Cultural Psychology and Cross-Cultural Psychology: The Case of Chinese Psychology

Abstract

This paper discusses ways that cultural psychology can complement cross-cultural psychology to achieve a deeper understanding of culture, psychology, and their relationship (see Ratner, 2008, 2011a, b, c, for further discussion). Cross-cultural psychology is accomplished in clarifying, operationalizing, and testing issues related to culture, psychology, and their relation. Cross-cultural psychology utilizes standardized tests and measures and variables most successfully when prior research has identified the parameters of the issues to be tested. Without this prior research, standardized content of standardized tests and measures may not fully reflect the complexity of culturally variable issues.