Rugby versus Soccer in South Africa: Content familiarity contributes to cross-cultural differences in cognitive test scores

In this study, cross-cultural differences in cognitive test scores are hypothesized to depend on a test's cultural complexity (Cultural Complexity Hypothesis: CCH), here conceptualized as its content familiarity, rather than on its cognitive complexity (Spearman's Hypothesis: SH). The content familiarity of tests assessing short-term memory, attention, working memory, and figural and verbal fluid reasoning, was manipulated by constructing test versions with an item content derived from either Afrikaans or Tswana culture in South Africa. Both test versions were administered to children of both cultures. The sample consisted of 161 urban Afrikaans, 181 urban, and 159 rural Tswana children (Mage = 9.37 years). Children generally performed best on the test version that was designed for their own group, particularly on the cognitively and culturally complex working memory and figural fluid reasoning tests. This relation between content familiarity and cognitive test performance supports CCH and disconfirms SH.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2010.07.00

Entering our fifth decade: An analysis of the influence of the journal of cross-cultural psychology during its first forty years of publication

The role of the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology (JCCP) over the past 40 years in enhancing attention to cultural issues within psychology is discussed. Analyses are presented showing frequencies over the past decade with which JCCP authors cite other journals and frequencies with which authors in other journals cite JCCP authors. JCCP’s impact factor over four decades is compared with other relevant journals. Increased coverage in recent years of cultural issues in introductory psychology texts is documented. The journal has been successful as one of the leading outlets for cross-cultural studies and has achieved substantial influence, as measured by citations in relevant literature, in establishing the role culture plays in a broad variety of psychological issues and perspectives

Adverse acculturation conditions and well-being of mine employees in the North-West Province

The frequency of intercultural contact in the South African workplace has increased after 1994. We investigated relations between adverse acculturation conditions, separation and well-being in Black and White miners. We utilized a cross-sectional design with a convenience sample of 241 Black and White miners. We then considered the effect of race in the experiences of miners and also used multigroup path analysis to determine whether identical relations between multiculturalism, work success, and wellbeing were could be found for Blacks and Whites. Mainstream segregation demands, discrimination, subtle racism and separation were strongly related to ill-health symptoms, but not to work success. In addition, these relationships were identical for Blacks and Whites. Separation fully mediated the relation between segregation and subtle racism and ill-health. Adverse conditions matters for ill-health and well-being and therefore warrant the attention of supervisors in the workplace. Future studies should consider the role of multiculturalism in well-being

Traveling with congnitive tests: Testing the validity of a KABC-II adaptation in India

The authors evaluated the adequacy of an extensive adaptation of the American Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, second edition (KABC-II), for 6- to 10-year-old Kannada-speaking children of low socioeconomic status in Bangalore, South India. The adapted KABC-II was administered to 598 children. Subtests showed high reliabilities, the Cattell—Horn—Carroll model underlying the original KABC-II was largely replicated, and external relations with demographic characteristics and an achievement measure were consistent with expectations. The subtests showed relatively high loadings on the general cognitive factor, presumably because of the high task novelty and, hence, cognitive complexity of the tests for the children. The findings support the suitability and validity of the KABC-II adaptation. The authors emphasize that test adaptations can only be adequate if they meet both judgmental (qualitative) and statistical (quantitative) adaptation criteria.http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/107319110934144

Indonesian leadership styles: a mixed-methods approach

Indonesian leadership characteristics were examined in three studies, using mixed methods. In the first, qualitative study 127 indigenous characteristics of Indonesian leadership were identified from interviews and focus group discussions with Indonesian managers and staff. In the second study, a questionnaire based on the characteristics found in the first study was administered to Indonesian managers to identify Indonesian leadership styles. Using factor analysis, two highly correlated dimensions were extracted, labelled benevolent paternalism and transformational leadership. In the third study, a questionnaire consisting of leadership characteristics from the GLOBE study, supplemented with a selection of 49 items from the Indonesian questionnaire, was administered to another sample of Indonesian managers. We found that Indonesian leadership has two components; the first involves a more local modernization dimension that ranges from (traditional) benevolent paternalism to (modern) transformational leadership, the second is a more universal person- versus team-oriented leadership dimension. We conclude that Indonesian leadership has both emic and etic aspects.http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-839X.2012.01384.

Implicit personality conceptions of the Nguni cultural-linguistic groups of South Africa

The present study explored the personality conceptions of the three main Nguni cultural-linguistic groups of South Africa: Swati, Xhosa, and Zulu. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 116 native speakers of Swati, 118 of Xhosa, and 141 of Zulu in their own language. Participants provided free descriptions of 10 target persons each; responses were translated into English. Twenty-six clusters of personality-descriptive terms were constructed based on shared semantic content and connotations of the original responses. These clusters accounted for largely identical content in all three groups. The clusters represented an elaborate conception of social-relational aspects of personality revolving around the themes of altruism, empathy, guidance, and harmony. The patterning of responses suggests that the individual is viewed as inextricably bound to his or her context of social relationships and situations. The findings are discussed with reference to the Big Five model of personality and the culture and personality framework.http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1177/106939711140246

Implicit theories about interrelations of anger components in 25 countries

We were interested in the cross-cultural comparison of implicit theories of the interrelations of eight anger components (antecedents, body sensations, cognitive reactions, verbal expressions, nonverbal expressions, interpersonal responses, and primary and secondary self-control). Self-report scales of each of these components were administered to a total of 5,006 college students in 25 countries. Equivalence of the scales was supported in that scales showed acceptable congruence coefficients in almost all comparisons. A multigroup confirmatory factor model with three latent variables (labeled internal processes, behavioral outcomes, and self-control mechanisms) could well account for the interrelations of the eight observed variables; measurement and structural weights were invariant. Behavioral outcomes and self-control mechanisms were only associated through their common dependence on internal processes. Verbal expressions and cognitive reactions showed the largest cross-cultural differences in means, whereas self-control mechanisms scales showed the smallest differences. Yet, cultural differences between the countries were small. It is concluded that anger, as measured by these scales, shows more pronounced cross-cultural similarities than differences in terms of both interrelations and mean score levels.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a002029

Personal values and intended self-presentation during job interviews: a cross-cultural comparison

This study examined the impact of personal values on intended selfpresentation during job interviews among German, Ghanaian, Norwegian, and Turkish students (total N = 1,474). We also sought to explain cultural differences in self-presentation among these groups. The Cultural Impression Management Scale for applicants (CIM-A) and the Portrait Values Questionnaire were administered. A multigroup MIMIC model with invariant measurement and structural weights was supported, in which achievement, security, and benevolence values predicted a latent impression management factor. Intended impression management scores were significantly higher in the Ghanaian and Turkish samples than in the Norwegian and German samples. Values (achievement and security) accounted for 19.6 per cent of the cross-cultural differences in self-presentation. Adding acquiescence as an additional predictor (interpreted here as a measure of communication style) decreased the cross-cultural differences by 52.8 per cent. It is concluded that values are similarly related to intended self-presentation across these four groups, even though the cross-cultural differences in mean scores in both sets of variables were considerable.http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2010.00432.