Blog 10:
As we approach the end of this course I feel that I have achieved the course objectives. I have become familiar with psychological research and theory that examines the influence of culture and psychology. Along with becoming familiar with psychological research and theory, I have also formed an understanding of cultural diversity and the impact of culture on human life. My attitudes about Cross-Cultural Psychology have changed for the better during the course. I have achieved a greater understanding and appreciation for cross-cultural psychology. If I could take this course over again one thing I would do differently is stay on top of assignment due dates. One way that I have grown academically over the last few months is by developing the skill of integrating learning between courses. A skill that I have developed specifically in this course that I can use in my professional life is intercultural understanding. In my professional career I interact with people from various cultures and having intercultural competence is important for mutual understanding and building positive relationships.
Blog 8:
Working in the hospital setting I have had many encounters with people from various cultural backgrounds. Based on my experience with communicating with a variety of different cultures I can confirm that people from different cultural backgrounds express themselves differently. As discussed in the article “Emotion Perception Across Cultures”, published in Psychology Today, culture-specific display rules have an impact on communication and expression. As an Black American, I can say that the display rules I have learned are different from the rules that other cultures may have learned. For example, It is easier for me to read the emotions of other Black Americans due to the shared display rules that we have learned as a child. Whereas, with patients from other cultures there have been times that emotions, especially facial cues, have been hard to read due to lack of knowledge of their culture-specific display rules. What I may consider as rude such as invading my personal definition of personal space has been a norm for patients and seen as being friendly in other cultures. I have learned that certain facial cues that are common within my culture are not necessarily a universal cue that is understood among all cultures. This has in the past created a slight cultural barrier that has interfered with communication interpretation.
Blog 7:
I believe that fairy tales are a reflection of a shared set of cultural norms and values. Within cultures stories are created and passed along from one generation to the next. These stories are composed of cultural norms and values that the listeners can relate and connect to. The stories are used to emphasize a value that is held in the culture that can then be used in real life. One of the values that is commonly highlighted in fairy tales is the concept of egalitarianism. This example may be a little far fetch but it was the first fairy tale that came to mind. The fairy tale of Cinderella came to mind as an example of egalitarianism. In the fairy tale the prince did not pick the wealthy woman nor the woman with all the dazzling jewels and satin dresses but rather the girl that did not have much. This shows that status is not important and in this case all the women had an equal chance and the woman that fit the slipper was the “underdog” within that society. This example shows younger children that status is not everything and that it is possible for the underdog to be the winner in the end.
A fairy tale that I identify with and that has positively influenced me is Princess and the Frog. In this story the viewer follows a young African American woman. She highlights the values of hard work and perseverance. After working hard she is able to achieve her goals of opening up a restaurant. In life I take those values along with me. All the hard work will pay off in the end.
Blog 4:
I did fairly well on this exam. In order to do well on this exam, I implemented various study techniques. One of the techniques I used was studying notes that I had taken throughout the chapters. Reviewing my notes prior to the test helps to refresh the knowledge I have learned thus far. Along with reviewing the notes, I also reviewed the Power Points located in each module. Sometimes you may miss information in your notes that the Power Points may discuss. Going over the Power Points helps to catch any information I may have missed the first time I viewed it. A combination of all of these techniques will continue to help me with future tests.
Blog 3:
After completing the NEO personality test, I was shocked to see how accurate my scores were. The summary was extremely accurate in describing my personality. The test takes a look at 5 major dimensions of personality. The five dimensions include: Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Neuroticism.
Openness:
In the category of openness, I received a high score of 42. The assessment was spot on in this category. I am definitely a person who has many openness characteristics. Some of the characteristics include being imaginative and being open to new experiences. I enjoy trying new things. I am the friend in the group that wants to try new foods and go to new places.
Conscientiousness:
In the category of conscientiousness, I received a high score of 4. The score I received in this category is accurate. I like my environments to be well organized. Everything has its specific spot on my desk at work. I have earned the title of neat-freak in my office. I am always constantly cleaning and putting things away. I am also very goal-oriented. Anything that I put my mind to I achieve it.
Agreeableness:
In the category of agreeableness, I received an average score of 28. I agree with this score. Although I am agreeable the majority of time there are often times that I can be stubborn and competitive. For example, many times I still do what I think is best versus advice that is given to me by someone else.
Extraversion:
In the category of extraversion, I received an average score of 25. I was actually shocked to see that I received an average score and not a low score. I feel that I am an introverted person. I am very reserved and at times can be serious. I prefer spending the majority of my time alone. And my inner circle consists of only 5 people.
Neuroticism:
In the category of neuroticism, I received a high score of 32. I agree with the score that I received in this category. I am a highly sensitive and emotional person. I take everything to heart. When watching movies I am the one in the theater crying. I experience intense emotions.
Blog 2:
When reflecting on my career journey the three values that come to mind are faith, determination, and family. The process of becoming a student here at Old Dominion University was not an easy one. There have been many trials and tribulations along the way. I decided to continue onto higher education not only to create a better future for myself but to also prove to others and myself that I can do it. My mother and grandmother were key players in my decision to go to college. They both encouraged me to constantly achieve my own personal goals and aspirations. Along with the support of my mother and grandmother, my strong values of faith, determination, and family have helped me to persevere. I have continued to have faith that I will meet all of my career goals. With determination I have found that anything is possible. And with the constant support of my family I have gained confidence that all of my career pursuits will be achieved.
I chose this picture because this day was the beginning of my career journey. This picture was taken on admitted students’ day. I am pictured here with my mother. She has supported me since the beginning and because of her I have learned values that have continued to help me today.
Blog 1:
My expectations for this course is by the end of the semester I will have gained enough knowledge that I will be able to use in future endeavors. I currently work in healthcare and I believe that the information gained here will also be beneficial in my current position. Knowledge on cultural psychology can be used to provide better understanding of patients as well as improved care to patients from all backgrounds. I am expecting to learn more about cultural diversity and its impact on the human experience and development. In order to ensure success in this course I will be staying on top of all readings and assignments and really engage with the information obtained from the textbook, lectures, and PowerPoints.
I chose this meme because it is a reflection of my thoughts after going over “An Introduction to
Culture and Psychology” (ch. 1) PowerPoint. I was shocked to learn exactly how much influence culture has and how much culture is present in everything especially within psychology.