title: Intersubjective Culture: The Role of Intersubjective Perceptions in Cross-Cultural Research.
abstract: Intersubjective perceptions refer to shared perceptions of the psychological characteristics that are widespread within a culture. In this article, we propose the intersubjective approach as a new approach to understanding the role that culture plays in human behavior. In this approach, intersubjective perceptions, which are distinct from personal values and beliefs, mediate the effect of the ecology on individuals' responses and adaptations. We review evidence that attests to the validity and utility of the intersubjective approach in explicating culture's influence on human behaviors and discuss the implications of this approach for understanding the interaction between the individual, ecology, and culture; the nature of cultural competence; management of multicultural identities; cultural change; and measurement of culture.
authors.affiliation: Division of Strategy, Management, and Organization, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL cychiu@ntu.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Chi-Yue
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
authors.forename: Michele J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gelfand
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
authors.forename: Garriy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shteynberg
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
authors.forename: Ching
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wan
keywords: cultural change; cultural influence; culture; intersubjective norms