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Evolutionary Psychology
From Istanbul to New York City
A Cross-Cultural Experience in Studying Psychology
Posted December 1, 2014
Glenn: Gökçe, do you want to climb to the top of the mountain with us on Friday?
Gökçe: I will try.
For the better part of the past year, my research group, the Evolutionary Psychology lab at the State University of New York at New Paltz, was blessed to have Turkish doctoral student, Gökçe Sancak Aydın, as a visiting researcher in our lab. Gökçe joined us to develop research skills related to the social psychology of relationships (we've done a bunch of studies in this area), to learn some about how things are done in an American university, and to immerse herself in English - all qualities that should, in theory, help her better complete her PhD in Counseling Psychology at Middle East Technical University in Turkey. Along the way, Gökçe received authorship on at least three different scientific papers from our lab. She also gave a great presentation at the annual meeting of the NorthEastern Evolutionary Psychology Society. And she contributed very positively to helping deliver my undergraduate courses in evolutionary studies and statistics.
While here in the US, Gökçe joined our intellectual community - and my family - on lots of fun adventures - experiencing for the first time: days in NYC, trips to DC, Philadelphia, and Boston, meals featuring beer and chicken wings, sushi, my daughter's middle school talent show, and hikes in our local mountains.
Henry David Thoreau once wrote this:
"Some will remember, no doubt, not only did they attend college, but that they went to the mountain."
So if you're wondering, yes, Gökçe did join our research team on an extra-curricular trip on which we climbed the Millbrook Ridge. And yes, she made it to the top of the mountain.
In the words of Gökçe Sancak Aydın herself, here is the story of an intrepid young scholar of the behavioral sciences who traveled half-way across the world to hone her understanding of research and statistical techniques in the field of psychology (and yeah, we will miss her!):
A guest blog by Gökçe Sancak Aydın
A great number of students study in international field in nowadays. The US is a great host country providing many opportunities to international students. Although international students are equipped for contacting with US culture given the global influence of American culture in the mass media and movies, it is the case that direct experience is more valuable than the awareness provided by the media. For the past several months, I have served as a visiting researcher in the Psychology Department at the State University of New York at New Paltz – my home department is the Department of Psychological Counseling and Guidance at Middle East Technical University. This experience related to learning about psychology in such a different cultural context was very eye-opening.
As an international student and researcher, I found myself asking about the similarities and differences between cultures. Of course my standpoint for comparison was my own culture (Turkish). I notice my own cultural characteristics became more salient to me while immersed here in the US. This point gave me an opportunity to perceive my attitudes and behaviors in the light of my cultural background. That was a great experience to look at myself in that cultural perspective – and I would recommend such an experience to others.
What are the Differences and Similarities between Turkish and US Cultures?
I think we can classify differences into two categories; visible and psychological. Visible differences are based on the traditions, attitudes, and behaviors set by culture. Our special days and traditions are very different. For instance, we do not have Halloween in Turkey (but I think we should have this holiday - it is a great fun!). Also, we have different music, different cuisines etc. All of these are the characteristic differences that can be observed easily. In addition to that, there are psychological differences that are less visible. According to Hofstede (1980, 2001) individualism–collectivism is the most conspicuous dimension that characterizes differences among cultures. Individualism and collectivism are generally considered as the bipolar sides of a continuum among cultures (Cingöz-Ulu & Lalonde, 2007). Many psychological concepts are shaped in the light of this classification. While Turkish culture is classified as a kind of collectivist culture (Goregenli, 1997; Hofstede, 2001), US culture is perhaps the most clear instance of an individualistic culture (Hofstede, 2001). Individualistic cultures view the individuals as independent, free, and responsible for themselves and focuses on accountability and self-discipline (Cingöz-Ulu & Lalonde, 2007). On the other hand, collectivism is described by family integrity, ingroup harmony, an emphasis on commonalities rather than differences, sharp ingroup–outgroup distinctions, and the regulation of behavior by group norms (Triandis, 1995).
Turkey is also described as a society in transition. Studies have shown that there is a cultural change over time in Turkish culture (Kagitcibasi, 1982; Kagitcibasi&Ataca, 2005). Kagıtcıbası (2005) explains this change with the family model of psychological interdependence and the autonomous-related self which is described as integrative syntheses. This model integrates contradictory orientations about family interaction patterns and the self. According to Kagitcibasi (2005), the new generation of Turkish culture shows decreased material interdependencies but continuing emotional (psychological) interdependencies with acculturation and socioeconomic development. All these differences between these cultures result in differences such as using different conflict strategies (Cingöz-Ulu & Lalonde, 2007), using different parenting styles (Kagitcibasi, 2007), and even different attitudes toward romanticism (Medora, Larson, Hortacsu, & Dave, 2002). In addition to all these differences, I noticed many similarities between cultures which seem universal. We all have nearly same desires such as love, peace, feeling connected, and finding a meaning in life. Also, as described in many studies, we have universal emotions and just the way of expressing these emotions is different.
What are the contributions of international experience to students and researchers?
In the modern world, with the effect of globalization, people do not want to be limited by their national maps. They want to learn, teach and live in different countries. Students learn about their home culture and their host culture more with the international experience that empowers the awareness of students about cultures. Also, students improve their multicultural skills, which means that they will have capability to study in various cultural environments. Further, having skills for contacting with different cultures and understanding different perspectives may serve personal growth of students such as increasing self-esteem, coping skills, problem solving skills and creativeness. I strongly suggest this experience to students and researchers. Many studies show that acculturation of students is a dynamic and complex process (Smith & Khawaja, 2011). An important contributor of acculturation process of students relates to their patterns of social interactions and their meaningful relationships within their new communities (Gómez, Urzúa, & Glass, 2014). In my experience as a visiting scholar of psychology, the SUNY New Paltz Psychology Department has provided a great atmosphere for adaptation of students. I would like to thank SUNY New Paltz Psychology Department, Evolutionary Psychology Lab and special huge thanks to the Chair of Psychology Department Glenn Geher for being so positive, supportive, and welcoming.
The Main Differences in the Turkish vs. US Academic Experience
My experience in learning about psychology in two dramatically different cultural and educational contexts has implications for my understanding of how higher education operates. In US universities, undergraduate students are more encouraged to do research and they can find themselves a place in big studies. Also, having labs in social science as part of a culture of teamwork and collaboration in scholarship is another inspiring part of what I took in during my experience.
There are many similarities between the educational experience in the US and the experience in Turkey – this is partly due to the fact that the Turkish system of higher education is based on the US model – especially at my university (Middle East Technical University). This said, it was very eye-opening to see so many differences between how teaching and research operate – and I am grateful for having had the experience - and I strongly suggest that others take such opportunities if presented to them. Studying psychology in the US provided me with the kinds of experiences and insights that I never would have gotten otherwise - and I hope that I am a stronger researcher and scholar for it.
References
Cingöz-Ulu, B., & Lalonde, R. N. (2007). The role of culture and relational context in interpersonal conflict: Do Turks and Canadians use different conflict management strategies?. International journal of intercultural relations, 31(4), 443-458.
Goregenli, M. (1997). Individualist–collectivist tendencies in a Turkish sample. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 28, 787–794.
Hofstede, G. H. (1980). Culture’s consequences, international differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Hofstede, G. H. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Kagitcibasi, C. (1982). Old-age security value of children: Cross-national socioeconomic evidence. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 13, 29-42.
Kagitcibasi, C., & Ataca, B. (2005). Value of Children and Family Change: A Three‐Decade Portrait From Turkey. Applied Psychology, 54(3), 317-337.
Kagitcibasi, C. (2007). Family, self, and human development across cultures: Theory and applications. Routledge.
Medora, N. P., Larson, J. H., Hortacsu, N., Hortagsu, N., & Dave, P. (2002). Perceived attitudes towards romanticism; a cross-cultural study of American, Asian-Indian, and Turkish young adults. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 155-178.
Neto, F., Mullet, E., Deschamps, J. C., Barros, J., Benvindo, R., Camino, L., & Machado, M. (2000). Cross-cultural variations in attitudes toward love. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 31(5), 626-635.
Shackelford, T. K., Schmitt, D. P., & Buss, D. M. (2005). Universal dimensions of human mate preferences. Personality and Individual Differences, 39(2), 447-458.
Smith, R. A., & Khawaja, N. G. (2011). A review of the acculturation experiences of international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(6), 699–713.
Triandis, H. C. (1995). Individualism and collectivism. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
