Faculty Profile
Rui Zhang
(he/him/his)Associate Professor of Psychology (2015)
Contact Information
Kaufman Hall Room 166
Bio
Professor Zhang's research examines the dynamic of psychological responses to cultural change in varying contexts. One such context involves societies that undergo rapid changes driven by the accelerated globalization processes. In another context of change that results from migration, he studies the psychological processes and consequences of biculturalism or acquiring two cultural identities.
Education
- B.A., Shanghai International Studies University, 2004
- M.A., 2007
- Ph.D., University of Alberta, 2013
2024-2025 Academic Year
Fall 2024
PSYC 150 Culture and Psychology
The vast amount of what we know in psychology is based on observations from a thin sliver of the humanity pie, an unreliable foundation for generalizing knowledge across time and place. This course starts with the position that a psychological science of Homo sapiens requires examining the various cultural and historical contexts that shape human behavior. Throughout this survey course, we will consider human universals and cultural diversity across a wide array of content areas including self, cognition, motivation, emotion, interpersonal and social behaviors, and health, with emphasis on the implications of such a cultural perspective for understanding what unites and divides us in the contemporary world.
PSYC 450 Cultural Proc & Hum Behav
This seminar covers advanced research as it pertains to culture and psychology. To fully appreciate how culture is intertwined with human behavior, it is necessary to go beyond a survey of research that merely describes cultural variation. By cultural processes, we mean why, how, and when culture comes to shape psychological functioning for group differences to arise. As a result, we will pay close attention to different ways of accounting for cultural influence as well as the specific ways in which cultures vary. We will conclude this course by discussing some recent applications of this emerging science of cultural processes.Prerequisite: 210 & 211.
DATA 500 Exploring Relationships Betwee
PSYC 550 Cultural Priming Among German
PSYC 550 Dynamic Norms and Mental Healt
Spring 2025
PSYC 150 Culture and Psychology
The vast amount of what we know in psychology is based on observations from a thin sliver of the humanity pie, an unreliable foundation for generalizing knowledge across time and place. This course starts with the position that a psychological science of Homo sapiens requires examining the various cultural and historical contexts that shape human behavior. Throughout this survey course, we will consider human universals and cultural diversity across a wide array of content areas including self, cognition, motivation, emotion, interpersonal and social behaviors, and health, with emphasis on the implications of such a cultural perspective for understanding what unites and divides us in the contemporary world.
PSYC 550 Independent Research
PSYC 560 Stu/Faculty Collaborative Rsch