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PSY30400

Academic Year 2023/2024

Cross-Cultural Psychology (PSY30400)

Subject:
Psychology
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Psychology
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Ciara Greene
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module will address the role of cultural factors in determining and explaining behaviour. We will explore two main approaches to cross-cultural psychology: the search for psychological commonalities across all peoples, and the exploration of differences in thought, emotion and action that can be attributed to cultural variation. We will also investigate the view that an ethnocentric, predominately Western approach to psychology has shaped the discipline in unexpected ways.

There is no single text book associated with this course – essential and recommended readings from the scientific literature will be provided for each topic.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, you should be able to:

- Describe the discipline of evolutionary psychology and discuss the interaction between culture and biology
- Critically analyse the role of culture in thought, behaviour and language
- Discuss the impact of culture on lifespan development, personality and mental health
- Summarise and describe the main methodological approaches to cross-cultural psychological research.

Indicative Module Content:

Key topics in this module will include:

• Evolutionary psychology: exploring universalist and relativist positions on the role of culture in human life.
• The relationship between culture and mental health
• Lifespan development across cultures
• Variation in social behaviour and values across different cultural settings
• The impact of culture on personality development
• Culture and cognition: can cultural factors affect basic cognitive processes?
• Language: does the language you speak affect how you see the world?
• Experience and expression of emotion across cultures

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

20
Autonomous Student Learning

80
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Key Teaching and Learning approaches used in this module include lectures, group work, peer evaluation, student presentations and critical writing.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

None

Learning Recommendations:

As this is a Level 3 module, it is recommended that students should have completed at least one introductory module in Psychology.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Essay: 2000 word essay Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No
60
 No
Group Project: Group project Week 9 n/a Graded No
40
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

The mid-semester assessment for this module is a group presentation, the grade for which is weighted by peer evaluations. Each student will receive their own grade confidentially via GradeBook. Written feedback and the overall group grade will be provided to each group via email after the presentation has been completed and peer evaluations have been received. The end-of-semester assessment is an essay. Individual written feedback will be provided via Brightspace.

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