PSYM4811 – Summer School: Global Mobility and Acculturation

Learning outcomes (knowledge, skills and competences) to be developed during the course:

The Summer School will train you in knowledge about and applying of research methods and intervention methods. Content will be taught by discussing specific cross-cultural topics and applications.

Learning goals (LG) - Methods (20 hours):

LG1. Knowledge about conceptual issues, biases and study designs in cross-cultural research

LG2. Ability to evaluate different cross-cultural methods and make informed decisions about which method is best suited for a specific research question

LG3. Ability to analyze cross-cultural data

LG4. Building confidence as a researcher to interpret and deal with cross-cultural data in a culturally fair way

Learning goals (LG) - Intervention (20 hours):

LG5. Knowledge about the importance of conducting culturally-sensitive interventions in different domains

LG6. Ability to take a culturally sensitive approach to the design and implementation of theory-based interventions

LG7. Ability and confidence to conduct and asses evidence-based interventions in a culturally fair way

LG8. Ability to critically evaluate the quality and effectiveness of social interventions.

The summer school will last for 2 weeks. Week 1 focuses on methodological issues, while Week 2 focuses on evidence-based interventions. Week 2 will capitalize on some of the learned contents from Week 1.

Topics week 1 - Methodology

- Equivalence and biases in cross-cultural research

- Translating and adapting tests for cross-cultural assessments

- Survey response styles across cultures

- Methods for investigating equivalence across cultures

- Cross-cultural comparisons in practice

Topics week 2 - Interventions

- Social interventions and the relevance of culture

- How to incorporate social and cultural psychological theory into intervention development and implementation

- Choosing the right methods to assess the effectiveness of interventions in different cultural contexts

- Social intervention in practice

The following teaching methodologies will be used during the summer school:

1) Lectures by teacher

2) Class discussions

3) Practical exercises

4) Flipped classrooms

The course will be evaluated based on the following criterias:

1) Cross-cultural data analyses (30% of grade): students will be given a cross-cultural dataset and asked to run specific analyses and to report the results in APA format

2) In-class presentation (40% of grade): students will present their master thesis proposal in-class incorporating the learned contents of the workshops.

3) Group assignment (30% of grade): students will submit an essay in which they design a social intervention taking into account the learned contents about culturally fair designs and assessments.