Psych 386 Cultural Psychology Written Assignment 2 Guideline

Psyc 386 Cultural Psychology Written Assignment 2 Guidelines For

Psyc 386 Cultural Psychology Written Assignment 2 Guidelines For PSYC 386: Cultural Psychology Written Assignment #2 – Guidelines for Essays You are required to complete this writing assignment, which is worth 30% of your final grade. The assignment is due in .PDF form on CourseSpaces by Sunday, August 23rd by 10:00 PM. Late submissions will be penalized by a deduction of 10% per 12 hours late. Assignments will not be accepted after 4 days past the deadline. Please note that if you do not submit this assignment, you will receive an “N” in the course.

The purpose of this assignment is to research and write about a topic within cultural psychology that you are interested in. You are asked to choose a topic from one of the chapters in the textbook, and design a research paper based on your topic of interest. Be sure to design a topic that is narrow enough to be discussed within an approximately 8-page double-spaced assignment. Please note that you may not discuss the same topics that you explored with your group for Group Assignment #2, unless you are using vastly different sources/examples. Examples of topics may include (you may not write about these topics for your assignments): Ch. 1 – Compare and contrast three different definitions of culture; Ch. 11 – Recent research on the Propinquity Effect in Latin American cultures; Ch. 14 – Cross-cultural differences in psychotherapy. You may choose to write about ONE of the following broad topics: 1) Ch. 5 - Culture and development; 2) Ch. 7 - Living in a multicultural world; 3) Ch. 8 - Motivation; 4) Ch. 9 - Cognition and Perception; 5) Ch. 12 - Morality and Religion. Please submit a brief outline (via the Assignment function on CourseSpaces) of your specific topic by Sunday, August 9th at 11:00 am. The purpose of submitting a brief outline is to ensure that your paper is on the right track. As the assignment is fairly open-ended, it can be challenging to narrow down an appropriate topic.

This outline needs to include a one-paragraph description of your essay topic including your main topic/question, a brief outline of the objectives of your paper, and references for a minimum of one scholarly source. Please submit your outline in .PDF format. GUIDELINES FOR ESSAYS Your essay should be between words in length (not counting references). You must include information from a minimum of three scholarly sources (i.e., from scholarly journals), with at least one of these references being research papers (e.g., a study with data). You may use the textbook and non-scholarly sources to assist with definitions of terms, but not for your main discussion.

Assignments will only be accepted in .PDF format through the Assignments function on CourseSpaces. Essays will be graded out of 30 points based on the following: Brief outline (worth 10% of paper grade – 3 points) This brief outline must be submitted on CourseSpaces by Sunday, August 9th at 11:00 am (preferably sooner). Feedback will be provided on your outline to guide you on your topic, if needed, by Monday, August 10th at 9:00 am. Introduction (worth 10% of paper grade – 3 points) The purpose of this section is to present the topic and objective(s) of your paper. Clearly state the goal(s) of your paper. State the topic you will focus on and its relevance. Body of text (worth 40% of paper grade – 12 points) In the body of the text, you deal with the main issues (specific to the topic you select; e.g., a summary of the literature, comparison of literature, etc.). Your ability to integrate scholarly information to support your main points will heavily affect your final grade for this assignment. Make sure that your summary/arguments are clear and well organized. Use paragraph breaks and headings to structure your paper. Discussion and conclusion (worth 20% of paper grade – 6 points) The purpose of this section is to summarize/synthesize the points you have made in this paper. Restate the goal(s) of your paper. Raise open questions, suggest topics for future research, and discuss implications of your analysis. Express own reasoned opinion. Technical aspects (worth 10% of paper grade – 3 points) This includes your general writing style such as grammar, sentence structure, and spelling mistakes. There are to be no direct quotations, paraphrase instead (-0.5 points for each instance). References (worth 10% of paper grade – 3 points) All books, chapters, and articles cited in your paper must appear in the references list. The reference list should be labelled “References” and not “Bibliography” or “Works Cited”. A reference list is different from a bibliography in that the latter includes everything you have read, whether you cite it or not, whereas the reference list only includes articles you have discussed in your paper. The individual citations should not be numbered, and should appear in alphabetical order according to the first author’s last name. The reference list must follow APA 7th edition standards (hanges_7th_edition.html).

Paper For Above instruction

In cross-cultural psychology, understanding how culture shapes motivation is essential for appreciating diversity in human behavior. This paper examines the influence of cultural values on motivational processes, exploring how different cultural orientations—individualism and collectivism—affect goal setting, persistence, and the valuation of success. The analysis synthesizes findings from contemporary research studies and offers implications for educators and mental health professionals working in multicultural settings.

Introduction

The primary goal of this paper is to analyze how cultural values influence motivation across different societies. Specifically, it investigates how individualist and collectivist orientations shape motivational strategies, persistence in goal pursuit, and subjective valuation of success. The relevance of this topic lies in its applicability to multicultural settings where cultural backgrounds significantly impact motivation and performance.

Body

The literature indicates that individualistic cultures—such as those predominant in North America and Western Europe—tend to emphasize personal achievement, autonomy, and self-direction. Research by Markus and Kitayama (1991) underscores the importance of independence as a cultural ideal, which correlates with motivational strategies aimed at personal success. Conversely, collectivist societies—such as those in East Asia—prioritize group harmony, family obligations, and interdependence, which influence motivation differently. Studies by Triandis (1995) reveal that in collectivist contexts, motivation often aligns with social approval, maintaining social cohesion, and fulfilling group expectations.

Research by Kim and Markus (1999) demonstrates that motivational persistence in individualist cultures correlates with personal intrinsic rewards, whereas in collectivist cultures, persistence is often motivated by group loyalty and social approval. Moreover, the subjective evaluation of success varies, with individualist societies emphasizing personal achievement and collectivist societies emphasizing group harmony and social approval (Oyserman et al., 2002).

Understanding these cultural differences has profound implications for designing effective motivational strategies in multicultural classrooms and workplaces. Interventions tailored to cultural values can enhance engagement and persistence (Hofstede, 2001). For example, emphasizing personal achievement may motivate students in individualistic cultures, whereas highlighting group success and social harmony may be more effective in collectivist settings.

Discussion and Conclusion

In sum, cultural values play a crucial role in shaping motivational processes across societies. Recognizing whether a culture emphasizes individualism or collectivism can inform more effective motivational strategies both in educational contexts and organizational environments. Future research could investigate how hybrid cultural orientations influence motivation and the potential for cross-cultural adaptations of motivational models. Acknowledging these distinctions fosters a more inclusive understanding of human motivation and enhances intercultural communication and cooperation.

From my perspective, integrating cultural considerations into motivational theories enriches our understanding of human behavior and underscores the importance of context-specific approaches.

References

• Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture's consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations. Sage Publications.
• Kim, Y., & Markus, H. R. (1999). Deviance or clarification? A cross-cultural look at the symptoms of depression. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 30(2), 261–273.
• Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98(2), 224–253.
• Oyserman, D., Kemmelmeier, M., & Shelley, K. (2002). Cultures and self: A meta-analytical review. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33(4), 346–377.
• Triandis, H. C. (1995). Individualism & collectivism. Westview Press.