.3 Axis III: Physical Disorders and Medical Conditions  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 7.1.  Please focus on the physical disorders and medical conditions.  

7.1.4 Axis IV: Psychosocial Stressors  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 7.1.  Please focus on the psychosocial stressors.  

7.1.5 Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 7.1.  Please focus on the global assessment of functioning scale.  

7.2 Models of Psychopathology  

• Web Media: Learning Technologie’s “Models of Abnormality”

  Link: Learning Technologie’s “Models of Abnormality” (PowerPoint)
   
  Instructions: Please click the link above and select the link to “Models of Abnormality” to download the intended web media.  Please review all of the slides to learn about the various models of psychopathology as seen from different theoretical perspectives.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.

  Submit Materials

7.2.1 Bio-Psycho-Social Model  

• Reading: American Counseling Association: David M. Kaplan and Sharon L. Coogan’s “The Next Advancement in Counseling: The Bio-Psycho-Social Model”

  Link: American Counseling Association: David M. Kaplan and Sharon L. Coogan’s “The Next Advancement in Counseling: The Bio-Psycho-Social Model” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please select the link above, and then choose the title “Vistas05.Art03” to navigate to the appropriate article to learn the definition and application of the bio-psycho-social model.  Note that this reading covers the material you need to know for subunit 7.2.2.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage here.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

7.2.2 Interacting Biology, Psychological, and Social Aspects  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit7.2.1.  Please review how the biological, psychological, and social aspects interact in cultural psychology and society.

7.2.3 Psychoanalytic and Behavioral Models  

• Reading: Psych Central: John M. Grohol’s “Types of Therapies”

  Link: Psych Central: John M. Grohol’s “Types of Therapies” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review the document in its entirety to learn about types of therapies and treatment interventions.  Please pay close attention to the psychoanalytic and behavioral models.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

7.3 Psychological Disorders Across Cultures  

• Web Media: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s “DSM-IV-TR Outline for Cultural Formulation”

  Link: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s “DSM-IV-TR Outline for Cultural Formulation” (RealPlayer)
   
  Instructions: The provided link will take you to a page that lists several documents.  Please choose the category, “University of Pittsburg Medical Center Video Training on The Cultural Formulation,” to access the intended web media.  Please review the program to learn about the view of psychological disorders across cultures, including culture-bound syndromes and cultural formulations.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

7.3.1 Anxiety: Worry, Fear and Apprehension  

• Reading: Google Scholar: Laurence J. Kirmayer’s “Cultural Variations in the Clinical Presentation of Depression and Anxiety: Implications for Diagnosis and Treatment”

  Link: Google Scholar: Laurence J. Kirmayer’s “Cultural Variations in the Clinical Presentation of Depression and Anxiety: Implications for Diagnosis and Treatment” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Select the PDF for the above title and review this document in its entirety to learn about clinical presentations of anxiety and their cultural variations.  Note that this reading covers the material you need to know for subunit 7.3.4.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

7.3.2 Cultural Specific Symptoms  

• Reading: Palomar College’s “Culture-Specific Mental Disorders”

  Link: Palomar College’s “Culture-Specific Mental Disorders” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This link will take you to a page entitled “Culture Specific Diseases.”  Please scroll down to move from the physical disorders to the mental disorders as denoted by the title above.  Please review this document to learn of mental disorders that may be culture specific, many of which are also called culture-bound syndromes.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

7.3.3 Social Phobia and Offensiveness in Japanese Culture  

• Reading: National Technological University: K. Okano’s “Shame and Social Phobia: A Transcultural Viewpoint”

  Link: National Technological University: K. Okano’s “Shame and Social Phobia: A Transcultural Viewpoint” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please read the section regarding shame in alternative cultures, outside of the United States, to determine how shame, social phobia, and offensiveness can be viewed in other cultures, and specifically Japan.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

7.3.4 Depressed Mood: Dysphoria, Anxiety, Tension, and Low Energy  

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 7.3.1.  Please compare and contrast the information denoted for anxious mood and depressed mood.

7.3.5 Cultural Specific Symptoms: Guilt, Headaches, Weakness, Problems of the “Heart”  

• Reading: Stanford University: Ying Wong and Jeanne Tsai’s “Cultural Models of Shame and Guilt”

  Link: Stanford University: Ying Wong and Jeanne Tsai’s “Cultural Models of Shame and Guilt” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please navigate to the provided link and select the above articlefrom the list to access the appropriate document.  Please read the entire document to learn of culture specific symptoms related to guilt and associated emotions.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above. 

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

7.3.6 Schizophrenia: Biological and Environmental Causes  

• Reading: Capella University: Judy M. Versola-Russo’s “Cultural and Demographic Factors of Schizophrenia”

  Link: Capella University: Judy M. Versola-Russo’s “Cultural and Demographic Factors of Schizophrenia” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review the document in its entirety to learn about schizophrenia and the factors that are genetic, environmental, and culturally based.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

7.4 Culture-Bound Syndromes  

• Lecture: iTunesU: Arizona State University: School of Human Evolution and Social Change: “Cross-Cultural Differences in Psychological Structures” (Part 1) and “Shamanism and Ritual Healing Practices” (Part 2)

  Link: iTunesU: Arizona State University: School of Human Evolution and Social Change: “Cross-Cultural Differences in Psychological Structures” (Part 1) (iTunesU Video) and “Shamanism and Ritual Healing Practices” (Part 2) (iTunesU Video)
   
  Instructions: Please click the provided link.  The website that opens will have a list of lectures from Arizona State University.  Be sure to locate the item with the title as listed above, “Cross-Cultural Differences in Psychological Structures,” item number 11.  Place your mouse over the title and a “play” button will appear.  Please click this to start the first lecture, Part1.  Please listen to the entirety of Part 1, as it will introduce you to the psychological disorders as they are viewed from various cultural perspectives, including culture-specific symptoms and culture-bound syndromes.  Once finished, please click the second link to access Part 2.  You will follow the directions above, but in this case you will select item number 17 with the title as mentioned above. Please view Part 2 for more specific indigenous ritual practices such as shamanism.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

7.4.1 Twenty-Five Culture-Bound Syndromes  

• Reading: rjg42.tripod.com’s “Culture-Bound Syndromes”

  Link: rjg42.tripod.com’s “Culture-Bound Syndromes” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review the document as a whole regarding the culture-bound syndromes as designated in APA’s most recent version of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.

  Submit Materials

7.5 Treatments  

7.5.1 Indigenous Healing Practices  

• Reading: Sci Therapies: Laurance Johnston’s “Indigenous Healing”

  Link: Sci Therapies: Laurance Johnston’s “Indigenous Healing” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Please review the document as a whole to learn of the healing practices utilized in various divergent cultures.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

7.5.4 Religion and Spirituality: Japanese Naikan Therapy  

• Reading: World Cultural Psychiatry Research Review: Teruaki Maeshiro’s “Naikan Therapy in Japan: Introspection as a Way of Healing Introduction to Naikan Therapy”

  Link: World Cultural Psychiatry Research Review: Teruaki Maeshiro’s “Naikan Therapy in Japan: Introspection as a Way of Healing Introduction to Naikan Therapy” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please click the link provided.  Navigate to “Short Papers” and select the article that corresponds to the title above.  Review the document regarding healing practices in Japan.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

  See a broken link? Please let us know!

Final Exam  

• Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's PSYCH403 Final Exam

  Link: The Saylor Foundation's PSYCH403 Final Exam
  
  Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam.  If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link. 

  See a broken link? Please let us know!