scholarly journals Cultural Consensus Theory as a Method for Evaluating Culturally Shared Beliefs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Van Doren
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Psychology ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Cultural Consensus ◽  
Consensus Theory ◽  
Shared Beliefs ◽  
Cultural Variables ◽  
Cultural Consensus Theory ◽  
Do So ◽  
Group Comparisons

A central endeavor in the study of culture and psychology is to understand how substantively meaningful cultural variables impact human behavior (e.g., cultural belief systems). Yet, the majority of studies within the field of cultural psychology neglect to do so, instead focusing primarily on group comparisons. One reason for this over-reliance on group comparisons may be the paucity of methods with which to adequately measure cultural variables. In the present paper, I describe a method for evaluating culturally shared phenomena, such as beliefs, based on Cultural Consensus Theory (CCT), and consider the utility of this approach as applied to the study of culture and psychology. Examples as to how this methodology can and has been applied are provided, as are comparisons it to other methods. In doing so, I demonstrate the potential for CCT methods to advance our understanding of cultural beliefs, while acknowledging the limitations inherent in the paradigm.

Other people feel loved when I feel loved: Cultural congruence in beliefs on love is related to well-being

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeideh Heshmati ◽  
Zita Oravecz
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cultural Consensus ◽  
Social Construct ◽  
Psychological Constructs ◽  
Shared Beliefs ◽  
Cultural Conformity

Cultural conformity in psychological constructs has been shown to play a critical role in people’s health and well-being (De Leersnyder, Kim, & Mesquita, 2015; Sels, Ceulemans, & Kuppens, 2018). The more people’s individual beliefs about a construct aligns with the cultural norms, their cultural identity is more cultivated, leading to higher levels of well-being (Heise & MacKinnon, 2010). Considering feeling loved in everyday contexts as a social construct that people indicate shared beliefs and cultural consensus for (Heshmati et al., 2019), in the current study, we explored congruency in cultural beliefs on love and its association with well-being in the United States. 495 participants in the United States evaluated everyday life scenarios in terms of whether they elicit loving feelings or not. We examined the correspondence between people's beliefs about what makes themselves (i.e., self) feel loved compared to what they think makes others feel loved and the cultural consensus on indicators of love. We then explored how individual differences in these correspondence measures are associated with people's well-being. We reported evidence for the lack as well as for the existence of these associations using Bayes Factors in the Bayesian statistical framework. Results indicated that both self-other and self-consensus agreements are meaningfully associated with individuals' well-being. Furthermore, when examining disagreements in self vs. other ratings of love, we found that one type of disagreement (believing other people feel loved in scenarios that I don’t), is associated with lower levels of well-being. This meaningful relationship to well-being was not visible in the case where a person would report feeling loved in a scenario while believing that others would not. Implications for well-being interventions are further discussed.

Cultural Consensus Theory for the Evaluation of Patients’ Mental Health Scores in Psychiatric Detention Centers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don van den Bergh ◽  
Eric-Jan Wagenmakers
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Psychiatric Hospitals ◽  
Likert Scale ◽  
Cultural Consensus ◽  
Consensus Theory ◽  
Uncertainty Estimates ◽  
Cultural Consensus Theory ◽  
The Individual ◽  
As If

In many forensic psychiatric hospitals, patients’ mental health is monitored at regular intervals. Typically, clinicians score patients using a Likert scale on multiple criteria including hostility. Having an overview of patients’ scores benefits staff members in at least three ways. First, the scores may help adjust treatment to the individual patient; second, the change in scores over time allows an assessment of treatment effectiveness; third, the scores may warn staff that particular patients are at high risk of turning violent, either before or after release. Practical importance notwithstanding, current practices for the analysis of mental health scores are suboptimal: evaluations from different clinicians are averaged (as if the Likert scale were linear and the clinicians identical), and patients are analyzed in isolation (as if they were independent). Uncertainty estimates of the resulting score are often ignored. Here we outline a quantitative program for the analysis of mental health scores using cultural consensus theory (CCT; Anders & Batchelder, 2015). CCT models take into account the ordinal nature of the Likert scale, the individual differences among clinicians, and the possible commonalities between patients. In a simulation, we compare the predictive performance of the CCT model to the current practice of aggregating raw observations and, as an alternative, against often-used machine learning toolboxes. In addition, we outline the substantive conclusions afforded by the application of the CCT model. We end with recommendations for clinical practitioners who wish to apply CCT in their own work.

A Formal Method for Detecting and Describing Cultural Complexity

Field Methods ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Lacy ◽  
Jeffrey G. Snodgrass ◽  
Mary C. Meyer ◽  
H. J. Francois Dengah ◽  
Noah Benedict
Keyword(s):  
Formal Method ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Cultural Consensus ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Cultural Complexity ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Formal Approach ◽  
Consensus Theory ◽  
Key Features ◽  
Cultural Consensus Theory

The most widely used formal approach to culture, the cultural consensus theory (CCT) of Romney, Weller, and Batchelder, originally relied on a priori definitions of cultural groups to map their unity and diversity. Retaining key features of classical CCT, we provide techniques to identify two or more cultural subgroups in a sample, whether those groups are known in advance or not. Our method helps CCT practitioners connect to contemporary approaches to culture in anthropology and related disciplines, which emphasize complexity. We suggest that our method provides reasonable and easily implementable approximations of cultural unity and diversity within a sample. In pursuing these matters, we contribute to other ongoing efforts to bring CCT closer to contemporary theorizing on cultural multiplicity, thus rendering CCT potentially more useful to a wider range of practicing social scientists.

I feel loved when other people feel loved: Cultural congruence in beliefs on love is related to well-being

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110365
Author(s):  
Saeideh Heshmati ◽  
Zita Oravecz
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cultural Consensus ◽  
Social Construct ◽  
Psychological Constructs ◽  
Shared Beliefs ◽  
Cultural Conformity

Cultural conformity in psychological constructs has been shown to play a critical role in people’s health and well-being. The more people’s individual beliefs about a construct aligns with the cultural norms, their cultural identity is more cultivated, leading to higher levels of well-being. Considering feeling loved in everyday contexts as a social construct that people indicate shared beliefs and cultural consensus for, in the current study, we explored congruency in cultural beliefs on love and its association with well-being in the United States. 495 participants in the United States evaluated everyday life scenarios in terms of whether they elicit loving feelings or not. We examined the correspondence between people’s beliefs about what makes themselves (i.e., self) feel loved compared to what they think makes others feel loved and the cultural consensus on indicators of love. We then explored how individual differences in these correspondence measures are associated with people’s well-being. We reported evidence for the lack as well as for the existence of these associations using Bayes Factors in the Bayesian statistical framework. Results indicated that both self-other and self-consensus agreements are meaningfully associated with individuals’ well-being. Furthermore, when examining disagreements in self vs. other ratings of love, we found that one type of disagreement (believing other people feel loved in scenarios that I don’t), is associated with lower levels of well-being. This meaningful relationship to well-being was not visible in the case where a person would report feeling loved in a scenario while believing that others would not. Implications for well-being interventions are further discussed.

Power in Relationships and Influencing Strategies for Condom Use: Exploring Cultural Beliefs among African American Men

2002 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Marie Harvey ◽  
Sheryl Thorburn Bird
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Condom Use ◽  
Unintended Pregnancy ◽  
African American Men ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Pregnancy Prevention ◽  
Cultural Consensus ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Shared Beliefs ◽  
Interactive Strategies

Interviews were conducted with 40 young African American men at risk of HIV/STIs and unintended pregnancy to explore cultural beliefs regarding 1) what makes men feel powerful in their relationships and 2) men's influencing strategies for condom use. Cultural consensus analyses were performed. Results indicated that the participants comprise a cultural group with shared beliefs about men's feelings of power and influencing strategies for condom use. Participants identified several factors that make men feel powerful (e.g., when they are able to provide for their families, are in control and make final decisions in their relationships). Regarding what men do to get their partners to use condoms, participants believed that men 1) use interactive strategies such as offering reasons for condom use; 2) use a variety of strategies involving condoms themselves; and 3) just ask their partners to use condoms. These cultural beliefs have important implications for HIV/STI and pregnancy prevention.

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