Cultural Psychology Lab

Vinai Norasakkunkit, Ph.D.

The Cultural Psychology Lab explores the psychological consequences of mental abilities that are highly unique to humans. Distinguishing humans from other primates is our capacity for "cultural learning"—a high-fidelity form of social transmission involving the exchange of norms, ideas, and practices. This mechanism has enabled humans to adapt to diverse environments through cultural rather than biological evolution, fostering large, complex societies. Ultimately, these cultural contexts shape fundamental mental processes, including motivation, cognition, emotion, moral intuition, and the manifestation of mental health.

A sample of past research projects have explored: 1) the psychological consequences of globalization and youth marginalization due to rapid social change, 2) cultural shaping of climate change denial motives in the United States vs other cultural contexts, 3) cultural shaping of how lay people and mental health professionals perceive autistic-like behaviors in cross-culturally divergent ways, and 4) examining the role of social ecologies on the importance and persistence of first impressions.

The work in this lab reflects Gonzaga University’s commitment to forming leaders who engage thoughtfully with human diversity and the complexity of the human mind that has evolved to be profoundly social.