A common 2D framework : using humans’ “relation-tinted glasses” to compare concepts across cultures
Event Title
International Interdisciplinary Conference: Advances in Comparative Culturology
Location
MBG06, Lam Woo Lecture Theatre, Patrick Lee Wan Keung Academic Building, Lingnan University
Start Date
16-5-2025 11:45 AM
End Date
16-5-2025 12:15 PM
Language
English
Description
Two dimensions have been found in a multitude of interpersonal judgement constructs, often termed in psychology as the Big Two of Agency and Communion. Their ubiquity is hypothesized to be rooted in common evolutionary challenges of social connection and problem solving. Osgood and colleagues’ (1957/1964) first used them to compare word meaning across cultures, consistently finding an Evaluative dimension (Communion), and two less stable dimensions of Potency or Activity (Agency). These dimensions are generally seen as emerging from the construct itself, e.g. personality traits are truly agentic or communal. But explicitly conceptualizing the 2Ds as structuring how humans rate all constructs, as if we are perceiving the world through “relationship-tinted” glasses, may allow for bigger-picture utilizations. I will illustrate how a Common Framework analysis allows for more insightful cross-language comparisons of the lay prototypes of Moral Character and Gratitude, in Chinese and English. A common 2D framework could be the source of, but also conceptually different from, similar-sounding concepts in personality, emotions, and the Inglehart-Welzel World Cultural Map. I look forward to discussing statistical puzzles (circumplex vs. factors), whether and how to differentiate a common 2D framework from similar-sounding theories, and forms of evidence still needed.
Document Type
Presentation
Recommended Citation
Buchtel, E. (2025, May 16). A common 2D framework: Using humans’ “relation-tinted glasses” to compare concepts across cultures. Presented at the International Interdisciplinary Conference: Advances in Comparative Culturology, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.
A common 2D framework : using humans’ “relation-tinted glasses” to compare concepts across cultures
MBG06, Lam Woo Lecture Theatre, Patrick Lee Wan Keung Academic Building, Lingnan University
Two dimensions have been found in a multitude of interpersonal judgement constructs, often termed in psychology as the Big Two of Agency and Communion. Their ubiquity is hypothesized to be rooted in common evolutionary challenges of social connection and problem solving. Osgood and colleagues’ (1957/1964) first used them to compare word meaning across cultures, consistently finding an Evaluative dimension (Communion), and two less stable dimensions of Potency or Activity (Agency). These dimensions are generally seen as emerging from the construct itself, e.g. personality traits are truly agentic or communal. But explicitly conceptualizing the 2Ds as structuring how humans rate all constructs, as if we are perceiving the world through “relationship-tinted” glasses, may allow for bigger-picture utilizations. I will illustrate how a Common Framework analysis allows for more insightful cross-language comparisons of the lay prototypes of Moral Character and Gratitude, in Chinese and English. A common 2D framework could be the source of, but also conceptually different from, similar-sounding concepts in personality, emotions, and the Inglehart-Welzel World Cultural Map. I look forward to discussing statistical puzzles (circumplex vs. factors), whether and how to differentiate a common 2D framework from similar-sounding theories, and forms of evidence still needed.
Additional Information
Speaker
Emma E. BUCHTEL (Education University Hong Kong)
Dr. Emma E. Buchtel (BOOK-tull) is Associate Professor and Associate Dean (International Engagement) in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Human Development, at the Education University of Hong Kong. She received her PhD in cultural psychology from the University of British Columbia in 2009, her B.A. from Yale University in 1999, and spent four years in mainland China in between. Her research aims to deepen our understanding of Chinese cultural influences on psychology, including moral concepts, values, motivation and reasoning styles, and their implications for Western psychological theories. She uses interdisciplinary approaches, multiple/mixed methods with cross-cultural data (e.g. psychophysiological data, qualitative data, quantitative surveys and experiments) and adopts open-science practices.