A common 2D framework : using humans’ “relation-tinted glasses” to compare concepts across cultures

Two dimensions have been found in a multitude of interpersonal judgement constructs, often termed in psychology as the Big Two of Agency and Communion. Their ubiquity is hypothesized to be rooted in common evolutionary challenges of social connection and problem solving. Osgood and colleagues’ (1957/1964) first used them to compare word meaning across cultures, consistently finding an Evaluative dimension (Communion), and two less stable dimensions of Potency or Activity (Agency). These dimensions are generally seen as emerging from the construct itself, e.g. personality traits are truly agentic or communal. But explicitly conceptualizing the 2Ds as structuring how humans rate all constructs, as if we are perceiving the world through “relationship-tinted” glasses, may allow for bigger-picture utilizations. I will illustrate how a Common Framework analysis allows for more insightful cross-language comparisons of the lay prototypes of Moral Character and Gratitude, in Chinese and English. A common 2D framework could be the source of, but also conceptually different from, similar-sounding concepts in personality, emotions, and the Inglehart-Welzel World Cultural Map. I look forward to discussing statistical puzzles (circumplex vs. factors), whether and how to differentiate a common 2D framework from similar-sounding theories, and forms of evidence still needed

大明穿越時空記

這本繪本是「古刻薪傳——超越技術的中國書籍」跨學科研究項目的成果之一。旨在博古通今，讓小朋友透過充滿趣味的小故事，一起探索中國書籍刻印技術從雕版印刷到數碼印刷的演變和多樣性。讓這繪本成為孩子們開啟對中國書籍與印刷術奇妙之旅的起點！https://commons.ln.edu.hk/picturebook_daiming/1000/thumbnail.jp

Why South Korea’s fertility rate dropped below Japan’s?

In 2000, South Korea\u27s period total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.42, and this was higher than Japan\u27s 1.36. However, this fertility advantage over Japan has been lost by 2022, with South Korea\u27s TFR plunging to 0.87 (40% decrease), while Japan\u27s TFR being 1.3 (only 5% decrease). The goal of this article is to proffer a descriptive explanation for this divergence in fertility between these two East Asian countries. Building upon the existing theoretical framework on economic uncertainty and fertility, we argue that changing labor market conditions is an important factor in understanding the nature of South Korea\u27s extraordinary fertility decline. However, unlike previous research that focuses largely on employment precarity and/or stagnant real wages, I call for greater attention to economic inactivity. Using administrative records (e.g., birth and marriage registers from the Korean Vital Statistics) and nationally representative survey data, I show how the rise in economic inactivity rate among young Korean males is associated with the ongoing fertility decline

Culturomics and the concept of harmony between humans and nature

Climate change and human sustainability represent major global challenges that require collaborative solutions through interdisciplinary integration of psychology, earth sciences, environmental sciences, computational sciences, anthropology, and more. While culture serves as a vital mechanism for human adaptation to nature, prior cultural research has largely adopted a reductionist perspective, focusing on isolated scales and single-dimensional features. We propose a cross-scale, interdisciplinary research framework of Culturomics to understand and explore culture from a systems science perspective and investigate the link between climate change and the evolution of human culture and civilization. Grounded in the traditional Chinese philosophy of harmony between humans and nature (天人合一), our research integrates agent-based modeling, historical ethnographic analysis, cross-cultural assessments, psychological and behavioral experiments, and neuroimaging techniques. In combination with advanced analytical tools such as large language models and representational similarity analysis, this project aims to reveal how weather variability shapes human cultural values by altering adaptive environmental behaviors, and to uncover the underlying psychological mechanisms, neural substrates, and evolutionary patterns

I can resist everything except desire : revisiting \u3ci\u3el\u27écriture féminine\u3c/i\u3e with Oscar Wilde\u27s \u3ci\u3eSalomé\u3c/i\u3e

L’écriture féminine, also known as feminine writing, is a word coined by the French feminist and literary critic, Hélène Cixous. In Cixous’s pioneering essay, “The Laugh of the Medusa” (1976), she identifies that women’s writing has been confiscated by men over the years. In order to resist the patriarchal oppression, a woman must write about herself, and naturally her body will generate a female voice which is inaudible to most males. In other words, Cixous believes that male writers can hardly adopt l’écriture féminine as she writes: “I write woman: woman must write woman. And man, man” (Cixous 877). However, scholars have discovered the potential problems of l’écriture féminine, and Cixous has been criticised for being an essentialist, referring to Cixous’s presumption that there is a unified voice coming out of women’s bodies while ignoring the intersectionality of women. This project examines Oscar Wilde’s Salomé through the lens of Cixous’s theory of l’écriture féminine. I argue that the play does not only depict Salomé’s radical female desire that strikingly aligns with Cixous’s theoretical framework, but also that, by situating Salomé within Wilde’s biographical context, we can posit his sudden turn to l’écriture féminine as an attempt to probe for a coded outlet for his long repressed homosexual desire. The example of Wilde and Salomé encourages us to revisit the supposed essentialism of Cixous’s theory. By bridging Wilde and Cixous, this project illuminates and reinforces the theoretical significance of l’écriture féminine as it allows a sanctuary for marginalised writers to navigate through the heteropatriarchy

舊樓長者居家安老面對的挑戰研究報告

現時香港有不少獨老及雙老生活在舊樓，由於單位和樓宇老化，出現樓宇及人口「雙老化」現象。此研究探討長者在這種狀況下，居家安老遇到的問題。研究團隊訪問了29名60歲以上，並居住於樓齡50年以上私人樓宇，探討他們之生活體驗。 本研究發現生活在舊樓的長者需要面對多種問題，包括沒有升降機、升降機經常出現故障、維修升降機時間長、樓宇老化失修、結構出現安全隱患、劏房環境惡劣、租客議價能力低、鄰居的關系薄弱、樓宇公用空間污穢和保安差。受訪長者家庭由於沒有能力購買較好的私人單位，又不符合資格申請公屋，他們只能忍受較差的居住環境。本研究還發現受訪的舊樓長者較少使用社區照顧服務，部分受訪者認為現時居住單位不適合居家安老，原因是缺乏電梯和維修保養差，出入十分困難。另外，有被訪租住長者表示租金貴，應付吃力。 根據訪問結果，研究團隊有數方面之建議：(1) 加強長者外展服務，(2) 資助樓梯機服務，(3) 公屋安置殘疾長者，(4) 調高綜援租金津貼，(5) 改善劏房長者居住環境和 (6) 加快鹹水樓維修工作

What national culture dimension scores for individuals tell us about people – and countries

Using national culture dimensions to explain differences in individual or group behavior has posed a challenge ever since Hofstede introduced the cultural dimension paradigm and stated that scores cannot be applied to individuals without committing the ecological fallacy. This limitation renders national dimension scores theoretically inapplicable for explaining cultural differences at any lower level than countries. However, people communicate, not countries. To address this issue, we calculate scores for 44,000 individuals from 54 countries for the Collectivism-Individualism and Monumentalism-Flexibility dimensions of the revised Minkov-Hofstede model. We derive a regression-based formula from the ecological level and employ it at the individual level, imposing the structure of countries on individuals. Aggregated back to the country level, they correlate with the original country-level factor scores at r = .98 and r = .92, respectively, indicating that national culture differences have been accurately preserved. Density curves of individuals\u27 scores per country show a large overlap between individuals of different countries, confirming the non-transferability of country scores to individuals. Yet, we argue national culture serves as a codebook for all individuals within a country. Further, our method provides insights into differences within countries, such as ethnic background and gender. Future work should focus on quantifying the impact of national culture on individuals

Promoting an expanded notion of decent work to enhance the career capabilities of young people

Young people, particularly those from impoverished backgrounds, face significant contextual challenges in their career and life development. This study, grounded in the capability approach and recognition theory, explores the expansion of decent work concepts to foster enabling working environments. This seminar will address three key questions, supported by empirical evidence:1. What are the contextual challenges young people face in their career and life development? 2. What is the concept of decent work, and why is there a need to expand its scope? 3. How can recognition theory and the capability approach be integrated to inform the expansion of the decent work notion? Finally, the seminar will discuss how a redefined notion of decent work, incorporating a recognition component, can support youth development in organizational contexts

The mismeasure of culture : why measurement invariance is rarely appropriate for research in social, cultural, and political psychology

My talk critiques the indiscriminate application of measurement invariance in psychology. Despite the growing recognition of the need for cross-cultural validation of measures in psychological studies, a tension persists between proponents of measurement invariance and practitioners frustrated with these stringent standards and ambiguous recommendations. I argue that cultural constructs need not be equivalent or invariant as long as they demonstrate external validity at the group level. Measurement invariance emerged from concerns about fairness in high-stakes individual selections; however, its meta-theoretical assumptions are irrelevant to many (if not most) cross-cultural studies, where researchers aim to uncover group differences. I illustrate my point using the General System Justification Scale, which has recently faced criticism for lacking invariance. I show that external validation can ensure meaningful group differences without establishing invariance criteria. I suggest that researchers determine the purpose of scale use and clarify ontological assumptions before applying measurement invariance methods. At its core, the debate over the use of measurement invariance overlooks philosophical questions regarding how to theorize and study culture. These questions, in my opinion, need to be addressed to advance the field

Shaping future practitioners : graduate education in clinical and counseling psychology at Beijing Normal University

This presentation introduces the Master\u27s Program in Clinical and Counseling Psychology at Beijing Normal University (BNU). Established in 2016, the program has a strong track record of training thousands of mental health professionals, making significant contributions to the field in mainland China. As one of the five accredited programs in mainland China, it aims to cultivate ethical, competent, and practice-oriented psychologists. The program combines rigorous academic training, supervised clinical practice, and professional development to prepare students for the growing demand for mental health services in Chinese society. The curriculum integrates theoretical learning with experiential training. Students build a solid foundation in psychological theories, evidence-based counseling theories and techniques, and professional ethics. Coursework covers diverse topics, including psychotherapy theories, family therapy theories, developmental psychology, and multicultural counseling. Practical training requires 300 hours of practicum, supervised clinical internship, and supervision, ensuring students gain hands-on experience in real-world settings. This presentation highlights the program\u27s unique strengths, including its focus on professional competency, evidenced-based practice, and multicultural sensitivity. It also emphasizes societal engagement through partnerships with different institutions, research opportunities, and clinical supervision. Graduates are well-equipped to deliver high-quality counseling services and contribute to the advancement of mental health practices. Attendees will gain an understanding of how BNU\u27s program prepares students to navigate the complexities of clinical and counseling psychology while addressing the needs of diverse populations and maintaining the highest professional standards