Ideological Asymmetries and the Essence of Political Psychology

Individuals are not merely passive vessels of whatever beliefs and opinions they have been exposed to; rather, they are attracted to belief systems that resonate with their own psychological needs and interests, including epistemic, existential, and relational needs to attain certainty, security, and social belongingness. Jost, Glaser, Kruglanski, and Sulloway ( 2003 ) demonstrated that needs to manage uncertainty and threat were associated with core values of political conservatism, namely respect for tradition and acceptance of inequality. Since 2003 there have been far more studies on the psychology of left‐right ideology than in the preceding half century, and their empirical yield helps to address lingering questions and criticisms. We have identified 181 studies of epistemic motivation (involving 130,000 individual participants) and nearly 100 studies of existential motivation (involving 360,000 participants). These databases, which are much larger and more heterogeneous than those used in previous meta‐analyses, confirm that significant ideological asymmetries exist with respect to dogmatism, cognitive/perceptual rigidity, personal needs for order/structure/closure, integrative complexity, tolerance of ambiguity/uncertainty, need for cognition, cognitive reflection, self‐deception, and subjective perceptions of threat. Exposure to objectively threatening circumstances—such as terrorist attacks, governmental warnings, and shifts in racial demography—contribute to modest “conservative shifts” in public opinion. There are also ideological asymmetries in relational motivation, including the desire to share reality, perceptions of within‐group consensus, collective self‐efficacy, homogeneity of social networks, and the tendency to trust the government more when one's own political party is in power. Although some object to the very notion that there are meaningful psychological differences between leftists and rightists, the identification of “elective affinities” between cognitive‐motivational processes and contents of specific belief systems is essential to the study of political psychology. Political psychologists may contribute to the development of a good society not by downplaying ideological differences or advocating “Swiss‐style neutrality” when it comes to human values, but by investigating such phenomena critically, even—or perhaps especially—when there is pressure in society to view them uncritically.     

当代心理学文化兴起方法论困境与路向

今天的科学心理学执意于自然科学研究品格,试图将心理学创建成为有着与自然科学同样品质的学科门类,从而陷入科学与非科学之争的“康德式难题”尴尬境地。心理学文化兴起为学界提供了研究心理学与文化之间关系的新视角。但是,由于思维方式和方法论二元对立的局限性。使心理学走进了难以超越的困境。心理学文化兴起新路向在于思维方式的转向,从关注外在于人的文化或外在于文化的人转向对人的心理与文化之间的关联和互动层面。     

Culture and Acculturation Influences on Palestinian Perceptions of Prenatal Genetic Counseling

Patient cultural backgrounds strongly influence decision-making processes and outcomes in genetic counseling. The present study investigated influences of culture and acculturation on prenatal decision making processes of native Palestinians and Palestinian Americans. Seventeen native Palestinians and 14 first-generation, Palestinian Americans were interviewed and asked to imagine themselves as patients in hypothetical premarital and prenatal situations. Five major issues were investigated: 1) Influence of family history of an inherited condition on pre-marital decisions; 2) Perceptions of non-directive genetic counselor statements regarding options; 3) Role of gender in prenatal decisions; 4) Gender differences in emotional expression; and 5) Role of family and society in prenatal decisions. Several similarities and differences in native Palestinian and Palestinian American responses were obtained. Similarities appear to be due to common cultural roots, while differences may be due to acculturation. Practice and research recommendations are provided. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Spirituality,Culture and Mental Health: Prospects and Risks for Contemporary Psychology of Religion

This paper asks whether: (1) psychology of religion is doing what it is supposed to do, (2) the contemporary psychological attention to religion and spirituality is perhaps of a transgressive nature, and (3) conceptualizations of spirituality in psychological publications are biased. It makes a plea for phenomenologically well-informed research on real forms of religion and spirituality, from a perspective that is as broad as psychology at present has become, with due regard for both the cultural make-up of the phenomena and the unavoidable limits of psychologists' professional competence.     

中国文化下组织政治技能的结构及问卷的编制

本文旨在探讨中国文化背景下,组织政治技能概念的内涵和结构以及编制相应测量工具。研究先对11人进行了关于组织政治技能概念内涵的半结构化访谈,然后以667人为被试,按照严格的心理测量学程序,探讨了中国文化背景下组织政治技能的结构,并编制了一套相应的组织政治技能量表。结果表明：中国文化背景下的组织政治技能为二阶因子模型,量表既包含了以往研究的成果,又体现了中国文化的独特性,具有较好的效度和信度,并具有广泛应用前景。     

Religion in the Context of Culture, Theology, and Global Ethics

The theme of this symposium is distinctive and challenging, because it incorporates the dimensions of interreligious reflection, theology, science, and ethics. This article presents a palette of issues that are both challenge and resource for approaching the theme. Three sets of issues are considered: (1) the role of religion in culture, (2) theological interpretation of nature, disease, and evil, and (3) the fashioning of a global ethic.     

共同管理文化的新模式及其应用

跨文化的心理差异造成了跨文化的管理理论、思想、制度和方法。为了减少合资企业中中外双方的冲突与碰撞 ,作者提出一种能为双方共同接受的新而有效的管理模式——共同管理文化新模式。共同管理文化 (CMC)下分结构组织模式与系统展开模式两部分。对近 3 0家合资企业的调研结果表明 ,在先进技术的引进过程中 ,合资动机的匹配 ,信息交流等都决定于共同管理文化模式的完善程度。理论、实证、案例分析都证实 CMC是中外合资企业新而有效的管理模式 ,应用这一模式会有明显的经济、社会效益。     

Unity and Diversity in American Political Culture: An Exploratory Study of the National Conversation on American Pluralism and Identity

Drawing on participant observation and quantitative analysis, this paper investigates the National Conversation on American Pluralism and Identity, a series of local conversation projects organized by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1995 and 1996. After linking this program to debates about American political culture, the paper analyzes the observational and survey data in light of five hypotheses about the conversations. The conversations reveal fundamental, unresolved dilemmas regarding the compatibility between American identity and ethnic pluralism, although the participants sometimes cope with these dilemmas in culturally creative ways.     

Harry Potter and Contemporary Magic: Fantasy Literature,Popular Culture,and the Representation of Religion

This article discusses the reasons for the religious reactions to the Harry Potter novels, arguing that the books contribute to, and reflect, the reconfiguration of religion in contemporary society. The article analyses the media qualities of fantasy literature and the specific representation of magic in the novels and argues that these aspects form an important part of the reasons for the religious reactions. Fantasy literature and other popular culture that represents and mediates religious expressions and phenomena actively contribute to the reconfiguration of, and communication about, religion in contemporary society and are thus of consequence for what we understand ‘religion’ to be in the study of religions.     

《格萨尔》史诗中的生态文化及其现代转换

《格萨尔》史诗蕴藏的丰富的生态文化起源于原始崇拜与宗教信仰,其哲理基础是二元的,藏传佛教“众生平等”的宗教理念是史诗中生态文化的主要哲理基础。古代藏族人民以宗教信仰与宗教惩罚、部落法规及习俗禁忌等社会机制为手段对藏区的自然生态进行了有效的保护,在藏区建立了和谐的生态环境。在生态问题叠出的今天,探讨史诗中的传统生态文化向现代生态文化的转换则具有极为重要的现实意义。建立正确的生态伦理观与自然观,转变生态理念,完善生态保护的制度化、规范化则是进行现代转换的三条主要途径。唯此,《格萨尔》史诗才能在生态的21世纪更加凸显其传统生态文化的现代意义。     

大学生时间管理倾向的测量及与文化取向的关系

依据时间管理的相关理论,参照国内外已有的相关问卷和量表,提出时间管理问卷的结构。对872份有效数据进行探索性和验证性因素分析,同时考察了价值观与时间管理的关系。研究结果表明：（1）大学生时间管理倾向问卷包括6个因子：即规划性、拖延性、时间透视性、自觉控制性、混乱倾向性和抗压性;（2）问卷的内部一致性信度、分半信度和重测信度均较高,问卷具有良好的信效度;（3）价值观中的垂直个人主义对时间管理倾向中的计划性、自觉控制性和混乱倾向性有显著预测作用;价值观中的垂直集体主义对时间透视和抗压力有显著的正向预测作用。     

从自然到文化：药的汉字原型及其心理隐喻

在中医药文化中,药草不仅可以疗愈身体疾病,同时还拥有极其丰富的心理隐喻。首先,对汉字“药”之原型意象探讨与研究发现：药“乐草”的意象与身心疗愈功能遥相呼应;其次,药在不同文化中都是重要的文化隐喻,从社会−文化层面可隐喻国家治理,从个体层面则关涉身心疗愈与自我救赎;再次,就药之功用与心理治疗关系而言,中药治身的“医理”与心理治疗治心的“心理”在理论与实践上具有一致性;最后,中药自然属性可对治身体的偏性,而药的文化心性隐喻则可对治心灵的偏颇,为迷失的自我找到疗愈的“心药”。

     

The Pursuit of Happiness and Its Relationship to the Meta‐experience of Emotions and Culture

In this commentary, I provide a brief background of the meta‐experience of emotions, the philosophical and psychological literature on happiness, and further discuss the influence of culture on happiness. The meta‐experience of emotions implies that there are primary and secondary emotions (i.e., emotions about emotions), similar to the concept of meta‐cognitions. Primary and secondary emotions are closely associated with one's cultural background and happiness. Most scholars throughout history believe that happiness per se cannot be taught. However, it is possible to teach practices that lead to the path towards happiness. Promising strategies include loving‐kindness and compassion meditation. These strategies are based on Buddhist teachings, which are deeply rooted in a collectivistic culture. This illustrates the close association among emotions, approaches towards happiness, and cultural background.     

Nondirectiveness and Its Lay Interpretations: The Effect of Counseling Style, Ethnicity and Culture on Attitudes Towards Genetic Counseling Among Jewish and Bedouin Respondents in Israel

To evaluate the effects of ethnicity, culture, and counseling style on the interpretation of nondirectiveness in genetic counseling, a questionnaire containing premarital and prenatal case vignettes in two versions (pessimistic/optimistic) was administered to 281 Jewish and 133 Bedouin respondents. The first study population was comprised of Jewish students enrolled in a university and a community college in the Negev (southern part of Israel). The second study population was comprised of Muslim-Bedouin college students from the same area. The majority of Jewish respondents interpreted the nondirective message as intended by counselors, while the majority of Bedouin respondents did not. Counseling style was found to have a statistically significant effect on the interpretation of the general role of counseling. Gender and susceptibility were not found to have a significant effect on interpretation. Group differences are analyzed through a cultural lens in which different interpretive norms can generate expectations for either nondirectiveness or directiveness.     

In the Name of Culture and Religion: The Political Function of Blasphemy in Islamic States

ABSTRACT

This article argues that blasphemy laws and a cultural relativist approach to human rights have a political function in authoritarian states. Islamic states use a strong cultural relativist approach to justify their dismal human rights record. The main aim of this approach, however, is survival. The article shows how Islamic countries use religion for their own political survival purposes and how blasphemy laws are often used to silence critique of political, social and religious orders that infringe on basic human rights. From this perspective, blasphemy laws are tools of oppression, not a symbol of cultural and religious difference. By highlighting how blasphemy laws and a cultural relativist approach to religion have been used as tools of oppression by authoritarian regimes, the article underscores the importance of freedom of expression for any functioning democracy.