Cross-cultural Research Research Articles

Understanding Municipal Green Initiatives and Citizen Habits in Four Baltic Sea Region Countries: Survey Results

The need to reach climate neutrality is addressed in this study by highlighting activities including boosting renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and putting laws and incentives in place for the adoption of low-emission technology. Importantly, it is recognized that there is another important key factor in determining the success of sustainability projects which is an individual's willingness to change their behavior and accept new guidelines. This cross-cultural research examines the everyday routines of people from Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland and how these residents evaluate their municipalities. The research investigates the connections between citizens' behaviors in waste management, energy conservation, and transportation by considering the inhabitants' age, location of residence, and personal views. This study aims to collect the necessary data for creating focused, culturally appropriate sustainability projects. The study promotes international cooperation on environmental issues, supports sustainable practices adapted to various cultural settings, and gives policymakers useful information. Using a survey, this study takes a thorough approach to comprehending and resolving sustainability issues. The findings demonstrate that interventions need to be tailored to specific characteristics and cultural contexts to effectively encourage durable behaviors. All things considered, this study adds to the current conversation on sustainability by providing information and suggestions for encouraging environmentally friendly behavior in a variety of cultural contexts.

Advancing Cross-Cultural Research Through Mixed Methods Inquiry

Mixed methods principles can support and advance cross-cultural research. This article provides different ways for researchers to conceptualize culture and summarizes the Synergistic Participatory Mixed Methods Quality Model (SPMMQM): Cycle of Research. The SPMMQM summarizes several mixed methods principles and philosophical foundations that support cross-cultural work, including the application of etic and emic concepts drawn from ethnography. This article also introduces the idea of using joint displays within the SPMMQM and cites several primary resources readers can consult should they wish to learn more about cross-culture mixed methods research.

The healthy, yet unhealthy choice: stereotypes about vegetarians and vegans in a meat-eating culture

Stereotypes about vegetarians and vegans influence behaviour toward these groups and the consumption of animal products. This affects the health and well-being of humans, other animals, and the environment. We studied these stereotypes in a meat-eating culture based on content analysis of open-ended responses in contrast to the more frequently used ad-hoc scales. We also compared the positivity and contents of stereotypes between men and women and between vegetarians/vegans and meat-eaters. We found that stereotypes about vegetarians are ambivalent, while stereotypes about vegans are more clearly negative, both to a greater extent among meat-eaters and among men. The open-ended responses were most frequently related to health, then to moral values, empathy, commitment, and unfavourable social traits. References to masculinity/femininity were not prominent in the spontaneous responses, and neither was the domain of competence. While meat-eaters mainly relate vegetarianism and veganism to health, vegetarians/vegans relate these choices to empathy and moral values. We discuss the implications of the findings for cross-cultural research and shaping public communications.

A Contrastive Study of Euphemism Between English and Chinese - Taking Rejection as an Example

This paper investigates the nuances of euphemism language in refuse, comparing English and Chinese expressions. Politeness, a crucial aspect of communication, exhibits distinct cultural influences. The backdrop of communication underscores the pivotal role of politeness, particularly shaped by cultural disparities in English and Chinese. A thorough examination of these differences contributes to a comprehensive grasp of cultural variations in language expression. The study aims to discern commonalities and differences in the use of euphemism language, exploring frequency, expressions, and cultural implications. Adopting a comparative analysis approach, linguistic data related to requests is collected and analyzed. Findings reveal shared social strategies and illuminate the influential role of cultural backgrounds in shaping language expression during requests. English tends to be more direct, while Chinese prefers softer, more indirect approaches. Social relationships are crucial, with English culture maintaining looser ties and Chinese culture prioritizing face-saving and relationship preservation. Pragmatic strategies, including the use of mitigated language, are influenced by context and participant relationships. This comparative exploration not only deepens our understanding of cultural differences between English and Chinese but also provides valuable insights for linguistics and cross-cultural communication research, enhancing our appreciation for the intricate interplay between language and culture.

A Comparison of Human Life in Christian and Chinese Buddhist Bioethics

Bioethics provides a new perspective for the comparative study of Christianity and Chinese Buddhism. This paper provides a comprehensive comparison of the sources, states of existence, and fundamental principles and purposes of the Christian and Chinese Buddhist perspectives on human life, focusing specifically on the realm of bioethics. It places special emphasis on teachings about God’s creation and dependent origination, original sin and Buddhist causality, as well as love and compassion. Despite the significant geographic distance between Christianity and Chinese Buddhism, the dialogue highlights potential cultural differences and interpretations. It also demonstrates mutual acceptance and the process of redefining one’s own identity. Religious bioethics greatly benefits from a comprehensive study of various religions from around the world. It aims to encourage cross-cultural and interdisciplinary research on different religions globally. It promotes religious bioethics as a relevant field of study.

Back to Divination Practice: Cross-Cultural Characteristics of Dunhuang Birdsong Divination Book IOLTibJ747

Divination, as an important component of Chinese philosophy, plays an important role in reflecting the complex historical background in history and folklore. Especially in the Dunhuang region, which has experience in cross-cultural communication, the divination books unearthed from it have high reference value for understanding the complex historical background of Dunhuang at that time. This article selects the Dunhuang Birdsong Divination Book IOLTibJ747 as the research object, and through text analysis and historical analysis, re-examines the living conditions of the Dunhuang people during the Tibetan rule and the influence reflected by cross-cultural experiences. On the one hand, this article believes that IOLTibJ747 has a multilingual nature and integrates folk tales born in various cultural backgrounds, as well as the cross-cultural experience of the Dunhuang region during Tibetan rule in terms of bird species selection. On the other hand, this article believes that IOLTibJ747's emphasis on the spatiotemporal coordinates of divination and the selection of divination themes both point to the historical fact that war was the main topic of people's life in the Dunhuang region during the Tibetan rule. This article has certain reference value for exploring academic approaches to cross-cultural research, international relations research, and social history research through Zi Xue academic literature.

Exploring food and beverage pairing from a cross-cultural projective mapping

Culture is a well-known driver of food choices, and therefore, it could also impact food pairing preferences. Food pairing has been studied from different approaches; however, little cross-cultural research has been done. This work explored food and beverage pairing using projective mapping (PM) to create maps of food-beverage combinations. Four countries (Mexico, Argentina, France, and Norway), thirty foods, and six beverages were selected. PM was carried out through an online study in each country. Participants were asked to map foods together with beverages following the instruction that foods and beverages closer together represented a good combination. The coordinates of each product were analyzed through Multiple Factorial Analyses (MFA) by countries. The first four factors of each MFA were used to perform RV coefficients to test similarities in food-beverage pairings between the countries. Finally, a k-means clustering was performed on the beverage coordinates of each MFA. PM provided maps representing food and beverage pairings for each country in which the proximity between food-beverages represented a good combination according to consumers. RV coefficients between countries were low, showing that food-beverage pairings were not similar across countries, evidencing the cultural effect in food-drink combinations. Results from the k-means clustering showed some similarities and differences between countries. In general, the food-beverage pairing was effectively explored with PM, from which several differences and similarities were found within cultures.

The Relationship between Parental Autonomy Support and Children's Self-Concept in China-The Role of Basic Psychological Needs.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental autonomy support and children's self-concept, and to explore the role of basic psychological needs in Chinese primary schools from the perspective of self-determination theory. A total of 3109 children aged 6-13 years participated in eastern China. The results indicated a significant correlation between parental autonomy support, basic psychological needs, and children's self-concept. Basic psychological needs play a partial mediating role between parental autonomy support and children's self-concept. Specifically, autonomy support varied by need types whereas parental control steadily played a negative predictive role. Parental autonomy support and control predicted children's self-concept differently through three basic psychological needs, with differences across gender and grades. Boys and elder children had stronger relationships to competence needs, while girls were sensitive to autonomy needs; in addition, both of them were sensitive to relatedness needs. The mediating effects model and cross-group analyses revealed the complex predictive role of parental autonomy support on children's self-concept in China, providing an effective entry point for cross-cultural research and family education to improve children's psychological well-being.

Measurement Invariance of the Fear of Happiness Scale in Adults Samples From Six Countries

Abstract: Previous cross-cultural research on the measurement invariance of the fear of happiness scale has largely been limited to small student samples, making it difficult to generalize findings to more diverse populations. This study examined the measurement invariance of the fear of happiness scale in adult samples from South Korea, Canada, Turkey, Poland, Portugal, and the United States. Sample sizes ranged from 256 to 1,177 participants per country (total N = 3,930). The single-factor model of fear of happiness fitted the data well, and the reliabilities were acceptable in all countries. After adjustment for age, partial scalar invariance was supported, with Items 3 and 5 being non-invariant. Latent mean analysis revealed significant country differences, with Turkey having the highest fear of happiness score and Portugal having the lowest. These findings suggest that the scale can be used to measure fear of happiness in diverse adult samples. However, Items 3 and 5 may not be interpreted consistently across cultures. Therefore, caution should be used when comparing observed means across countries. For meaningful cross-cultural comparisons, researchers should compare latent means after considering and addressing any potential non-invariance issues.

The Creation of Loneliness in Contemporary Chinese Ink Painting - Revelation from Harald Sohlberg's Paintings

This research employs methods of iconography analysis to dissect the visual representation of loneliness in the paintings of Harald Sohlberg, aiming to inspire in the creation of loneliness within Contemporary Chinese ink painting. The article unfolds by delving into Sohlberg's painting style, cultural origins, and the profound meanings embedded within his works, subsequently exploring the revelations of Sohlberg's paintings for contemporary Chinese ink painting, and thereby elucidating the author's creation. By providing novel perspectives and methodologies, this paper contributes to the realm of cross-cultural research in the arts, demonstrating the existence of commonalities diverse backgrounds, cultures, and artistic genres, with the aspiration of fostering mutual understanding and exchange across different cultures and nations. Furthermore, this article serves to inspire painters in their creations and aids in enhancing the audience's appreciation and aesthetic sensibilities towards painting.

The transformative potential of AI-enabled personalization across cultures

PurposeThe widespread integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled personalization has sparked a need for a deeper understanding of its transformative potential. To address this, this study aims to investigate the mental models held by consumers from diverse cultures regarding the impact and role of AI-enabled personalization in their lives (i.e. individual well-being) and in society (i.e. societal well-being).Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses the theories-in-use approach, collecting qualitative data via the critical incident technique. This data encompasses 487 narratives from 176 consumers in two culturally distinct countries, Belgium and Pakistan. Additionally, it includes insights from a focus group of six experts in the field.FindingsThis research reveals that consumers view AI-enabled personalization as a dual-edged sword: it may both extend and restrict the self and also contribute to an affluent society as well as an ailing society. The particular aspects of the extended/restricted self and the affluent/ailing society that emerge differ across respondents from different cultural contexts.Originality/valueThis cross-cultural research contributes to the personalization and well-being literature by providing detailed insight into the transformative potential of AI-enabled personalization while also having important managerial and policy implications.

DRIVE-THRU REVOLUTION: ENHANCING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION THROUGH DIGITAL TWINS

In business, understanding consumers is paramount. Digital Twins technology provides virtual representations of consumers and real-time insights. This study evaluates the implementation of Digital Twins in drive-thru services, focusing on efficiency and user experience. A survey was conducted with 2000 drive-thru consumers in the US and analyzed using SEM-PLS. The findings of this study indicate the significance of Digital Twins in purchase accuracy, interactivity, and satisfaction. The importance of strategic implementation is highlighted to maximize benefits and offer a framework for secure implementation. Limitations of this research include geographical constraints of the respondents, data collection methods, and limitations in relevant literature due to the new nature of Digital Twins technology in the context of drive-thru services. Future research needs to explore cross-cultural comparative research, longitudinal studies, and mixed-methods approaches to further understand the impact of this technology.

Validation of the Arabic Version of the Attitude Toward Education and Advice for Low Back Pain Questionnaire.

This cross-sectional study aimed to validate the Arabic version of the Attitude toward Education and Advice for Low Back Pain (AxEL) Questionnaire. This study was conducted in two phases. First, the AxEL questionnaire was translated into Arabic and cross-culturally adapted. Second, the psychometric properties (such as validity) of the translated AxEL were evaluated. The results showed that back translators and language specialists had no trouble translating the AxEL. The translators' agreement was very high (88.2%), and the questionnaire items were logically and clearly translated from English into Arabic. The Arabic version of AxEL is a valid tool that can assess individuals' beliefs and attitudes towards low back pain (LBP). It fills a significant void in cross-cultural research and can help healthcare providers understand the attitudes and beliefs influencing individuals' management of LBP within the Arabic context.

Cross-cultural translation and validation of the Chinese version Distress Tolerance Scale for adolescents with chronic physical disease.

Chronic physical disease (CPD) makes life filled with many negative events in adolescents, but not all adolescents experiencing negative life events proceed to develop emotional distress, only those with low emotional distress tolerance (EDT). A valid and reliable scale to measure EDT in CPD adolescents is important for caring for their emotional distress. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to translate the 15-item English version Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) into a Chinese version and then validate the scale for measuring EDT of adolescents with CPD. The 15-item English version DTS was translated into a Chinese version using the translation guidelines for cross-cultural research. Two cohorts of adolescents with CPD were recruited from four hospitals in southern Taiwan, with the first cohort including 124 adolescents with CPD employed to conduct exploratory factor analysis, corrected item-total correlation and reliability testing, while the second cohort, consisting of 238 adolescents with CPD, was utilized to examine confirmatory factor analysis and concurrent validity. The two-factor nine-item Chinese version DTS for Adolescents with CPD (C-DTS-A) was developed. Lower scores of the C-DTS-A were significantly associated with higher diabetes distress, poorer self-management, and worse glycaemic control; their correlation coefficients sequentially were -.40, .17 and -.23. Cronbach's α and the test-retest reliability of the two-factor C-DTS-A ranged from .81 to .87 and from .79 to .89, respectively. The two-factor nine-item C-DTS-A with good cross-cultural translation quality was a reliable and valid scale to assess EDT for adolescents with CPD.

한국형 목격자 메타기억척도의 타당화 연구

This study validated the Eyewitness Metamemory Scale, developed for the specific context of eyewitness identification, under Korean conditions. Data from 362 participants between the ages of 19 and 60 were subjected to item analysis, factor analysis, convergent and discriminant validity and reliability using the original 35 items. After extraction, 25 items were retained, 10 items were removed and 3 new items were added. Factor analysis confirmed the three-factor structure of the Korean version, which reflected the original scale and achieved a reasonable model fit. Adequate convergent and discriminant validity, as well as internal consistency, supported the reliability and validity of the Korean Eyewitness Metamemory Scale. These findings confirm the utility of the Korean Eyewitness Metamemory Scale as a tool to aid legal decision-making in the Korean criminal identification process and provide a basis for cross-cultural metamemory research in the context of eyewitness identification.

A Review of Cross Cultural Studies on World Fandom Culture in the Context of World Cultural Diversity: Taking China and the United States as Examples

While the world economy is developing rapidly, the way of information media is becoming more and more diversified, and under the multiple effects of politics, economy and culture, a new group has gradually arisen fandom. In China, fandom originates from celebrities' fan circles, a group formed spontaneously by fans for their Idol (the celebrities favored by the fan groups). This group communicates with each other on the Internet, and in reality, and helps celebrities to promote themselves, beat the charts, and vote for the celebrities. In the process of development, the radicalization of these groups and the social influence they produce cannot be underestimated. In recent years, fandom culture has been expanding and developing, and the degree of wrong value guidance and negative social influence caused by fandom culture has also been expanding. Fandom culture is a topic that has been researched extensively in China. However, it is essential to note that fandom culture is not limited to China alone. It is a global phenomenon that has influenced the cultures of various countries. The impact of fandom culture is not only limited to its sphere but can also be seen in the broader cultural environment. Therefore, cross-cultural research on fandom culture is essential to understand its influence on different cultural environments. This paper will combine the existing research results to analyze and propose the future development trend of fandom culture as a new cut, in order to provide useful reference and guidance for the benign development of fandom culture in China in the future.

A practical guide to cross-cultural and multi-sited data collection in the biological and behavioural sciences.

Researchers in the biological and behavioural sciences are increasingly conducting collaborative, multi-sited projects to address how phenomena vary across ecologies. These types of projects, however, pose additional workflow challenges beyond those typically encountered in single-sited projects. Through specific attention to cross-cultural research projects, we highlight four key aspects of multi-sited projects that must be considered during the design phase to ensure success: (1) project and team management; (2) protocol and instrument development; (3) data management and documentation; and (4) equitable and collaborative practices. Our recommendations are supported by examples from our experiences collaborating on the Evolutionary Demography of Religion project, a mixed-methods project collecting data across five countries in collaboration with research partners in each host country. To existing discourse, we contribute new recommendations around team and project management, introduce practical recommendations for exploring the validity of instruments through qualitative techniques during piloting, highlight the importance of good documentation at all steps of the project, and demonstrate how data management workflows can be strengthened through open science practices. While this project was rooted in cross-cultural human behavioural ecology and evolutionary anthropology, lessons learned from this project are applicable to multi-sited research across the biological and behavioural sciences.

Work Overload, Time Pressure and Social Influence on the Work Efficiency of the Financial and Tax Auditor: Evidence from Peru

Objective: This research presents a research model on the effects of work stress and its components: work overload, time pressure and social influence on audit efficiency, taking into account the perceptions of both the financial and tax auditor. Methodology: A partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was used on the basis of a total of 240 responses from financial and tax auditors belonging to the Professional Associations of Lima and Callao in Peru. Results: According to the PLS-SEM model, it is suggested that work overload is the most important factor affecting audit efficiency. Time pressure has an impact on the quality of work, as well as social influence on audit efficiency and its components: quality of work and employee welfare. Research Implications: Further research could address the evolution of the effects of the variables. Also, cross-cultural research should be considered, considering other cities in Latin America. Practical Implications: Senior management and boards of audit firms should consider constructing a career path that encompasses the variables investigated and their impact over time on the auditor's career. Originality/value: The study contributes to the development of scientific literature on the characteristics of financial and tax auditing in Peru and the behavior of auditors.

Теория и практика этнопсихологии: 20 лет в российском контексте

<p style="text-align: justify;">The article presents a report on the work of the international scientific and practical conference “Ethnopsychology: Theory and Practice”, which took place on November 16-17, 2023 in Moscow and was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Department of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Psychological Problems of Multicultural Education, Faculty of Social Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology & Education. The content of plenary and sectional sessions, master classes and round tables is reflected. The range of questions and problems raised during the conference reflects the current issues of Russian cross-cultural psychological research.</p>

What shall I do? Similarities and differences in moral judgements between Austrian and Mongolian students

Cross-cultural research in moral judgements (e.g., whether to sacrifice one person to save several others) often focuses on differences regarding the instrumentality of harm, i.e., whether the death of one person is an instrument to save several others (instrumental) or is an incidental side-effect (incidental). Less cross-cultural research exists on differences regarding one’s own involvement, i.e., whether one’s own life or only the life of others is at risk. The present study investigated the influence of both factors on moral judgements in a European (Austrian) and an Asian (Mongolian) culture. Austrians and Mongolians read moral dilemmas and chose whether (or not) they would carry out an action that sacrifices one but saves several others. Afterwards, they rated the moral acceptability of that action. Both cultures chose utilitarian actions (sacrificing one to save others) less often in instrumental than in incidental dilemmas. Thus, instrumental harm is universally regarded as worse than incidental harm. In instrumental dilemmas, Mongolians chose more utilitarian actions than Austrians, indicating that Mongolians more likely act in favour of group welfare. In instrumental dilemmas, Austrians chose more utilitarian actions when their own life was at risk than when only the life of others was at risk. In incidental dilemmas, the opposite was observed for Mongolians. Thus, Austrians more likely act in favour of self-interest, whereas Mongolians perceive it as more unvirtuous to harm others to save oneself. Results on moral acceptability ratings and decision times further support those cultural differences. Thus, culture may convey certain moral decisions.