Issue 4
Vol. 41
1999

Research on cultural standards and their effectiveness on cross-cultural behaviour
A. Thomas

Culture is understood as a universal system of orientation; for any specific society, organisation and group, it is a very particular one, comprising specific symbols and being handed down within the respective society. In this way, culture influences the perceptions, thinking, judging and acting of all members of this society, and at the same time, defines their belonging to this society. Central culture-specific features of this system of orientation are so­ called cultural standards, which are regarded as ways of perceiving, thinking, judging and acting that are considered normal, typical and binding by the majority of members of a certain culture. One's own behavior and the behavior of others are judged and regulated, based on these cultural standards. Cultural standards contain a high level of regulatory function and serve as a success gauge while interacting with other persons. The effectiveness of cultural standards on cross-cultural behaviour will be explained with concrete examples, so-called critical incidents, which are created by persons from different cultures meeting and following their own culture-specific systems of orientation and cultural standards exclusively. Research on the extrication of cultural standards and their usage in cross-cultural orientation training will be explained in exemplary fashion.

Key Words: culture, cultural standards, cross-cultural learning, cross-cultural training

Psychologische Beiträge, Volume 41, 4/1999

Prof. Dr. Alexander Thomas
Universität Regensburg
Institut für Psychologie
Universitätsstraße 31,
D-93040 Regensburg