scholarly journals Cross-cultural framework of anthropomorphism toward robots. Differences across cultures and ontological limits in current frameworks.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Spatola ◽  
Serena Marchesi ◽  
Agnieszka Wykowska
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Current View ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Perception Of Robots ◽  
Asian Participant ◽  
Mental Properties ◽  
The Individual

Anthropomorphism describes the tendency to ascribe nonhuman agents with characteristics and capacities such as cognitions, intentions, or emotions. Due to the increased interest in social robotic, anthropomorphism has become a core concept of human-robot interaction (HRI) studies. However, the wide use of this concept resulted in an interchangeability of its definition along with a lack of integrative approaches. In the present study, we propose a framework of anthropomorphism encompassing three levels of integration: cultural (i.e. animism beliefs), individual (i.e. mentalization, spiritualization, humanization tendencies), and attributional (i.e. cognition, emotion, intention attributions). We also acknowledge the westernized bias of the current view of anthropomorphism and develop a cross-cultural approach. In two studies, participants from different cultures completed various tasks and questionnaires assessing their animism beliefs, individual tendencies to imbue robots with mental properties (i.e. mentalization), spirit (i.e. spiritualization), and consider them as more or less human (i.e. humanization). We also evaluated their attributions of mental anthropomorphic characteristics to robots (i.e. cognition, emotion, intention). Our results demonstrate, in both experiments, that the three levels model reliably explain the collected data and that culture modulates the integration point of the cultural beliefs at the individual level. In addition, in experiment 2, the analyses show a more anthropocentric view of the mind for Western than East-Asian participants do. As such, Western perception of robots depends more on humanization while mentalization is the core of the East-Asian participant model. We further discuss these results in relation to the anthropomorphism literature and argue for the use of integrative cross-cultural model in HRI research.

scholarly journals The prevalence of extra-lethal violence across cultures in warfare

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Aaron Z. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Analysis ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Costly Signaling ◽  
Human Relations ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Direct Benefit ◽  
Lethal Violence ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Decisive Advantage

Extra-Lethal Violence, a form of physical aggression that goes beyond the necessity to kill someone, presents a conundrum: it is inefficient and dangerous to produce, especially during warfare. Extra-Lethal Violence, particularly when it manifests in warfare, does not contribute to the immediate survival of individuals; the time, effort, and lack of awareness of surroundings or other attack suggests that Extra-Lethal Violence could be maladaptive at the individual level or in the short term. Yet this individually risky behavior that seems to have no direct benefit to the aggressor is both common and persistent across time and space. We utilized the electronic Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) to conduct a cross cultural analysis of the prevalence and potential predictors of Extra-Lethal Violence. Our research indicates that Extra-Lethal Violence is present across all populated regions of the world, for the entire timespan of the ethnographic record up to the ethnographic present, across subsistence, marriage, and social complexity levels. Our research suggests that Costly Signaling Theory (CST) is currently the best explanation for this behavior. Extra-Lethal Violence can be characterized as a difficult to fake, clear indicator of martial skill and physical fitness that has a high broadcast efficiency, both within and between groups. Rather than allowing behaviors such as Extra-Lethal Violence to be labeled as 'abhorrent' or 'disgusting,' we must view Extra-Lethal Violence in the same light as the cavalry, the ironclads, or nuclear weapons: societies seeking a decisive advantage over their enemies, utilizing available resources, be they material or behavioral.

scholarly journals Cross-Cultural Variations in Extreme Rejecting and Extreme Affirming Response Styles

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 955-971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tieyuan Guo ◽  
Roy Spina
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Response Style ◽  
Response Styles ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Cultural Variations ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Individual

Previous research has discussed cultural differences in moderacy vs extremity response styles. The present research found that cultural differences in response styles were more complex than previously speculated. We investigated cross-cultural variations in extreme rejecting versus affirming response biases. Although research has indicated that overall Chinese have less extreme responses than Westerners, the difference may be mainly driven by extreme rejecting responses because respondents consider answering survey questions as a way of interacting with researchers, and extreme rejecting responses may disrupt harmony in relationships, which is valued more in Chinese collectivistic culture than in Western individualistic cultures. Studies 1 and 2 revealed that Chinese had less extreme rejecting response style than did British, whereas they did not differ in extreme affirming response style. Study 2 further revealed that the cross-cultural asymmetry in extreme rejecting versus affirming response styles was partially accounted for by individualism orientation at the individual level. Consistently, Study 3 revealed that at the country level, individualism was positively associated with extreme rejecting response style, but was not associated with extreme affirming response style, suggesting that individualism accounted for the asymmetric cultural variation in extreme rejecting versus affirming response styles.

scholarly journals Gender Disparity in STEM Across Cultures

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-313
Author(s):  
Aditi Rabindra Sachdev
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Psychology ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Gender Disparity ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Perspective ◽  
Stem Fields ◽  
Gender Inequity ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Empirically Supported ◽  
And Mathematics

Miner et al. (2018) claim that focusing on individual factors to understand gender inequity in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) provides an incomplete explanation of the phenomenon. They challenge the appropriateness of individual-level explanations that hold women responsible for the injustices they experience, suggesting that this perspective fails to consider larger social-contextual influences. Instead, to explain gender disparity in the STEM fields, Miner et al. offer a social-structural lens through which to view the situation that relies on commonly held beliefs about women in society. The inequality that characterizes these fields, however, is a worldwide phenomenon that spans societal boundaries. Therefore, understanding the social-contextual factors that contribute to gender inequality in the STEM fields requires a cross-cultural examination of norms and values. In this commentary, I first outline a program of research aimed at developing an empirically supported theoretical framework that explains gender inequity in the STEM fields from a cross-cultural perspective. Then, I review the ways in which cultural beliefs influence education and careers in the STEM fields. Finally, I provide some practical suggestions of ways to promote gender equality in STEM fields. As such, this commentary serves as a call to integrate concepts from vocational, educational, and cross-cultural psychology to address an issue of upmost importance: equal representation.

Origins of values differences: A multi-level test of economic, climatic and parasite stress explanations in the value domain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
National Level ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
National Wealth ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Self Transcendence ◽  
The Individual

What variables explain cross-cultural differences in values? In this study, plausible origins of cultural differences in self-rated values are investigated in two independent samples with multi-level modeling to test the robustness and replicability of effects. Differences in wealth and the interaction between wealth by climate showed strongest correlations with value ratings in nationally representative data (Ns = 71,916 & 74,042). The effects of wealth on openness values were convergent across levels (higher wealth is associated with more openness values), but operated in opposing directions for self-transcendence values (national wealth is associated with self-transcendent values, individual wealth is associated with self-enhancing values). Extending climate-economic theory of culture to the individual level, higher education as a cognitive resource of individuals buffered climatic demands in relation to openness to change values. Therefore, education may act as an important individual level that can explain and unpackage previously reported nation-level results. Parasite stress at the national level did not significantly predict values, after controlling for other variables.

Adolescent Mothers’ Life Trajectory: What is Dimming Their Futures?

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 122-133
Author(s):  
Laramie Nicole Riggs
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Mothers ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Adolescent Motherhood ◽  
Beliefs And Values ◽  
Primary Determinant ◽  
Life Trajectory ◽  
The Individual

For years, researchers contended that early pregnancy was the primary determinant for poor life outcomes for adolescent mothers (Hayes, 1987, as cited in SmithBattle 2007, p 410). More recently, the flaws in these assumptions have surfaced as theories such as the general systems theory on human behavior are gaining traction. This states that from the individual level (social interactions, cultural beliefs and values, degree of self-efficacy) to the environmental level (family, peer groups, societal norms, social class, economic status, racism), the widening disparity along one’s developmental life course reveals outcomes unique to a person and their experiences (Coie et al., 1993, pp 1014, 1016). The intertwined nature of these systems, each of which will be discussed in further sections, have altered the direction of research concerning sources of poor life outcomes commonly attributed to adolescent motherhood.

scholarly journals Explaining the reasons for not maintaining the health guidelines to prevent COVID-19 in high-risk jobs: a qualitative study in Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neda SoleimanvandiAzar ◽  
Seyed Fahim Irandoost ◽  
Sina Ahmadi ◽  
Tareq Xosravi ◽  
Hadi Ranjbar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Economic Support ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Background Although the workers in many occupations are at the greatest risk of catching and spreading COVID-19 due to assembling and contacting people, the owners of these occupations do not follow COVID-19 health instructions. The purpose of this study is to explain the reasons for not maintaining health guidelines to prevent COVID-19 in high-risk jobs in Iran. Methods The present study was conducted with a qualitative approach among people with high-risk jobs in Tehran during March and April of 2020. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 31 people with high-risk occupations selected by purposeful sampling and snowballing. The data were analyzed using the conventional qualitative content analysis method and MAXQDA-18 software. Guba and Lincoln’s criteria were also used to evaluate the quality of the research results. Results 4 main categories and 13 sub-categories were obtained, including individual factors (personality traits, lack of self-efficacy, little knowledge of the disease and how to observe health norms related to it, misconceptions about health), structural factors (difficulty of access to health supplies, lack of supportive environment, weak laws and supervision, the poor performance of officials and national media), economic factors (economic costs of living, lack of government economic support), Socio-cultural factors (learning, cultural beliefs, social customs, and rituals). Conclusion COVID-19 prevention requires intervention at different levels. At the individual level: increasing people’s awareness and understanding about how to prevent COVID-19 and strengthening self-efficacy in observing health norms, at the social level: highlighting positive patterns of observing health issues and training people about the consequences of social interactions during the outbreak of the virus, and at the macro level: strengthening regulatory rules and increasing people’s access to hygienic products and support for the vulnerable must be taken into account.

scholarly journals A pragmatic approach to the analysis of marketing adaptation to Russian national culture

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-46
Author(s):  
A. N. Tikhomirova
Keyword(s):  
Marketing Strategy ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Pragmatic Approach ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Strategy Adaptation ◽  
Fast Moving Consumer Goods ◽  
The Individual

There are a great number of transnational corporations operating all over the world. All of them are facing the issue of national culture, and cross-cultural difference is of vital importance. Choosing appropriate marketing strategy assures success or failure on the international market. The concept of culture is very dynamic and requires constant observation. The tasks marketing managers started to deal with became more complex, requiring cultural sensitivity and ability to overcome cross-cultural differences.The research, presented in this paper, attempts to analyze whether national culture affects marketing strategy of international companies. The framework of cultural dimensions developed by Hofstede was taken as a basis for the analysis of Russian national culture. The author resorts to the quantitative approach based on the conducted survey and analyzes data collected in the Russian Federation. At first cultural values were used to identify Russia. Cultural values were measured at the individual level and compared to the previous findings on Russian culture. Analysis of differences in cultural values on the individual level among Russian population has shown that there is some kind of difference between previous findings related to Russia and findings obtained during the research. The level of adaptation was evaluated from the consumers’ point of view. Questionnaire was designed based on the analyzed literature, and obtained data was statistically analyzed with SPSS. Linear regression and correlation analysis were used to prove the hypotheses of the research work. Though Russian national culture was depicted as unique with a great number of peculiarities, in the industries, analyzed in this paper, the connection between marketing strategy adaptation and uncertainty avoidance, and marketing strategy adaptation and dimension of collectivism for fast moving consumer goods was proved statistically.The second stage of the research included the analysis of the empirical evidence of the cultural adaptation of the advertisement of fast moving consumer goods for the Russian consumer. A number of samples were analyzed, and two cases are presented in the paper. The pragmatic approach was used for the analysis of the empirical data.The results of the study add to the theoretical knowledge about the relationship between cultural dimensions in Russia and marketing strategies employed by transnational companies. They also contribute to the knowledge about Russian consumers’ behavior patterns. The framework can be potentially applied to other spheres of professional business in Russia.

The entrepreneurial advantages of experiencing foreignness: leveraging shocks for capability clusters

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Pidduck
Keyword(s):  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Common Mechanism ◽  
Cultural Experience ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Core ◽  
Cultural Experiences ◽  
Intercultural Interactions ◽  
The Individual

Purpose Drawing on the “shocks to the system” concept in image theory, a mid-range theoretical model is developed to illuminate understanding on why cross-cultural experience is so conducive to stimulating entrepreneurship yet has remained largely unexplained at the individual level.Design/methodology/approach The novel idea is put forth that experience of foreignness, in itself, can be harnessed as a powerful cognitive resource for entrepreneurship – particularly the nascent stages of new venture development. Providing cross-cultural exposures arouse “self-image shocks”, they manifest over time as skill clusters that reflect the sensing, seizing and transforming capabilities at the heart of entrepreneurship. This paper's pivot helps delineate a common mechanism to explain how a diverse range of seemingly disparate cross-cultural experiences can be processed in a way that enhances entrepreneurial pursuits.Findings The insights of this paper reinforce the need for educators and policymakers to encourage and provide opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to engage in cross-cultural and overseas exposures as they are influential for stimulating each of the core sets of entrepreneurial capabilities. The model and synthesis table also help to practically unpack how to design and plan such cultural experiences to optimize the enduring entrepreneurial advantages.Originality/value The author turns a long-standing assumption surrounding cultural differences in entrepreneurship on its head. The shocks and tensions arising from intercultural interactions are not always inevitable liabilities to be “managed away” or attenuated. Rather, cross-cultural experience can be explicitly leveraged as an asset for nascent venturing as the juxtapositions they evoke provide both proximal and distal enhancements to ways in which entrepreneurs think and develop skills at the core of venturing.

scholarly journals A glorious warrior in war: Cross-cultural evidence of honor culture, social rewards for warriors, and intergroup conflict

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-611
Author(s):  
Kengo Nawata
Keyword(s):  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Intergroup Conflict ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Honor Culture ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Intergroup Conflicts ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Social Rewards

Previous research has shown that honor culture and honor ideology enhance interpersonal and intergroup aggressiveness at the individual level. This study aimed to examine collective-level relationships among honor culture, social rewards for warriors, and intergroup conflict. To demonstrate these relationships, I used the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample, which contains data on 186 mainly preindustrial societies from all over the world. The analysis demonstrated that honor culture, which values males’ toughness and aggression, has a positive relationship with frequency of intergroup conflicts. In addition, social rewards (praise, prestige, and status) for warriors mediated the relationship between honor culture and frequency of intergroup conflict. These results imply that the collective-level processes of honor culture enhance intergroup conflicts through the social reputations of warriors who participate in war.

Whence, how and when psychological capital enhances job performance: Insights from an east–west conceptual synthesis

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-139
Author(s):  
V Venkatanagarajan ◽  
TJ Kamalanabhan
Keyword(s):  
Job Performance ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Positive Core ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Individual

The positive core construct of psychological capital (PsyCap) continues to garner a great deal of enduring heed from academicians and practitioners alike. While studies have continually been attesting to PsyCap’s positive influence on job performance, there is an obvious silence in the literature as to the cross-cultural implications for PsyCap formation and management. Besides, little is known about the underlying mechanisms and the team-level boundary conditions of the PsyCap–job performance relationship. Addressing these gaps, this article speculates a blend of ancient Indian and contemporary Western psychological perspectives. In particular, we theorize the role of trigunas (three trait-like components namely sattwa, rajas and tamas) on PsyCap formation, the mediating role of organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) in the PsyCap–job performance relationship and the moderating role of supervisors’ authentic leadership behaviour in the relationship between trigunas, PsyCap, OBSE and job performance of their followers at the individual level. Research propositions based on the proposed conceptual model are presented. Implications of such a conceptual blend for cross-cultural management and future research directions conclude the article.

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