Effect of traveling to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the cognitive complexity and cultural differentiation of college students.

Abstract

Kelly's (1955) Personal Construct Theory has spawned two different notions which have a questionable positive relationship. Interacting with a foreign culture reportedly increases cognitive complexity and an awareness of cultural characteristics different from one's own culture. However, given the emphasis on differences in the present relationship between the USA and USSR traveling to the USSR may produce increased cognitive complexity, but decreased cultural differentiation (i.e., increased appreciation of the similarities rather than the differences between cultures). Experimental (traveling to the USSR) and control subjects were administered a modified Cultural Attitudes Repertory Task (CART) and a word association task to measure cultural differentiation and cognitive complexity, respectively. Both groups completed the tasks prior to the experimental group's predeparture training sessions, departure to the USSR, return from the USSR, and one month after return to the USA. Results indicated that both groups increased in cognitive complexity with mixed results for the degree of cultural differentiation, suggesting that acculturation requires more opportunity for cross-cultural familiarization than permitted during a 12 day tour.