Challenges in Carrying Out the Proposed Cross-Cultural Research Study

Please respond to my classmates post.
Identify (in detail) 2-3 potential challenges that may come up in carrying out the proposed cross-cultural research study that might impact results. Discuss and make suggestions (2-3) to further strengthen the research.
Posting the obvious, or comments such as "I agree with you" or "That was an interesting idea" are not given value toward your discussion grade.
*Please use course material: Heine, S. J. (2020). Cultural psychology (4th ed.). W.W. Norton & Company.
A's Post:
In the research article, “Japanese and United States Preschool Children’s Responses to Conflict and Distress” the authors examined the cultural differences in how Japanese and American preschool children react to conflict and distress. However, there were limitations or challenges to the study. For instance, methodological limitations such as limitations in the cross-cultural questions, adaptive and maladaptive patterns were not distinguished, and lack of cross-cultural differences in communal and avoidant themes (Zahn-Waxler et al., 1996, p. 2475). Also, contrasting values (individualism/independence versus collectivism/interdependence) between these two cultures may impact the differences in the children’s responses (Zahn-Waxler et al., 1996, p. 2475).
My proposed study focuses on overcoming the above challenges. The goal of my proposed study would be to see how preschool children react to conflict using two criteria (aggression or avoidance). My proposed hypothesis would be that preschool children from Western societies are more aggressive than preschool children from non-Western societies when confronted with conflict. In the article that I previously discussed “Japanese and United States Preschool Children’s Responses to Conflict and Distress” the design consisted of structured observations, surveys, and interviews, with a sample size of 60 preschool children (30 Americans and 30 Japanese) between age of 4-5 years old. The researcher used two cultures, American and Japanese, and examined four emotions (prosocial, aggressive, manipulative, and avoidant behaviors) (Zahn-Waxler et al., 1996, p. 2464-2466). To get a better understanding of the methodological limitations in this cross-cultural research study, I would expand my research sample by including more countries such as two Western countries that have individualistic values such as United States and Canada and two Non-western countries that have collectivistic values such as Japan and China. I would use a larger sample of 120 preschool children (30 American, 30 Canadian, 30 Japanese, and 30 Chinese) between the ages of 4-5 years old. Using more countries (larger sample) will give me a better understanding of how cultural factors impact preschool children’s responses to conflict. According to the text, “to make meaningful comparisons across cultures, participants must understand the questions or situations the same way” (Heine, 2020, p. 122). Since language can be a barrier, I would make sure that the surveys or materials used are translated properly. According to the text, a good approach is making sure that one of primary researchers in the study is fully bilingual in the language of the participants (Heine, 2020, p. 125). Next, in the research study that I described in my first presentation, the researchers did not distinguish between adaptive and maladaptive patterns or mechanism used. According to the text, different cultures use different standards to answer similar questions which may impact the results called reference group effect (Heine, 2020, p. 131). To eliminate this from happening, I can use more concrete questions that have similar standards within the two cultures (Western and non-Western) being studied. For example, using “more concrete response options such as quantitative descriptions, reduce the range of interpretations for an item by asking participants to make a forced choice between two options, behavioral measures that do not rely on people’s understanding of how they compare to others, and/or physiological measures” (Heine, 2020, p. 133). Last, to target the lack of communal and avoidant issues, I can use qualitative methods such as more intensive parent interviews to gather information on their families’ cultural norms and values that may impact the preschool children’s responses. For example, conducting a parenting style survey might give me insights as to their communal and avoidant behaviors. “Some parenting styles appear to produce different results across cultures. The general pattern is that a parenting style that’s typical in a particular culture leads to more positive outcomes for children than parenting styles that are at odds with local cultural norms” (Heine, 2020, p. 184). Another method I can use is to observe the children playing. However, I would need to have a concrete definition of what constitutes communal versus avoidant behaviors. In addition, being aware of and understanding the psychological factors (values, emotion, cognition, perception, personality, morality, and mental illness) in different cultural contexts can help us gain insights into how people from various backgrounds view the world.
In conclusion, designing a different design that addresses the methodological limitations in the questions, adaptive and maladaptive behaviors, and communal and avoidant issues can help increase our understanding of cultural influences in the children’s response to conflict.