Key Studies of Globalisation and Behaviour

Introduction: Why does globalisation matter in psychology? 🌍

students, think about the clothes you wear, the music you listen to, and the apps on your phone. Many of these are influenced by ideas, products, and values that travel across countries very quickly. That spreading of ideas and influences is called globalisation. In psychology, globalisation matters because it can change how people think, feel, and behave.

In the sociocultural approach, psychologists study how behaviour is shaped by social groups, culture, and wider society. Globalisation is important because it does not just move goods and information; it can also move values, lifestyles, and expectations. For example, a social media trend can start in one country and quickly influence teenagers around the world 📱.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, students, you should be able to:

explain key ideas and terms related to globalisation and behaviour
describe and apply key studies used in IB Psychology SL
connect globalisation to the sociocultural approach
summarize why these studies matter for understanding behaviour
use evidence from research to support psychological explanations

A useful way to think about this topic is: How does contact with the wider world change local behaviour? The answer is not simple. Globalisation can lead to cultural exchange, new identities, and shared habits, but it can also create pressure to fit global trends. Psychologists study these effects using research from many settings.

What is globalisation in psychology?

Globalisation is the process by which people, ideas, media, businesses, and technologies become connected across the world. In psychology, the focus is on how these connections affect behaviour and identity.

Several terms are important here:

Culture: shared values, beliefs, customs, and practices of a group
Acculturation: changes that happen when people come into contact with another culture
Enculturation: learning the values and behaviours of your own culture
Social norms: unwritten rules about acceptable behaviour
Collectivism: valuing the group over the individual
Individualism: valuing personal goals and independence

Globalisation can influence these processes. For example, a teenager in one country may begin to dress, speak, or eat in ways influenced by global media. At the same time, local traditions may stay strong or even become more important as people protect their identity. This means globalisation does not make all cultures exactly the same. Instead, it creates both similarity and difference.

Psychologists are interested in whether globalisation encourages cultural convergence or cultural divergence. Cultural convergence means cultures become more alike. Cultural divergence means cultures remain different or even become more different. Both can happen at the same time.

Key study 1: Van de Vijver and Leung on bias in cross-cultural research

One important idea linked to globalisation is that psychology must be careful when studying behaviour across cultures. Van de Vijver and Leung developed work on bias in cross-cultural research. Their focus was not only on whether cultures are different, but also on whether research methods are fair when applied across cultures.

They identified several kinds of bias:

Construct bias: when a concept does not mean the same thing in different cultures
Method bias: when the research method itself is unfair or influences results
Item bias: when a test question has different meanings in different cultures

This is important for globalisation because psychologists often compare people from different countries. If a survey was designed in one culture, it may not work well in another. For example, a question about “independence” may be understood differently in a collectivist society than in an individualist one.

Why this matters for globalisation

Globalisation often encourages researchers to compare people from around the world. Van de Vijver and Leung showed that such comparisons can be misleading if the research tools are biased. This teaches us that global behaviour must be studied carefully.

Real-world example

Imagine a psychology questionnaire about “being successful.” In one culture, success might mean getting a high-paying job individually. In another, success might mean supporting the family or community. If the question only matches one definition, the results may be inaccurate.

This study supports a key sociocultural idea: behaviour cannot be understood without considering the cultural context. 🌏

Key study 2: Arnett on globalization and adolescence

Psychologist Jeffrey Arnett studied how globalisation affects adolescents, especially in places where Western media and consumer culture spread rapidly. His work argued that globalisation can shape the identity development of young people by exposing them to more choices, values, and lifestyles.

Arnett noted that globalisation may lead to changes such as:

more exposure to international media and technology
stronger interest in fashion, music, and trends from other cultures
increased individualism in some settings
tension between local traditions and global influences

He also discussed how adolescents often face new identity questions. For example, a young person may feel pressure to follow family traditions while also wanting to adopt global styles seen online. This can create a bicultural identity, where someone blends local and global influences.

Why this matters for behaviour

Adolescence is a period of identity formation, so globalisation can affect self-image, attitudes, and peer behaviour. A teenager may join a global online community, which changes who they interact with and what they value.

Example

A student in a rural area might use social media to watch global influencers, leading to changes in language, clothing, or ideas about success. At the same time, the student may still follow local customs at home. This shows that globalisation can create mixed behaviour rather than one single pattern.

Arnett’s work helps explain how globalisation influences social identity and acculturation. It also shows that behaviour is shaped by both local culture and global forces.

Key study 3: Berry and acculturation in a global world

John Berry is known for his research on acculturation, which is the process of adapting when two cultures meet. Although his work is not only about globalisation, it is very relevant because globalisation increases contact between cultures.

Berry described four acculturation strategies:

Integration: keeping one’s original culture while also taking part in the new culture
Assimilation: giving up the original culture and adopting the new one
Separation: keeping the original culture and avoiding the new one
Marginalization: losing connection with both cultures

These strategies help psychologists understand how people respond to globalisation. When global culture spreads, individuals and groups may choose different ways to respond.

Why this matters for behaviour

Globalisation can make it easier to move, travel, study, or work in other countries. People may adopt new languages, foods, or habits, but the psychological outcome depends on how they manage cultural contact.

Example

A student whose family moves to another country may continue speaking their home language at home while learning the language of the new country at school. This is integration. Another student may stop using the home language entirely and try to fit in completely. That would be assimilation.

Berry’s ideas show that globalisation does not affect everyone in the same way. Behaviour depends on identity, support, and cultural expectations.

How these studies fit the sociocultural approach

The sociocultural approach explains behaviour by looking at the influence of social and cultural factors. Key studies of globalisation fit this approach because they show that behaviour is not only personal; it is also shaped by the environment around us.

Here is the connection:

Identity: globalisation can change how people see themselves
Social cognition: people learn from media, peers, and role models across the world
Stereotyping: global media may spread simplified images of groups
Culture and behaviour: global and local cultures influence daily choices
Enculturation and acculturation: people learn and adapt cultural patterns over time
Social influence: trends spread through peers, institutions, and media

Psychologists use these studies to show that culture is dynamic. It changes through contact, migration, technology, and communication. Globalisation does not remove culture; it reshapes it.

A strong IB answer should also show evaluation. For example, research on globalisation can be hard to generalize because cultures are not all affected in the same way. Some studies use Western samples, so their findings may not apply everywhere. Also, globalisation can be experienced differently depending on age, social class, and access to technology.

Conclusion

students, key studies of globalisation and behaviour help psychologists understand how the modern world influences people’s thoughts, identities, and actions. Van de Vijver and Leung remind us to be careful about bias in cross-cultural research. Arnett shows how globalisation affects adolescents and identity development. Berry explains how people respond to cultural contact through different acculturation strategies.

Together, these studies show that behaviour is shaped by both local culture and global forces. This is exactly what the sociocultural approach is designed to study. Globalisation is not just about economics or technology; it is also about psychology, identity, and social change 🌟.

Study Notes

Globalisation is the worldwide spread of ideas, media, products, and values.
In psychology, globalisation matters because it can change identity, behaviour, and social norms.
Enculturation is learning your own culture.
Acculturation is adapting when cultures meet.
Van de Vijver and Leung studied bias in cross-cultural research.
Their work warns that research tools can be unfair across cultures.
Arnett showed that globalisation can influence adolescents, identity, and lifestyle choices.
Berry explained four acculturation strategies: integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization.
Globalisation can lead to cultural convergence, but local cultures may remain strong.
The sociocultural approach studies how culture and social context shape behaviour.
In IB Psychology SL, always connect a study to behaviour, culture, and identity.
Good evaluation includes discussing cultural bias, generalisability, and differences between groups.