`This book is not an arcane tome restricted for use by specialists in cross-cultural psychology. It deals directly with what it sets out to do: How can social psychology both address and incorporate what is known about cultural constants and variations in human thought and behavior? In achieving this, the authors have delivered in spades. Their book is a must for social psychologists, whether in their roles as teachers or researchers. Importantly, it is also a valuable text for advancing students of social psychology and should be required reading for any who propose to undertake postgraduate psychological research′ -
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
`It is useful in informing interactions with those of similar or different cultures and in understanding how cultural misunderstanding can occur. For these reasons I believe it is worth reading and would recommend′ - The Psychologist
`This will be my favourite text for recommending to graduate students who want to know what cross-cultural psychology is about. I wished all of their professors had read it. For example, I never saw levels of analysis explained so clearly. I was comforted by the statement in the book that many studies in the published literature don′t clearly state their level of analysis - so failing to understand those articles is not only my problem! The book is impressively comprehensive and broad, yet very readable, up-to-date and practically oriented. Every source cited has been read critically and put into context. A masterpiece′ - Geert Hofstede
`The authors of this gracefully-written text have a vision of their field that incorporates but far transcends the experimental social psychology familiar to Americans. Using concepts and data from a range of cultures, they address problems in developmental, personality, and applied psychology, with a particular emphasis on cross-cultural interactions and global change. Not since Roger Brown′s classic has a text made social psychology so interesting!′ - Robert R. McCrae
`This book is one of the best available texts on cross-cultural psychology. It reviews a large amount of cross-cultural studies and covers a wide range of perspectives on culture.… It reveals what is unique to cross-cultural psychology and reminds us that culture is central to the advancement of psychology as a discipline′ - Patricia M Rodriguez Mosquera, Brunel University
`The concept for this book is excellent. As a global society we have many pressing problems. It is wonderful to see these leading cross-cultural psychologists make a highly sophisticated effort at applying the resources of social psychology to the needs of cultures throughout the world′ - Jim Nelson, Valparaiso University, USA
Illustrating ways in which culture shapes psychological processes across a wide range of social contexts, Understanding Social Psychology Across Cultures examines the strengths and limitations of the key theories, methods and instruments used in cross-cultural research.
The book contains a broad range of pedagogical devices including: further reading and discussion questions at the end of each chapter; chapters on culture-level studies, personality and developmental issues, and a glossary of key terms.
PETER K SMITH is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Goldsmiths College, University of London, U.K. He has a first degree from University of Oxford, and a PhD from University of Sheffield. His main area of research is on school bullying. He is currently particularly interested in country differences and cross-cultural comparisons. He has also carried out research on children’s play; and on the role of grandparents in children’s development. He has been involved in bullying research for 30 years. In the UK he helped produce the national anti-bullying pack Don’t Suffer in Silence (1994, 2nd edition 2000). He chaired COST Action IS0801 on Cyberbullying (2008-2012). He chaired an Indian-European Research Networking Programme on Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Pupil Safety and Well-Being (2012-2015). He is currently on the Management Committee of COST Action CA18115, Transnational Collaboration on Bullying, Migration and Integration at School Level. In 2015 he was awarded the William Thierry Preyer award for Excellence in Research on Human Development, by the European Society for Developmental Psychology, and in 2018 the Student Wellbeing and Prevention of Violence (SWAPv) Award, from Flinders University, Australia. In December 2018 he received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Vienna.
Michael Harris Bond was born in Toronto, Canada in 1944, obtaining his PhD in social psychology from Stanford University in 1970. Working first at Kwansei Gakuin University in Japan, he next joined the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he was Professor of Social Psychology for many years. He has contributed to many aspects of cross-cultural psychology, focusing particularly on Chinese social behavior, comparative studies of belief systems, and improvements in cross-cultural research methods. He has published more than 270 papers and books in the field. In 2009, he was appointed Chair Professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
