In the past three decades, cultural psychologists have shown how culture shapes cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes, making it a crucial factor in understanding human behavior. While much of this work has focused on comparing Western European and East Asian heritages, there is a growing need to empirically examine other cultures and uncover new insights into how culture influences the mind. In this talk, I will examine the influence of ecology and geography on human activity, leading to the formation of organized systems of cultural practices and meanings known as "ecocultural complexes." These complexes have given rise to diverse cultural zones we observe today. Outside of the modern West, most cultural zones emphasize an interdependent view of the self. Notably, however, non-Western cultural zones display significant variability. I will explore several non-Western cultural zones, such as Arab, East Asian, Latin American, and South Asian zones, and examine how these cultures may have played a substantial role in shaping the contemporary Western cultural zone. The Western cultural zone, in contrast to non-Western zones, prioritizes the self’s independence over interdependence. By going beyond the conventional Western-East Asian comparison, this talk aims to broaden our understanding of the impact of culture on cognition, emotions, motivation, and behavior. It highlights the significance of exploring diverse cultural zones to gain deeper insights into the intricate relationship between culture and the human mind.

Psychological Diversity across the Globe
Does culture influence our psychology and behavior — and if so, how? In this RCGD series, we delve into the socio-ecological, histo-cultural, and economic dynamics shaping the diversity of selfhood and its associated cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes. We go beyond the traditional East and West focus to include a wide range of cultural groups. This series will elucidate the implications of psychological diversity across the globe for policies in international relations, politics, economics, business, immigration, and other relevant domains.

Organized by Shinobu Kitayama and Catherine Thomas
In person: ISR Thompson 1430
As permissions allow, seminars are later posted to our YouTube playlist.

Group Dynamics Seminar Series
The Group Dynamics Seminar series is considered one of the longest running seminar series in the social sciences. It has been running uninterruptedly since it was founded by Kurt Lewin in the 1920’s in Berlin. A very important feature of this seminar today is its interdisciplinary nature. Recent seminars have included discussions in “Law and Psychology,” “Racism and Discrimination,” “Social Media,” and “New Directions in Social Psychology.”