Review of Cross-cultural research methods in psychology.

Abstract

Cross-Cultural Research Methods in Psychology, by David Matsumoto and Fons J. R. Van de Vijver, (Eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2010, 404 pages (ISBN 978-0-521-76525-1, CA $96.95 Hardcover; ISBN 978-0-521-75842-0, CA $39.95 Paperback) Reviewed by SABA SAFDAR AND DARCY R. DUPUIS DOI: 10.1037/a0025496 The purpose of this book is to further the potential of crosscultural psychology by helping researchers to understand the unique difficulties inherent in the field and the current methodologies used to advance quality research. Matsumoto and van de Vijver have compiled a comprehensive yet simply organized volume that speaks to the theoretical and analytic issues met by graduate students and advanced researchers alike. Although each chapter addresses a distinct issue in crosscultural research, the book progresses coherently from beginning to end. Its two parts, consisting of five and six chapters respectively, complement each other effectively. Part 1 focuses on the conceptual and methodological issues to be considered during study design, whereas Part 2 focuses on methods of data analysis. Each section contains important recommendations for researchers with little redundancy across chapters. In Chapter 1, the editors provide an informative and well- written overview of the unique issues encountered in cross-cultural psychology. The demanding nature of these problems is quite clear; yet, the authors take an optimistic approach and, in doing so, allude to the rewards of conducting research in this exciting field. Chapter 2 provides a detailed description of methodological pitfalls in cross-cultural research. It describes different types of bias and equivalence and suggests how to address each. The authors provide excellent examples and include tables summarising methodological issues for quick reference. The chapter concludes by restating that, to successfully eliminate bias and attain equivalence, it is critical to consider cultural, linguistic, and psychometric factors in combination with appropriate data analysis. This chapter is a must read for graduate students pursuing crosscultural research. Chapter 3 examines problems associated with the translation and adaptation of psychological measures for cross-cultural use. The authors describe the Item Translation and Adaptation Review Form, which attempts to standardize the process of item translation and adaptation. The form, which is included in the appendix, is a useful tool for translators, reviewers, and researchers. Chapter 4 eloquently discusses unpackaging the imbroglio of culture. Using a hypothetical example - the frequency of collisions between people in swimming pools across two cultures - the authors make this unpackaging process comprehensible to the novice reader. The authors argue that the goal of cross-cultural research is to replace culture, which is a distal predictor, with more specific variables that explain psychological outcomes. Ideally, this approach causes the predictor variable of culture to disappear. The unpackaging method is described by the authors as requiring fearless intellectual curiosity and scientific rigor, primarily due to the complex and sometimes obscure nature of culture. Chapter 5 deals with the often neglected topic of sampling. The authors describe in detail three sampling strategies (random, nonsystematic, and purposive) and their respective subtypes. They also examine sampling procedures at two levels: cultural and individual. Of particular importance to the progress of the field is their discussion of sampling at the cultural level. They argue that, although sampling at this level is often based on convenience (e.g., when collaborating researchers have easy access to two or more cultural groups), it should be purposive in nature. Drawing from Schwartz's and Inglehart's research reflecting a values-based organisation of culture zones, they describe one approach to purposive sampling at the cultural level. …