Implicit Culture and Psychocultural Distance

Abstract

Proposes a model by which the distance between 2 cultures can be inferred by comparing their systems of sensory/cognitive representations of the world. By measuring the similarity of themes in cultures, it is possible to obtain a useful measure of psychocultural distance. Associative group analysis is employed to draw inferences on the images and meanings characteristic of particular groups. Responses produced by members of a culturally representative group to a particular stimulus theme in multiple-response, free association tasks provide an in-depth description of how the group is collectively predisposed to perceive and understand the issue referred to by the stimuli. Examples of measurements of psychocultural distances among subcultures and cultures are presented. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)