Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)

Course Description Status: Approved

Course Description Version: 25/26.P.2.00

Description Period: 2025./26 academic year pavasara semestris

Study Course Accepted: -

Study Course Description

Intercultural Psychology

Main Study Course Information

Course Code
VPUPK_130
Branch of Science
Psychology
ECTS
3.00
Target Audience
Psychology
LQF
Level 6
Study Type And Form
Full-Time; Part-Time

Study Course Implementer

Course Supervisor
Laima Dance
Structure Unit Manager
Kristīne Mārtinsone
Structural Unit
Department of Health Psychology and Paedagogy
Contacts

Riga,16 Dzirciema st., vppk@rsu.lv, +37167061587

About Study Course

Objective

Develop students’ knowledge of the basic principles and methodological considerations of intercultural psychology, critically evaluate interactions between culture and psychology, critically evaluate and interpret in a reasoned manner the impact of culture on the psychological processes of the individual and group in modern society.

Preliminary Knowledge

General Psychology. Cognitive Psychology. Personality and Developmental Psychology. Social Psychology. Clinical Psychology.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

1.Defines the concept of culture and the basic principles of intercultural psychology

Individual work and tests

Examination

2.Describes theoretical approaches and historical developments in intercultural psychology

Individual work and tests

Examination • Analysis of the intercultural situation

3.Describes expressions of universal and culture-specific psychological processes

Individual work and tests

Analysis of the intercultural situation • Examination

4.Identify methodological principles and challenges in intercultural research

Individual work and tests

Examination • Critical analysis of intercultural research

Skills

1.Analyses and explains the potential effects of different cultures on different aspects of psychological research and counselling, including the psychiatric conditions, processes, characteristics, behaviour of the individual and group individually and in the group.

2.Explains the cultural impact on an individual’s psychic processes, behaviour and identity.

Individual work and tests

Analysis of the intercultural situation • Examination

3.Salīdzina dažādas teorētiskās un metodoloģiskās pieejas starpkultūru psiholoģijā.

Individual work and tests

Examination

4.Analyses critical scientific sources in intercultural psychology.

Individual work and tests

Critical analysis of intercultural research

5.Theoretical knowledge and basic concepts shall be applied to explain social situations within the framework of intercultural psychology.

Individual work and tests

Analysis of the intercultural situation • Examination

6.Demonstrate academic thinking, precision in terminology and critical treatment of simplistic explanations of concepts of intercultural psychology.

Individual work and tests

Analysis of the intercultural situation • Critical analysis of intercultural research

Competences

1.Able to find, select and critically analyse scientific information and use it to explain concepts of intercultural psychology.

Individual work and tests

Critical analysis of intercultural research

2.Reflecting on the possibilities of application of basic concepts of intercultural psychology, ethical challenges in practice and the importance of cultural competence.

Individual work and tests

Analysis of the intercultural situation • Examination

Assessment

Individual work

Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.

Independent work
-
-

1. Self-consolidate lecture material by reading sources and preparing for knowledge testing work

2. Completing the course feedback survey.

Examination

Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.

Examination
40.00% from total grade
10 points

Test with 20 questions on topics included in the Intercultural Psychology course.
2.

Analysis of the intercultural situation
40.00% from total grade
10 points

Work in pairs, establish an analysis of the situation of intercultural psychology. Observe and describe one intercultural day-to-day situation. Analyse the situation on the basis of a specific concept of intercultural psychology. A description of the situation is inserted into one of the AI tools and the results are compared. Provides key findings when reflecting on the result. result to submit: PDF presentation
3.

Critical analysis of intercultural research
20.00% from total grade
10 points

Work in pairs, students choose one empirical study of intercultural psychology from the proposed list (or co-ordinate with the lecturer). Systematic critical analysis shall be carried out: defines the research question, theoretical framework, methodology, possible cultural prejudices, questions of equivalence, interpretation of results and practical conclusion. Offers recommendations for improving the study.

Study Course Theme Plan

FULL-TIME
Part 1

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Concept, definitions and structure of culture
Description
  • Culture as a system of meanings, norms and practices
  • Culture as a changing process (globalisation, migration)
  • cultural levels
  • The role of subcultural
  • culture in psychological adaptation
  • The history
  • of intercultural Psychology, psychological Anthropology and Ethnopsychology similarities and differences
  • in Intercultural Psychology

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Concept, definitions and structure of culture
Description
  • Culture as a system of meanings, norms and practices
  • Culture as a changing process (globalisation, migration)
  • cultural levels
  • The role of subcultural
  • culture in psychological adaptation
  • The history
  • of intercultural Psychology, psychological Anthropology and Ethnopsychology similarities and differences
  • in Intercultural Psychology

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Universal and Culture-specific in Psychology
Description

Intercultural psychology approaches: absolutism, relativism, universalism Universal and contextual processes limits on universal models in practice

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Universal and Culture-specific in Psychology
Description

Intercultural psychology approaches: absolutism, relativism, universalism Universal and contextual processes limits on universal models in practice

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Methodological considerations in intercultural psychology
Description
  • Linguistic, conceptual, metric equivalence
  • Bias, ethnocentrism, WEIRD samples
  • qualitative and quantitative approach
  • ETIC vs EMIC approach

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Methodological considerations in intercultural psychology
Description
  • Linguistic, conceptual, metric equivalence
  • Bias, ethnocentrism, WEIRD samples
  • qualitative and quantitative approach
  • ETIC vs EMIC approach

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Methodological challenges
Description
  • “Culture” as an overly general explanation
  • socio-economic, political and historical factors
  • The role of stereotypes in Science
  • critical Reading Intercultural Research

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Methodological challenges
Description
  • “Culture” as an overly general explanation
  • socio-economic, political and historical factors
  • The role of stereotypes in Science
  • critical Reading Intercultural Research

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Cognitive processes, self-perception and identity in culture
Description
  • Analytical vs holistic thinking
  • Independent and interdependent self
  • identity as a layered process
  • models of ethnic identity formation and transformation
  • personality traits (Big 5)

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Cognitive processes, self-perception and identity in culture
Description
  • Analytical vs holistic thinking
  • Independent and interdependent self
  • identity as a layered process
  • models of ethnic identity formation and transformation
  • personality traits (Big 5)

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Emotions, motivation and social behaviour
Description
  • Universalism and specificity of emotion
  • shame, guilt, honour
  • motivation and
  • morality and social behaviour
  • of the value system

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Emotions, motivation and social behaviour
Description
  • Universalism and specificity of emotion
  • shame, guilt, honour
  • motivation and
  • morality and social behaviour
  • of the value system

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Aculturation, migration and global factors
Description
  • Intercultural communication processes
  • Berry aculturation model
  • aculturation stress

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Aculturation, migration and global factors
Description
  • Intercultural communication processes
  • Berry aculturation model
  • aculturation stress

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Cultural competence
Description
  • Cultural competence and its role
  • in health inequalities
  • ethical considerations
  • of digital intervention and technology
  • in a cross-cultural context

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Cultural competence
Description
  • Cultural competence and its role
  • in health inequalities
  • ethical considerations
  • of digital intervention and technology
  • in a cross-cultural context
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
32 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)
PART-TIME
Part 1

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Concept, definitions and structure of culture
Description
  • Culture as a system of meanings, norms and practices
  • Culture as a changing process (globalisation, migration)
  • cultural levels
  • The role of subcultural
  • culture in psychological adaptation
  • The history
  • of intercultural Psychology, psychological Anthropology and Ethnopsychology similarities and differences
  • in Intercultural Psychology

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Universal and Culture-specific in Psychology
Description

Intercultural psychology approaches: absolutism, relativism, universalism Universal and contextual processes limits on universal models in practice

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Methodological considerations in intercultural psychology
Description
  • Linguistic, conceptual, metric equivalence
  • Bias, ethnocentrism, WEIRD samples
  • qualitative and quantitative approach
  • ETIC vs EMIC approach

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Methodological challenges
Description
  • “Culture” as an overly general explanation
  • socio-economic, political and historical factors
  • The role of stereotypes in Science
  • critical Reading Intercultural Research

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Cognitive processes, self-perception and identity in culture
Description
  • Analytical vs holistic thinking
  • Independent and interdependent self
  • identity as a layered process
  • models of ethnic identity formation and transformation
  • personality traits (Big 5)

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Emotions, motivation and social behaviour
Description
  • Universalism and specificity of emotion
  • shame, guilt, honour
  • motivation and
  • morality and social behaviour
  • of the value system

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Aculturation, migration and global factors
Description
  • Intercultural communication processes
  • Berry aculturation model
  • aculturation stress

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Auditorium
2

Topics

Cultural competence
Description
  • Cultural competence and its role
  • in health inequalities
  • ethical considerations
  • of digital intervention and technology
  • in a cross-cultural context
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
16 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)

Bibliography

Required Reading

1.

Shiraev E. B., Levy D. A.. (2024). Cross-cultural psychology:Critical Thinking and Contemporary Applications. 8th Edition. Routledge.

2.

Stevenson, A. (2020). Cultural issues in psychology : An introduction to a global discipline. Taylor & Francis Group.

3.

Dragūns, J. & Mārtinsone, K. (2015). Psiholoģija un kultūra. No: K. Mārtinsone, A. Miltuze (Red.). Psiholoģija 2. Personība, grupa, sabiedrība, kultūra. Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC. 245 – 287.lpp.

Additional Reading

1.

Arnett, J. J., Arnett J. L. (2020). Human development : a cultural approach. 3rd edition.

2.

Berry, J.W., Poortinga, Y. H., Breugelmans, S. M., Chasiotis, A., & Sam, D.L. (2011). Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

3.

Matsumoto, D. & van de Vijver, F.J. R. (Eds.). (2011). Cross-cultural research methods in psychology. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Other Information Sources

1.

Cross-Cultural Research.

2.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

3.

Personality and Individual Differences.