Principles and Practices of Methodology and Methods in Cross-Cultural Psychology

Abstract

Principles of methodology in (cross-)cultural psychology are discussed and how these work out in practice. We propose that the frequently mentioned contrasts between context-specificity and universality of psychological functioning, and between qualitative and quantitative research traditions can be transcended by an empirical cycle in which both qualitative methods geared to exploration and quantitative methods geared to testing of hypotheses are acknowledged. We note issues in research due to non-random sampling, lack of psychometric equivalence of data, and nesting of individuals in populations. We argue that concerns about poor reproducibility in psychology cannot be ignored in cross-cultural psychology and make suggestions how research can be improved by treating this not as a threat but as an opportunity to expand cooperation.