Search

Accompanying the rising ethnic diversity of Western countries is a burgeoning number of mixed-ethnic unions and people with mixed-ethnic ancestry. These people do not fit neatly into one group or another. This ambiguity is compounded by the fact that their ethnic identity is affected by how they are perceived and labeled by others. Theories have been advanced to explain ethnic identity, and its corollaries for cognition, emotions, and consumer behaviors. However, aside from a handful of ethnographic studies, knowledge about how social identity of mixed-ethnic consumers is formed and shaped, and how it potentially affects consumer dispositions, remains largely uncharted. Using data gathered in three countries (Canada, United States, United Kingdom), and considering various ethnic mixture combinations, this article presents the development and validation of a multidimensional scale for measuring mixed-ethnic identity (MEI) and examines the relationships of the 13 MEI components to consumer dispositions commonly used to segment domestic and international markets. The consistency of the relationships between the MEI components and the established consumer dispositions are scrutinized. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionGlobalization has increased the importance of multicultural research to address health disparities and improve healthcare outcomes for underrepresented communities. The International Nursing Network for HIV Research (The Network) serves as a platform for researchers to collaborate on cross-cultural and cross-national HIV studies. This article discusses the Network's approach to overcoming barriers in multicultural and multinational research in a qualitative context.MethodsThe network created a protocol to guide decision-making throughout the translation process of qualitative data collected from participants in their native languages. The protocol includes aspects of why, when, what, who, how, where, and by what means the translation is completed.ResultsThe protocol has allowed researchers to enhance the validity, reliability, and cultural sensitivity of translation process, ensuring the clarity and impact of their research findings.DiscussionRigorous translation practices promote cross-cultural understanding and respect for participants' perspectives, fostering global collaborations and knowledge exchange.

Confronting the distinctive challenges of international East Asian students is vital for the increasingly diverse United States higher education system. This study examines the experiences of six participants of East Asian descent during kinesiology doctoral programs at U.S. higher education institutions. The research design is qualitative inquiry rooted in Asian Critical Race Theory (AsianCrit). There were several subthemes emerged; (a) language barriers and/or proficiency, (b) cross-cultural dissonance, (c) multi-faceted challenges, (d) limited social relationships, and (e) extension of Asian identity as faculty. Findings are discussed in light of AsianCrit with a particular focus on marginalization—invisible presence and silenced voices, intersectionality—perpetual foreigners and unwelcome outsiders, lack of social and cultural capital, and counter stories. Frequently positioned as outsiders with minimal voice and visibility, their learning and success can be supported by increased institutional diversity training, culturally responsive asset -based instruction, and culturally contextual orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advertising campaigns that explicitly claim that the advertised product can bring happiness to the consumer's life are often standardized across national markets. While it seems intuitive that most people want to be happy and might respond favorably to calls for happiness, the literature offers little to no evidence to support this common managerial practice. Through two studies conducted in cultural settings as different as the United Arab Emirates and the United States, this research shows that cross-cultural factors matter less than personal and situational factors such as religiosity and religious priming, respectively. Specifically, the author found that lower (higher) religiosity levels led to worse (better) ratings for happiness-based (vs. control) claims. Moreover, exposure to religious cues flipped the relationship between higher religiosity levels and liking for ads featuring happiness-based claims because of altered perceptions of the brand's control over the claim. This research sheds light on the interactive role of religiosity and religious priming on consumer response to standardized secular advertising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Mary Main’s impact on attachment research in Israel and vice versa, focusing on her contributions: the disorganized attachment classification (D) and the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Israeli research spans Jewish and Arab populations, individuals with special needs, and trauma-affected groups, testing the Normativity, Sensitivity, and Competence hypotheses. While confirming traditional findings, some studies revealed deviations, possibly influenced by Israel’s unique sociocultural/historical context. Some studies found an overrepresentation of disorganized and ambivalent attachment classifications, possibly linked to regional conflicts. The absence of a distinction between these two classifications in certain outcomes, especially disrupted maternal communication—a precursor to D—challenges the clear-cut classifications found in Western studies. Finally, a Holocaust Project provides unique insights, identifying the absence of intergenerational transmission of an unresolved state of mind from Holocaust survivors to descendants and revealing distinctive AAI classifications, namely, Absence of Attachment Representations and Failed Mourning, all inviting further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social–emotional skills are vital for individual development, yet research on which skills most effectively promote students' mental and physical health, particularly from a global perspective, remains limited. This study aims to address this gap by identifying the most important social–emotional skills using global data and machine learning approaches. Data from 61,585 students across nine countries, drawn from the OECD Social–Emotional Skills Survey, were analyzed (NChina = 7246, NFinland = 5482, NColombia = 13,528, NCanada = 7246, NRussia =6434, NTurkey = 5482, NSouth Korea = 7246, NPortugal=6434, and NUSA=6434). Six machine learning techniques—including Random Forest, Logistic Regression, AdaBoost, LightGBM, Artificial Neural Networks, and Support Vector Machines—were employed to identify critical social–emotional skills. The results indicated that the Random Forest algorithm performed best in the prediction models. After controlling for demographic variables, optimism, energy, and stress resistance were identified as the top three social–emotional skills contributing to both subjective well‐being and physical health. Additionally, sociability and trust were found to be the fourth most important skills for well‐being and physical health, respectively. These findings have significant implications for designing tailored interventions and training programs that enhance students' social–emotional skills and overall health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior work has shown Americans have higher levels of memory specificity than East Asians. Neuroimaging studies have not investigated mechanisms that account for cultural differences at retrieval. In this study, we use fMRI to assess whether mnemonic discrimination, distinguishing novel from previously encountered stimuli, accounts for cultural differences in memory. Fifty-five American and 55 Taiwanese young adults completed an object recognition paradigm testing discrimination of old targets, similar lures and novel foils. Mnemonic discrimination was tested by comparing discrimination of similar lures from studied targets, and results showed the relationship between activity in right fusiform gyrus and behavioural discrimination between target and lure objects differed across cultural groups. Parametric modulation analyses of activity during lure correct rejections also indicated that groups differed in left superior parietal cortex response to variations in lure similarity. Additional analyses of old vs. new activity indicated that Americans and Taiwanese differ in the neural activity supporting general object recognition in the hippocampus, left inferior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus. Results are juxtaposed against comparisons of the regions activated in common across the two cultures. Overall, Americans and Taiwanese differ in the extent to which they recruit visual processing and attention modulating brain regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabis policies and attitudes play a role in the development and presentation of cannabis use disorder (CUD), but it is unclear how these factors are related to biomarkers of addiction. The current study examined cross-cultural differences in cannabis attitudes, cannabis cue-reactivity in the brain and its associations with cannabis use measures and cannabis attitudes. Cross-sectional fMRI study. The Netherlands (NL) and Texas (TX), USA. 104 cannabis users with CUD (44% female; NL-CUD = 54, TX-CUD = 50) and 83 non-using controls (52% female; NL-CON = 50, TX-CON = 33). Self-reported positive (perceived benefits) and negative (perceived harms) cannabis attitudes and tactile cannabis cue-reactivity assessed using a 3T MRI scanner. While the CUD group overall was more positive and less negative about cannabis and reported higher craving, the TX-CUD group reported significantly more positive and less negative attitudes and less craving than the NL-CUD group. Cannabis cue-reactivity was observed in the CUD group in clusters including the precuneus, lateral occipital cortex, frontal medial cortex, nucleus accumbens, and thalamus. In the TX-CUD group, a positive association was observed between symptom severity and cue-induced craving and cannabis cue-reactivity in precuneus and occipital cortex clusters, while a negative association was observed in the NL-CUD group. In these clusters, individuals with more positive attitudes exhibited a positive association between craving and cue-reactivity and those with less positive attitudes exhibited a negative association. No associations with quantity of use were observed. Cue-induced craving might be deferentially associated with cannabis cue-reactivity across distinct cannabis use environments. • Cross-cultural study of Texan and Dutch cannabis users. • Results show diverging cannabis attitudes and cue-reactivity in cannabis users. • Texan users show more positive attitudes and less craving compared to Dutch users. • Cannabis cue reactivity observed in precuneus, FMG, nucleus accumbens. • Positive cannabis attitudes moderate craving-cue reactivity association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: With increasing international migration, societies have become increasingly diverse worldwide. Although neuropsychological assessment is influenced by several diversity characteristics, language barriers have repeatedly been identified as one of the main challenges to cross-cultural neuropsychological assessment in migrant populations. Importantly, neuropsychologists are often required to conduct interpreter-mediated neuropsychological assessments without any graduate training or continuing education on the topic. To address this gap, the objective of this paper is to provide guidelines for interpreter-mediated neuropsychological assessment. Method: A European Consortium on Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology (ECCroN) task force conducted a conceptual literature review and provided recommendations for good practice and working principles to inform the preparation and administration of interpreter-mediated assessments. Results: ECCroN takes the position that it is the responsibility of neuropsychologists, as well as the institutions or organizations that employ them, to ensure effective communication between themselves and their patients. This may be accomplished by preparing for an interpreter-mediated assessment by engaging an appropriate interpreter, which in most circumstances will be a professional in-person interpreter speaking the same language(s) or dialect(s) as the patient, and considering practical, language, and cross-cultural issues. During the assessment, reasonable steps should be taken to proactively manage the proceedings and adopt a communication style that facilitates effective patient-directed communication, and when interpreting test data and determining formulations and diagnoses, the limitations of interpreter-mediated assessment should be carefully considered. Conclusion: Adhering to the provided recommendations and working principles may help neuropsychologists provide competent interpreter-mediated neuropsychological assessments to linguistically diverse patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jerome Kagan was a psychologist and pioneer of developmental psychology, but he was intrigued by the natural sciences and read widely across history, biography, poetry, philosophy, cross-cultural anthropology, and the humanities. Drawing on unpublished archival and other primary source material, this essay describes two of Kagan's seminal studies in child development to demonstrate how their "contexts" facilitated scientific discovery and Kagan's own development as a researcher. A subset of Kagan's archival papers—including grant materials, correspondence, personal notes, and clipped articles—are also discussed to showcase the personal and scholastic material that Kagan read, wrote, and annotated, and which further advanced his scientific thinking. Collectively, these materials reveal the multiple contexts, both applied and private, in which Kagan "saw," thereby guiding his interdisciplinary approach to the scientific study of child development. Public Significance Statement: Jerome Kagan was a pioneer of developmental psychology whose research over multiple decades provided novel insights into the origins of temperament and the interplay of biological and environmental factors in human development. While Kagan's ideas are reflected throughout his prolific intellectual output, little has been written about his research career trajectory and his own development as a scientist. This novel essay leverages archival material to discuss the impact of several projects on Kagan's thinking and share his advice for current scientists who are interested in better understanding the human experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychology has paid relatively little attention to low arousal positive states like calmness. To remedy this lacuna, this study draws on the most globally comprehensive study to date on calmness (121,207 participants in 116 countries in the 2020 Gallup World Poll), featuring two items asking whether people: (a) prefer a calm life or an exciting life; and (b) experienced calmness yesterday. By intersecting these, we could categorise people in four categories of calmness: satisfied (both prefer and experience it); unwanted (experience calmness but prefer excitement); longed-for (prefer calmness but don't experience it); and unmissed (neither prefer nor experience it). The results reveal a nuanced picture that challenges certain stereotypes (e.g. calmness had no particular association here with Eastern cultures), and shed new light on this overlooked topic (e.g. poorer people and countries are more likely to prefer calmness yet are less likely to actually experience it). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Associations between dimensions of narcissism and aggression have been well-documented in Western samples. We aimed to generalize findings regarding the validity of one-, two- (Grandiose Narcissism, GN, and Vulnerable Narcissism, VN), and three-factor models (Agentic Narcissism, Agent; Neurotic Narcissism, Neuro; Antagonistic Narcissism, Antag) of narcissism and associations with aggression to Chinese offender and nonoffender samples. Methods: Our preregistered study used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a novel methodological approach, relative weights analysis (RWA) in an offender (N = 485) and a community (N = 578) sample from China to examine the generalizability of narcissism dimensions, and within-study meta-analysis using 9 samples (N = 3520, and 282 effect sizes) to examine links between narcissism dimensions and aggression. Results: The two-factor model replicated well across samples and three-factor model replicated moderately, with differences emerging for the structure of Antag in offenders. Narcissism was positively correlated with aggression, although associations varied across narcissism dimensions and types of aggression. Conclusion: The dimensional models of narcissism and associations with aggression generalized fairly well from Western to Chinese offender and nonoffender populations, although some potential differences worthy of consideration in future research and practice were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study examined the factorial invariance of the factor structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC‐V) across the UK, US and Australia & New Zealand (A&NZ). The factorial equivalence of cognitive assessments should be demonstrated before assuming cross‐culture generalizability and interpretations of score comparisons. Methods: Data were obtained from the UK, US and A&NZ normative standardizations of the WISC‐V. The samples consisted of 415 UK, 2200 US and 528 A&NZ children, aged 6–16. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied separately in each sample to establish the baseline model. Next, tests of factorial invariance were undertaken using the recommended hierarchical approach, firstly across the UK and A&NZ samples and then across the UK and US samples. Results: The five‐factor first‐order scoring model was found to be excellent fit across all three samples independently. Strict factorial invariance of the WISC‐V was demonstrated firstly across the UK and A&NZ and secondly the UK and US nationally representative standardization samples. Comparison of latent means found small but significant differences in female children across the UK and A&NZ samples. Conclusions: Consistent with previous research, these results demonstrate the generality of the WISC‐V factor structure across the UK, US and A&NZ. Furthermore, as the WISC‐V factor structure aligns with the Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) model of cognitive abilities, the results add further support to the cross‐cultural generalizability of the CHC model. Small but significant differences in latent factor scores found across samples support the development and use of local normative data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered prejudices, systemic inequities and critical feelings about governmental institutions around the globe. Since the start of the pandemic, the 12 nations that make up South America have had more than 67 million cases and 1.3 million fatalities. Public trust in and willingness to speak out about government responses to COVID-19 in each nation have differed vastly. Using spiral of silence, this study (n = 1248) explored support for governmental COVID-19 response and willingness to speak out about that response in four South American nations: Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru. Results revealed Chileans are more likely to speak out on government response to COVID-19 than other South American participants. In addition, climate of opinion and support for government response positively predict willingness to speak. These results further our international and cross-cultural understanding of spiral of silence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery (NIHTB-CB) was developed as a common-metric, computerized cognitive screener for research. Although extensively normed and validated in Americans of different ethnicities, there is little data on how generalizable such results would be when used outside of the United States. The objective of this study was to assess measurement invariance (MI) of the NIHTB-CB across Jamaican and African-American samples and determine appropriateness of comparisons across groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses using a single-factor model were conducted using five tests of fluid cognitive abilities from the NIHTB-CB, which assess working memory, episodic memory, processing speed, and executive function. MI was tested sequentially for configural, metric and scalar invariance. 125 Jamaican and 154 American adults of African descent were included. The Jamaican mean age was 31.6 ± 8.6 years (57% males) compared to 43.5 ± 15.5 years (25% males) for the African-American group. The Jamaicans had on average 11.3 ± 2.7 years of education compared to 13.9 ± 2.6 years for the African-Americans. We found metric and configural invariance across both samples but not scalar invariance. These findings suggest that the single factor emerging from the NIHTB-CB measures the same construct, i.e. fluid cognitive ability, in both groups and hence the battery is appropriate for assessments within cultures. However, lack of scalar invariance indicates that direct cross-cultural comparisons of performance levels should be interpreted with caution, also suggesting that U.S. normative standards are not generalizable to the Jamaican population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Credibility and expectancy are important aspects of therapy/treatment processes. We aimed to perform cross-cultural validation and examine the psychometric properties of the Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ). Ninety-one patients with opioid use disorder from Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drug Addiction Treatment Program were included in the study. Sociodemographic data form, CEQ, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Professional Help Scale-Short Form (ATSPPHS-SF) were filled out by participants. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that CEQ has two factors in our sample, similar to the original version. Reliability analyses showed that CEQ has a high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Regarding convergent validity results, CEQ was correlated with ATSPPHS-SF. No significant correlation was found between CEQ and BDI and STAI regarding discriminant validity results. In conclusion, the Turkish version of CEQ is a valid, reliable scale and could be used in patients with opioid use disorder. In patients with opioid use disorder, we contributed to the addiction literature by adapting a short and effective survey that measures trust and expectation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractFilial piety and perfectionism are associated with life satisfaction and are influenced by family values. This study examined the roles of filial piety beliefs and perfectionism in life satisfaction among 379 young adults aged 18 to 25 in Malaysia (n = 199) and the United Kingdom (n = 180). In both samples, reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety beliefs showed positive correlations with life satisfaction, while maladaptive perfectionism correlated negatively with life satisfaction. There was a positive correlation between adaptive perfectionism and life satisfaction only in the Malaysian sample. In both samples, adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism mediated the relationship between reciprocal filial piety and life satisfaction, but in opposite directions. That is, higher reciprocal filial piety was related to higher adaptive perfectionism and greater life satisfaction; higher reciprocal filial piety was also related to lower maladaptive perfectionism and better life satisfaction. Furthermore, maladaptive perfectionism mediated the relationship between authoritarian filial piety and life satisfaction in both samples; higher authoritarian filial piety was related to higher maladaptive perfectionism and reduced life satisfaction. However, specifically in the Malaysian sample, higher authoritarian filial piety predicted greater adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism. Findings highlight the importance of considering traditional family values, individual differences, and their interaction when evaluating subjective wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Ethnic identity development is associated with positive mental health in young adults from ethnic minority groups. How a sense of belonging and attachment to one's ethnic culture is related to personal mental health recovery remains unexplained. This study examines the experiences of ethnic minority young adults in the U.S. to understand the aspects of culture and identity development that are relevant to their recovery processes. Methods: Young adults who were living with chronic mental disorders were recruited from four rehabilitation programs. Interviews produced quantitative and qualitative data. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used to integrate the qualitative findings from a sub-group of young adults (n = 44) with the results from the quantitative study. Directed content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data, and the integrated data were analyzed in joint displays. Results: The prominent themes characterizing ethnic identity development in personal recovery were (a) cultural history, traditions, and values; (b) mental illness stigma within the ethnic community; and (c) bias and discrimination in mental health services. Young adults with high ethnic identity development reported having more support from family, but they also described experiences with stigma and racism. Conclusions: The integrated results suggest that ethnic identity development promotes mental health recovery in minoritized young adults through social support and improved well-being and resilience. Experiences of intersectional stigma and structural racism associated with ethnic identity can interfere with self-determination and access to care among minoritized Hispanic/Latine, Black, and multiracial young adults in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We investigated the defense styles in the African context by exploring their internal structure in Burkinabé individuals. Moreover, we explored how defense styles were related to sociocultural variables. Finally, we tested whether defense styles could mediate the relationship between sociocultural variables and mental well‐being as well as functional disability. Method: The study recruited 998 individuals (66.9% male; age = 25.50 ± 7.8 years) living in Burkina Faso. Standard measures for defense mechanisms, mental well‐being, and functional disability were administered as a structured interview in the local vehicular language, that is, Dyula. Results: Principal component analysis identified three major defense styles—mature, neurotic, and immature. Gender, formal education, living area, and believing in traditional practices were associated with any of the three defense styles. Moreover, the immature style mediated the impact of sociocultural variables on specific outcomes, such as higher functional disability and lower mental well‐being. The neurotic style was associated with lower functional disability, while the mature style was not associated with any of the outcome variables. Conclusion: Our study provided preliminary support to the notion that defense styles may function similarly across cultures and they are likely reactive to the sociocultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Korean adoptees undergo events that impact the salience and development of multiple minority identities over time. Eight Korean adoptees completed two semi-structured interviews. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach, seven superordinate themes were identified: Coping with Adoption; Experiences Around Visiting Korea; Identity; Mental Health; Minority Distress; Reactions to Participation; and Social Support. The study highlighted the Korean adoptees' sense making and recall of significant experiences within various settings and contexts. The theory of intersectionality contextualized the individual differences, multiple minority identities, and highlighted social and cultural oppression. The data uniquely informs clinical decision-making and considerations when working with Korean adoptee individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cross‐indigenous approach is introduced as a framework for conducting multi‐site studies. The cross‐indigenous approach is a simultaneous multi‐emic approach to studying psychological and social phenomena across cultures which intends to mitigate vulnerabilities commonly found in typical cross‐cultural studies done in social and personality psychology including methodological artifacts introduced when instruments, protocols, or research design do not work as expected across target cultures, and the unrealistic expectation of construct equivalence across sites. The article discusses ways to carry out a cross‐indigenous project which aims to be a principled way of making comparisons across cultures, aiming to stake out what are unique, what are shared and what are universals across populations, to explain psychological and social processes through culture‐sensitive and naturalistic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many societal challenges are threshold dilemmas requiring people to cooperate to reach a threshold before group benefits can be reaped. Yet receiving feedback about others' outcomes relative to one's own (relative feedback) can undermine cooperation by focusing group members' attention on outperforming each other. We investigated the impact of relative feedback compared to individual feedback (only seeing one's own outcome) on cooperation in children from Germany and India (6- to 10-year-olds, N = 240). Using a threshold public-goods game with real water as a resource, we show that, although feedback had an effect, most groups sustained cooperation at high levels in both feedback conditions until the end of the game. Analyses of children's communication (14,374 codable utterances) revealed more references to social comparisons and more verbal efforts to coordinate in the relative-feedback condition. Thresholds can mitigate the most adverse effects of social comparisons by focusing attention on a common goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the presence of mental health stigma associated with seeking help has been demonstrated in many parts of the world, this work has largely been from an independent perspective (i.e., "I will be perceived as crazy") rather than from an interdependent perspective (i.e., "My family will be viewed negatively"). Interdependent stigma of seeking help (i.e., the extent to which people believe their family would be devalued and shamed if they seek psychological help) may be an important type of stigma that has not been assessed. Based on self-construal theory, the present study sought to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of an Interdependent Stigma of Seeking Help (ISSH) scale in eight different countries and regions (i.e., Australia, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Türkiye, the UAE, the United States). Findings suggest that the psychometric properties of the eight-item ISSH are adequate for research purposes (a unidimensional scale with full invariance and internal consistency estimates from.84 to.94). The ISSH was moderately related to other measures of stigma and psychological distress. Some differences in the relationship with specific outcomes by country and region were found, and there were notable country differences in the latent mean levels of ISSH, with Hong Kong and Taiwan having the highest means, and Australia, the United States, and Brazil having the lowest levels. Results suggest that the ISSH could be used to help clarify the complex relationships between stigma and other variables of interest and might be useful in developing culturally relevant interventions. Public Significance Statement: Stigma remains an obstacle to mental health care. This study examined the reliability and validity of a new scale of interdependent stigma associated with seeking mental health services across eight countries and regions (i.e., Australia, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Türkiye, the UAE, and the United States) that expands on the theoretical assertions of self-construal theory and will assist in the development of culturally responsive interventions to combat stigma around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We developed the 26-item Ethnic–Racial Discrimination Stress Inventory (ERDSI) to assess ethnic–racial discrimination stress in Mexican-origin adults in the United States and Turkish-origin adults in Germany, two groups with similar sociocultural characteristics and immigration experiences. Method: We developed 73 items measuring firsthand, intragroup, and vicarious discrimination, and internalization and expectations of discrimination experiences. If participants reported experiencing a given situation, they were asked to rate its stressfulness. U.S.-based Mexican-origin adults (N = 222) and German-based Turkish-origin adults (N = 105) completed an online survey of these items, measures of related constructs, and sociodemographic measures. Results: Study 1: We eliminated items based on interitem correlations and exploratory factor analyses in the U.S.-based Mexican sample. The exploratory factor analyses yielded four reliable and valid factors (F1: Vicarious Discrimination Stress, seven items; F2: Internalization of Discrimination Stress, seven items; F3: Intragroup Discrimination Stress, seven items; and F4: Firsthand Discrimination Stress, five items). The ERDSI factors predicted well-being measures, even after adjusting for control variables. Study 2: The three ERDSI factors (F1, F2, F4, not F3) that applied to the German-based Turkish sample demonstrated reliability and validity. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated metric invariance for F2 and partial scalar invariance for F1, F3, and F4. Conclusions: The ERDSI can be used to assess ethnic–racial discrimination stress in future studies with U.S.-based Mexican-origin adults and German-based Turkish-origin adults. Public Significance Statement: People of Mexican origin in the United States and people of Turkish origin in Germany often report that they experience ethnic–racial discrimination and that this causes stress (i.e., "ethnic–racial discrimination stress"). We developed the Ethnic–Racial Discrimination Stress Inventory to assess discrimination stresses associated with firsthand experiences (i.e., carried out by someone from another ethnic–racial group), intragroup experiences (i.e., carried out by someone of one's own ethnic–racial group), vicarious experiences (i.e., someone from one's own ethnic–racial group experiencing discrimination), and internalization of these experiences (i.e., self-stereotyping) in the two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the world, more and more cats are being kept in captive spaces such as homes, animal shelters, and cat cafés. There is a growing need to understand whether cross-cultural differences influence human–animal interactions in these human-controlled environments. Cats are one of the world's most popular companion animals, and both the US and Japan have high rates of cat ownership. However, cultural differences may account for differences in how people feel about cats and how humans and cats behave toward one another. The research aim was to examine whether differences exist between the US and Japan across multiple facets of the human–cat relationship. Study 1 examined each country's attitude toward pet cats. Results indicate US citizens have significantly more positive attitudes toward pet cats than Japanese citizens. Study 2 examined owner attachment to their cat and pet cat social behavior. Results indicate owners in both countries were highly attached to their cats. In the US, but not Japan, owner attachment level predicted pet cat sociability toward the owner. Study 3 examined cat social behavior in cat cafés. The results of studies 2 and 3 indicate that pet cats and café cats in the US spend a greater proportion of time in proximity to people compared with pet and café cats in Japan. In all, differences and similarities were seen between the US and Japan. In humans, differences in childhood cat experiences and lower rates of cat ownership may impact attitudes toward cats. In pet cats, owner characteristics, the size of the cat's environment, cat care practices, and attitudes toward cats may impact cat social behavior. Future exploration in this area can benefit our understanding of cross-cultural human–animal interactions and how to apply these findings to improve captive-cat welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Drama Therapy Review is the property of Intellect Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This clinical case study delves into the therapeutic process of a cross-cultural couple, facing the intersection of disability and infidelity concerns. This intersection illuminates the intricate dynamics that arise when couples navigate both the complexities of disability and the emotional turmoil associated with infidelity. Utilizing Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), case intervention unfolded through three distinct stages, revealing intricate emotional dynamics, attachment styles, and communication patterns. The study explores the couples’ narrative, negative interaction cycles, and distinct emotional processing styles, considering complicating factors such as immigration challenges, cultural norms, and online infidelity. To strengthen bonds, the therapeutic approach promotes cultural sensitivity, intersectionality, and emotional connection. Despite time constraints and visa issues, the study highlights the efficacy of EFT in navigating the complexities of this cross-cultural couple. This case study contributes to the existing literature by examining the interplay of disability, infidelity, and cultural diversity within the framework of couples’ therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has two aims. First, it tests the psychometric properties of the Social Justice Scale in eight Spanish-speaking Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Colombia, Uruguay, México, Venezuela and Honduras). Second, this study analyzes the relations and cultural differences between the dimensions of social justice with blatant and subtle prejudice towards poor people. These objectives are particularly interesting given the need for transcultural tools to evaluate social justice and the impact that it has on different variables. A sample of 4,130 adults from eight Latin-American countries who were 18 to 80 years (M = 46.89 years, SD = 15.23; 57.4% female) was selected by convenience sampling. The psychometric properties of the Social Justice Scale were adequate. Moreover, the three correlated dimensions model showed a major fit than the unidimensional model. According to the results of this study, the implementation of the scale in the Latin American context is adequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While previous research has documented the unique aspects of Chinese dyslexia as compared to dyslexia in alphabetic scripts, it remains unclear whether the difference in Chinese literacy experiences influences the manifestation of Chinese dyslexia. The present article first reviews the characteristics of Chinese languages and scripts, including important cognitive‐linguistic correlates (rapid automatized naming, phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness) of Chinese reading development and impairment. The diversity in Chinese literacy experiences of scripts, languages, and instructional practices, and consequently their impact on Chinese literacy acquisition across different Chinese societies are also reviewed. Using an equivalent Chinese assessment battery administered to 91 children with dyslexia from Hong Kong, Beijing, and Taipei, we examined the subtypes of Chinese dyslexia across these three societies concurrently. With the four cognitive‐linguistic skills included as the clustering variable, the hierarchical cluster analysis revealed four cognitive subtypes of dyslexia: 38% mild orthographic deficit subtype (OD), 33% phonological deficit subtype (PD), 18% morphological deficit subtype (MD), and 11% global deficit subtype (GD)—each with their own set of cognitive‐linguistic deficit profiles. Interestingly, all four subtypes of dyslexia manifested poorer orthographic skills as compared to the control group. Bayesian Analysis of Contingency Table further showed that the distribution of dyslexia subtypes remains similar across the three Chinese societies, suggesting invariance of the Chinese dyslexia construct. Findings highlight the importance of assessment in orthographic processing, rapid automatized naming, phonological awareness, and morphological awareness in order to understand Chinese dyslexia, both in a within and cross‐cultural Chinese perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) is a widely used self-report that assesses generalized anxiety disorder symptomatology. Whilst previous studies have reported good-to-excellent psychometric properties across different languages, it remains unclear whether GAD-7 measures the same construct across Western and non-Western countries. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the GAD-7 is measurement invariant across Western and non-Western countries and the hypothesis that a less severe GAD symptomatology can be found in non-Western countries. The present study employed an online survey to examine the GAD-7's measurement invariance (MI) across community samples from Indonesia, Germany, and the USA (N = 2350). MI was computed using multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses with a general factor model of the GAD-7. The general factor of the GAD-7 had good model fit and configural, metric, scalar, and residual MI across the three countries. No significant differences were found in mean scores (Indonesia, M = 1.78, SD = 0.64, Germany, M = 1.84, SD = 0.69, USA, M = 1.87, SD = 0.79; F (2, 1514) = 3.079, p = 0.046; Games-Howell post-hoc analysis, t Germany-Indonesia = 1.720, p = 0.199; t Germany-USA = 0.750, p = 0.734; t Indonesia-USA = 2.330, p = 0.053). This study's online nature may have inflated cross-country similarities and reduced data generalizability. The full MI demonstrates the GAD-7 captures the same GAD construct across Western and non-Western countries. Inconsistent with the previous findings GAD severity levels were similar across countries. Despite some possible reservations, the GAD-7 appears to be a culturally fair GAD measure. • The unidimensional factorial structure of GAD-7 has residual measurement invariance across Germany, Indonesia, and the USA. • Individuals in Germany, Indonesia, and the USA may experience similar generalized anxiety symptomatology. • No difference in anxiety levels between our samples from Germany, Indonesia, and the USA. • Our finding is inconsistent with the notion that people from non-Western countries have lower anxiety than Western countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While self-construal and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are independently associated with altered self-referential processes and underlying default mode network (DMN) functioning, no study has examined how self-construal affects DMN connectivity in PTSD. A final sample of 93 refugee participants (48 with DSM-5 PTSD or sub-syndromal PTSD and 45 matched trauma-exposed controls) completed a 5-minute resting state fMRI scan to enable the observation of connectivity in the DMN and other core networks. A self-construal index was calculated by substracting scores on the collectivistic and individualistic sub-scales of the Self Construal Scale. Independent components analysis identified 9 active networks-of-interest, and functional network connectivity was determined. A significant interaction effect between PTSD and self-construal index was observed in the anterior ventromedial DMN, with spatial maps localizing this to the left ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), extending to the ventral anterior cingulate cortex. This effect revealed that connectivity in the vMPFC showed greater reductions in those with PTSD with higher levels of collectivistic self-construal. This is an observational study and causality cannot be assumed. The specialized sample of refugees means that the findings may not generalize to other trauma-exposed populations. Such a finding indicates that self-construal may shape the core neural architecture of PTSD, given that functional disruptions to the vmPFC underpin the core mechanisms of extinction learning, emotion dysregulation and self-referential processing in PTSD. Results have important implications for understanding the universality of neural disturbances in PTSD, and suggest that self-construal could be an important consideration in the assessment and treatment of post-traumatic stress reactions. • Studies that consider cultural influences on PTSD brain mechanisms are rare. • PTSD interacted with self-construal to affect default mode network connectivity. • The ventromedial prefrontal cortex was the site of interaction. • Findings suggest cultural variables shape the neural substrates of PTSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The present study aimed to validate the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL), vocal self-assessment questionnaire for Spanish. Methods: The validation and psychometric properties were developed according to the criteria of the Scientific Advisory Committee of Medical Outcomes Trust (SAC). The Spanish translation for linguistic and cultural adaptation of the V-RQOL was used. The study involved 193 participants, including 90 vocally healthy individuals and 103 patients with voice disorders, to establish validity. To evaluate reliability, the protocol was applied to 40 participants with dysphonia, who answered it twice before the treatment. Then to determine response changes, the responses of 13 dysphonic participants to the V-RQOL for Spanish were analyzed after intervention and then compared to the initial ones. Clinicians contrasted subjects’ V-RQOL results with a perceptual analysis of voice quality using the GRBAS scale. In order to determine sensitivity and specificity cut-off values, tools results were subjected to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The sensitivity was obtained from the experimental group (dysphonic group) and the specificity from the control group (non-dysphonic group). Results: This version of the V-RQOL questionnaire may be used as part of the standard assessment process of people with voice complaints and as an outcome of treatment efficacy in clinical trials. Conclusion: A validation of the V-RQOL for Spanish in Chilean population was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gratitude interventions have been usually less effective for collectivistic cultures compared to individualistic cultures. The first study examined the impact of the target person in the efficacy of gratitude intervention in the Indian context. The second study examined whether conception of gratitude is similar between Indians and Anglo-Americans. In first study, 312 first-year undergraduate Indian students (Mage = 18.64, SD = 0.76) were randomly assigned to three groups. They wrote about a typical day in their life, gratitude toward a particular person of their choice and gratitude toward an immediate family member, respectively. Selected sub-scales of PANAS-X were administered before and after the intervention. In second study, 112 Indian participants (Mage = 27.63, SD = 5.82) and 80 Anglo-American (Mage = 38.48, SD = 11.94) participants took part in a survey whereby they needed to rate the centrality and positivity of some gratitude features. We found expressing gratitude toward an immediate family member was neither effective in increasing positive emotions nor effective in decreasing negative emotions. However, expressing gratitude toward any person of choice was effective in increasing positive emotions as well as decreasing negative emotions. Three prominent themes emerged for gratefulness toward any person, i.e., being an inspiration, providing a perspective in life, and emotional and financial support in success. Providing support to the hypotheses, indebtedness and its associated negative emotions were perceived more positively and more central to the concept of gratitude for Indian participants than Anglo-American participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, many children experience corporal punishment. Most research on corporal punishment has focused on parents' attitudes and use of corporal punishment; however, other relevant parenting factors and practices have rarely been examined. This study explored differences among countries with various levels of progress toward a total legal ban of corporal punishment in parents' acceptability of corporal punishment, perception of parenting as a private concern, relationship with their child and parenting practices: consistency, coercive parenting, use of smacking and positive encouragement. Parents (N = 6760) of 2 to 12‐year‐old children from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom completed the International Parenting Survey, an online cross‐sectional survey. One‐way ANOVAs, and MANCOVAs (after controlling for parent age, gender and educational level), indicated significant country differences. Overall, there was no clear link between corporal punishment bans and positive parenting beliefs, practices and behaviours. The two countries where corporal punishment is banned showed different patterns. Parents in Germany showed less acceptability and use of smacking; however, parents in Spain reported the highest use of coercive parenting. Country differences suggest that beyond a legal ban, attention is needed on how to support parents to raise their children in a positive, nurturing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People tend to think of the prototypical person as a man more than as a woman, but this bias has primarily been observed in language-based tasks. Here, we investigated whether this bias is also present in the mental imagery of faces. A preregistered cross-cultural reverse-correlation study including participants from six WEIRD and non-WEIRD countries varying in gender equality (i.e., China, Ghana, Norway, Pakistan, Turkey, and the US; N = 645) unexpectedly suggested that people imagine the face of a generic "person" more as a woman than as a man. Replicating this unexpected result, a second preregistered study (N = 115) showed that U.S. participants imagine the face of a typical person as being more similar to their imagined face of a woman than of a man. We discuss explanations for these unexpected findings, including the possibility that the prototypical person is male-biased—consistent with previous work—but the default face may be female-biased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Third-party intervention is a cornerstone of cooperative societies, yet we know little about how children develop an understanding of this social behavior. The present work generates a cross-cultural and developmental picture of how 6-, 9-, and 12-year-olds (N = 447) across four societies (India, Germany, Uganda, and the United States) reason about third-party intervention. To do so, we measured children's obligation judgments and unstructured descriptions of third-party intervention. Although some cultural differences emerged, 6-year-olds largely considered bystanders as obligated to respond to wrongdoing, regardless of the bystander's social position. In contrast, 9- and 12-year-olds were more likely to exclusively ascribe this social responsibility to people in positions of authority. Despite these age differences, children of all ages generated role-specific descriptions of third-party intervention, with authority figures intervening in distinct ways from peers. For authority figures, children in India and Uganda described third-party intervention as involving corporal punishment or unspecified punishment, whereas children in the United States described such intervention as involving only verbal intervention (i.e., telling someone to stop). For peers, children in all societies described third-party intervention as involving reporting misdeeds to an authority. Collectively, these data show that early conceptualizations of third-party intervention are rooted in shared notions of obligation yet are also subject to cultural and contextual influences. Public Significance Statement: The present research examines how 6-, 9-, and 12-year-olds in different countries (India, Germany, Uganda, and United States) reason about obligations to respond to wrongdoing and how they describe third-party intervention. Six-year-olds generally considered all bystanders, regardless of social context, as obligated to respond to wrongdoing, while, for the most part, 9- and 12-year-old children were more selective when ascribing obligations. Children in Uganda were the exception: they considered all agents obligated to respond to wrongdoing regardless of age. Despite age differences in obligation judgments, all children described third-party intervention in role-dependent ways. These findings highlight the importance of considering the culture- and age-specific aspects of third-party intervention, a key cooperative behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Time Perception Scale (Niiya, 2019, Journal of Happiness Studies) measures people's perception of time as zero‐sum (i.e., the perception that they are taking time away from others, that they are offering time to others, or that others are taking away time from them) and nonzero‐sum (i.e., the perception that time spent on others is time spent on themselves). This scale was validated in Japan, but whether people from a non‐Asian culture also perceive time as nonzero‐sum remained unknown. We tested the measurement invariance of the Time Perception Scale with 189 Americans and 240 Japanese and examined its correlations with psychological well‐being and cultural self‐construals. We confirmed the configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance of the scale and also found that zero‐sum and nonzero‐sum time perceptions were differently associated with basic needs satisfaction, life satisfaction, and interdependent self‐construal in both cultures. Nonzero‐sum time perception may provide a new possibility where a concept derived from East Asian philosophy can contribute to our psychological well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across development, as children acquire a deeper understanding of their environment, they explore less and take advantage, or "exploit," what they already know. Here, we test whether children also enforce exploration‐oriented search behaviors onto others. Specifically, we ask whether children are more likely to encourage a search agent to explore versus exploit their environment, and whether this pattern varies across childhood (between 3 and 6 years). We also ask whether this pattern differs between children and adults, and generalizes across two different sociocultural contexts—Turkey and the United States—that differ on dimensions that might relate to children's decisions about exploration (e.g., curiosity‐focused educational practices, attitudes toward uncertainty avoidance). Participants (N = 358) watched an agent search for rewards and were asked at various points whether the agent should "stay" (exploit) in their current location, or "go" (explore) to a new location. At all points in the experiment, children enforced exploration significantly more often than adults. Early in the agent's search, children in the US enforced exploration more often than children in Turkey; later in the search, younger children (from both sociocultural contexts) were more likely to continue enforcing exploration compared to older children. These findings highlight that children are not only highly exploratory themselves, but also enforce exploration onto others—underscoring the central role that exploration plays in driving early cognitive development across diverse sociocultural contexts. Research Highlights: The current study examined developmental and cross‐cultural differences in children and adults' enforcement of explore‐exploit search strategies.Children in the US and Turkey enforced exploration more than adults, who enforced exploitation more often; results were generally consistent across cultures with small differences.Mirroring developmental changes in children's own search behavior; the tendency to enforce exploration decreased between 3‐ to 6‐years of age.Findings underscore the central role of an "exploration mindset" in children's early decision‐making—even when exploration has no direct benefits to the child themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural comparisons suggest that an understanding of other minds may develop sooner in independent versus interdependent settings, and vice versa for inhibitory control. From a western lens, this pattern might be considered paradoxical, since there is a robust positive relationship between theory of mind (ToM) and inhibitory control in western samples. In independent cultures, an emphasis on one's own mind offers a clear route to 'simulate' other minds, and inhibitory control may be required to set aside one's own perspective to represent the perspective of others. However, in interdependent cultures, social norms are considered the key catalyst for behaviour, and metacognitive reflection and/or suppression of one's own perspective may not be necessary. The cross‐cultural generalizability of the western developmental route to ToM is therefore questionable. The current study used an age‐matched cross‐sectional sample to contrast 56 Japanese and 56 Scottish 3–6‐year‐old's metacognition, ToM and inhibitory control skills. We replicated the expected cultural patterns for ToM (Scotland > Japan) and inhibitory control (Japan > Scotland). Supporting western developmental enrichment theories, we find that inhibitory control and metacognition predict theory of mind competence in Scotland. However, these variables cannot be used to predict Japanese ToM. This confirms that individualistic mechanisms do not capture the developmental mechanism underlying ToM in Japan, highlighting a bias in our understanding of ToM development. Research Highlights: We replicate an independent cultural advantage for theory of mind (Scotland > Japan) and interdependent advantage for inhibitory control (Japan > Scotland). From a western lens, this pattern might be considered paradoxical, since there is a robust positive relationship between theory of mind and inhibitory control. Supporting western developmental enrichment theories, we find that the development of inhibitory control mediates the link between metacognition and theory of mind in Scotland. However, this model does not predict Japanese theory of mind, highlighting an individualistic bias in our mechanistic understanding of theory of mind development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross‐cultural study investigates how interviewees from 10 culturally‐distinct countries differ in their use of impression management (IM) tactics in asynchronous video interviews (AVIs), and the relationship(s) between those tactics and interview performance. A total of 582 participants from ten countries (India, Canada, South Africa, Poland, Spain, Iran, Germany, Chile, Philippines, China) completed an 8‐question AVI for a mock position as a manager in a bank. We drew upon GLOBE's cultural framework to predict and explain observed differences in self‐reported IM use and performance. We used multi‐level modeling to test our hypotheses. Interviewees from our ten countries differed slightly in their IM use for various tactics, but IM use was seldom related to GLOBE cultural dimensions. Partially consistent with previous in‐person interview research, honest IM tactics (e.g., self promotion) were positively, but deceptive tactics (e.g., extensive image creation) negatively, associated with interview performance. This research is the first to investigate cross‐cultural IM differences in AVIs, thus addressing a critical gap in the selection literature at a time when many organizations conduct interviews virtually to save costs, streamline the hiring process, or simply conduct most of their activities remotely. Practitioner points: We examined interviewees' use of honest and deceptive impression management (IM) tactics and their impact on performance in asynchronous video interviews (AVIs).We further explored whether IM use by interviewees from ten countries varies depending on cultural factors, using the GLOBE framework.Applicants from all countries recognized the importance to self‐promote in an AVI.We found only small differences in IM use in AVIs across countries, with honest tactics being systematically more prevalent than deceptive ones.GLOBE cultural dimensions were seldom related to IM use (i.e., only explained between 1% and 7% of variance).Honest self‐focused IM tactics (e.g., self‐promotion) were positively, but deceptive tactics (e.g., extensive image creation) negatively, associated with AVI performance.Organizations looking to use AVIs for recruitment should be aware of applicant's behavioral limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of evidence shows that social categorization of people based on their race can lead to stereotypical judgements and prejudicial behaviour. Here, we explore the extent to which trait judgements of faces are influenced by race. To address this issue, we measured the reliability of first impressions for own-race and other-race faces in Asian and White participants. Participants viewed pairs of faces and were asked to indicate which of the two faces was more dominant or which of the two faces was more trustworthy. We measured the consistency (or reliability) of these judgements across participants for own-race and other-races faces. We found that judgements of dominance or trustworthiness showed similar levels of reliability for own-race and other-race faces. Moreover, an item analysis showed that the judgements on individual trials were very similar across participants from different races. Next, participants made overall ratings of dominance and trustworthiness from own-race and other-race faces. Again, we found that there was no evidence for an ORE. Together, these results provide a new approach to measuring trait judgements of faces and show that in these conditions there is no ORE for the perception of dominance and trustworthiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Workplace attitudes among nurses with back pain disability are usually unsupportive as nurses tend to rely on passive approaches like pain medications and taking sick leave to manage the impact of their back pain experiences. Aims and Objectives: To lessen the burden of back pain disability, this paper aimed to collate information from publicly accessible health resources such as posters, pamphlets, and electronic resources and cross‐culturally validate this information for nurses in Zambia. Methods: Focus group discussions were used to produce the validation data for this study's qualitative research design. For cross‐cultural validation, deductive analysis was carried out using Herdman's framework for Conceptual Equivalence, Item Equivalence, and Semantic Equivalence. Results and Conclusion: The 14 messages on back pain given to the participants were reviewed to enhance clarity, applicability, and acceptability. Messages with similar meanings were merged, reducing the total number to 7. The revisions made to the 14 back pain messages aimed to improve understanding, acceptability, and relevance within the contexts and circumstances in which nurses' practice. This is important because the messages adapted for use in low‐ and middle‐income countries like Zambia are equivalent and applicable to those originally developed in high‐income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) presents a promising yet volatile environment for international business. US‐centric models dominate management/leadership studies in the Arab Gulf Region, while emic, indigenous, and context‐specific studies remain scarce. To rectify this epistemic injustice, we have conducted a qualitative Type 3 (emic‐as‐emic) indigenous 'critical incident' study of managerial behavior exhibited by expat and local managers within MNCs operating in Saudi Arabia. This has led to an emergent KSA‐related two‐factor taxonomy comprised of 15 behavioral dimensions (BDs) that differentiate effective managers from ineffective managers, as perceived by their Saudi colleague managers and staff. The positive (effective), and most of the negative (ineffective) BDs are endorsed by Islamic and tribal Wasta values, thus lending support to literature on culturally endorsed implicit leadership theories, while simultaneously calling for increased attention toward proximal cultural factors rather than distal national cultural dimensions. Comparing our findings against those of an equivalent study in the United Arab Emirates reveals significant similarities and interesting differences, thus challenging the notion of a homogenous 'Arab culture'. The derived taxonomy offers an insightful, contextually relevant, and richly described understanding of specific types of managerial behavior that managers within MNCs in Saudi Arabia, and perhaps in other Arab Gulf desert countries, should strive to emulate or conversely avoid if they are to be perceived effective by their respective superiors, peers, and subordinates. After discussing the theoretical and practical implications of our findings, we outline the limitations of the study and suggest several directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germany is one of the destination countries for prospective students as a destination to continue to the university level. The researcher conducted this study with the aim of finding out the adaptation of Cirebon students in lecture activities and obstacles in lecture activities in Germany. This study uses a qualitative research method using a descriptive approach. The data collection technique was carried out using in-depth interview techniques, observations, and studies of relevant previous research articles and research-related documents. This research uses the theory of cross-cultural communication which is explained in it about culture shock and the stages of adaptation to new cultures. The results of this study show how the stages of Cirebon students when adapting to a new culture through the honeymoon phase, which is the introduction and enthusiasm for the new culture, then the frustration phase because they experience culture shock facing the new culture. The next stage is to start the reading phase by understanding and starting to learn new cultures in the environment around the residence and campus environment. The last stage is the resolution phase where Cirebon students accept the new culture that exists in Germany. Before the adaptation process occurred, this study showed the obstacles faced during lecture activities in Germany caused by internal or internal factors such as religion, food and weather. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While previous studies have examined the influence of store atmospherics and social factors independently, limited research has investigated their synergistic impacts across cultures. In particular, the interactions between ambient scents, companionship influences, and cross-cultural shopping customs remain underexplored. Therefore, this study investigates how ambient scents influence retail shopping behaviors with a companion across cultures. Data were collected via surveys administered to customers in Polish and Indian shopping malls (N = 579), examining the impact of detected fragrances on time spent, money spent, purchase decisions, cognitive responses, and attitudes. Shopping with a companion in a scented environment has a more positive influence on time spent, money spent and impulse purchases in India than in Poland. There is no difference between these two cultures regarding cognitive responses to a scented retail environment, but there are significant differences for attitudinal responses and repurchase intentions. We found a positive association between the consumer rating of the shopping environment in terms of the ambient scent and the amount of money spent in India, but not in Poland. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed for optimizing atmospheric design according to cultural customs around shopping companionships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]