Cultural Response Bias, Prevalence of Pain Symptoms and Conditions, and Multicultural Experiences

Essay 1
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Code and Title
Instructor
Due Date
Introduction
As a societal force, culture fundamentally shapes our identities and significantly influences our perceptions, attitudes, behaviors, and experiences (Chiu & Cheng, 2017). According to Matsumoto and Juang (2009), this cultural lens, honed by various factors including history, socio-economic conditions, religion, geography, and more, guides individuals in interpreting the world, evaluating themselves, expressing emotions, responding to pain, perceiving sexuality, and fostering motivation.
Although, it is imperative to note that the cultural lens is not static but dynamic, continuously evolving to mirror societal changes and shifts (Inglehart & Baker, 2018). As we increasingly engage in global interactions, our cultural perspectives are continuously refined, reflecting exposure to diverse cultures and philosophies. According to Schwartz and Unger (2017), culture provides a general framework, but individual behaviors and attitudes within the same culture can vary significantly, emphasizing the nuanced relationship between culture and individual responses.
Question 1: Cultural Response Bias in Japan and Korea
Cultural constructs significantly shape self-perceptions. In East Asian cultures like Japan and Korea, humility and modesty are prized (Kim, 2017). These societies lean towards a collectivist perspective, placing the group's well-being above the individual's. Within such a cultural framework, acknowledging personal hard work and achievements can be perceived as immodest and disruptive to societal harmony, leading to self-effacing or modesty bias in self-evaluations (Kim, 2017). This tendency to underrate one's capabilities is not necessarily a reflection of a lack of self-esteem but rather a cultural etiquette that encourages humility and discourages boasting. However, when conducting cross-cultural research, it's essential to consider such cultural biases to ensure accurate interpretation of data.
The fundamental aspects of individual, collective, and relational self-concepts can explain people's behavior. The individual self-comprises unique characteristics that distinguish one person and another. The relational self focuses on attributes that are common among close people, while the collective self refers to features shared with ingroup members and separates the ingroup from outgroups. The cultural constructs in Japan and Korea highly value relationships and collectiveness. They collaborate and share responsibilities to achieve a common goal, and the end product is a communal win. Japan and Korea cultures value family relations and strive to maintain interpersonal relationships with their friends and family members. In addition, they are collectivists as they value communism. They are attached to social groups where members exercise their obligations, maintain traditions, and work together.
Question 2: Prevalence of Pain in Native Americans and Alaska Natives
Existing health disparities among different racial and ethnic groups are a pressing issue in the United States. Native Americans and Alaska Natives have reported higher rates of painful conditions, an issue stemming from socioeconomic, psychological, environmental, and biological factors (Altekruse et al., 2020). Some of these factors include higher rates of chronic diseases, limited access to healthcare, social and economic disadvantages, historical trauma, and ongoing discrimination. These stressors can contribute to a higher prevalence of pain symptoms and are a testament to the need for culturally sensitive and comprehensive healthcare policies to address these disparities.
Poor healthcare risk factors, including inaccessibility to quality care, low socioeconomic status, and poor lifestyle practices, increase the burden of painful illnesses among minority groups. In addition, health disparities between the natives and the general population of the United States contribute to the high prevalence of pain in the two minority groups. The disease incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates among the two ethnic groups explain the higher prevalence of pain symptoms. Arnett et al. (2019) record that in 2019, the U.S. Department of Health reported that the Natives were 50% more likely to develop coronary heart disease than Whites. They were also 10% more likely to be diagnosed with hypertension.
Furthermore, lifestyle practices put them at risk of developing noncommunicable conditions such as obesity. Arnett et al. (2019) further reiterate that native Americans and Alaska Natives were 50% more likely to be smokers, which put them at risk of developing complications such as high blood pressure and respiratory problems. High disease incidence increases the risk of developing associated painful symptoms.
Question 3: Multicultural Experiences and Creativity
Multicultural experiences can foster cognitive flexibility, open-mindedness, and innovative problem-solving abilities (Engelsberger et al., 2022). Individuals interacting with different cultures encounter a broad array of perspectives, ideas, and values. This exposure can challenge existing mental schemas, forcing individuals to adapt and form new connections, enhancing creativity. Furthermore, expatriates or immigrants often find themselves in unfamiliar environments that demand novel solutions to everyday problems, which can foster creative thinking. However, the positive effect of multicultural experiences on creativity depends on individual factors like openness to new experiences and the ability to navigate cultural differences successfully.
Multicultural experiences impact creativity in several ways. Exposure to foreign cultures may spark creative conceptual expansion, a term that refers to expanding existing conceptual boundaries by merging them with other concepts. Integration of different cultural perspectives into artwork results in outstanding creative results. Furthermore, multicultural exposure liberates people from mental limits allowing them to see beyond their cultural norms. It promotes openness to new ideas, thus creating more room for creativity.
Exposure allows people to consider alternative methods of doing things, thinking, and viewing situations. Multicultural experiences may provide direct access to new ideas from other cultures. It allows creatives to be spontaneous when generating creative ideas. Open-mindedness challenges our thinking and practice of doing things and prompts us to adopt foreign ideas that unlock creativity. Exposure to foreign cultures also allows an individual to consider different approaches to life and solve problems through unconventional methods.
Question 4: Individualism and Emotional Expressivity
Research findings illustrate a connection between cultural dimensions (individualism and collectivism) and emotional expressivity. Individualistic cultures, which emphasize personal goals and self-expression, encourage the expression of high-arousal positive emotions like happiness and surprise (Saarikallio et al., 2021). These emotions are typically associated with personal achievements and successes, highly valued in individualistic societies. Individualists define themselves based on their outstanding characteristics and are independent of others. Attaining personal goals is a priority over the objectives of the community. They depend on themselves for happines...