Which approach examines the influence of culture on individual behavior?

Cultural psychology is focused on understanding how cultural contexts shape individual behavior, thoughts, and emotions. This approach posits that psychological processes cannot be fully understood without considering the cultural frameworks in which they occur. It emphasizes the ways in which culture influences patterns of thought, perception, and behavior, recognizing that these elements are not universal but vary across different societies.

Cultural psychology studies concepts like norms, values, beliefs, and practices, investigating how they interact with and impact individual psychological experiences. This perspective helps illuminate differences in behavior that arise from diverse cultural backgrounds, helping to explain why individuals may respond differently to similar situations based on their cultural upbringing.

In contrast, behaviorism primarily focuses on observable behaviors and the ways in which external stimuli influence them, often neglecting the internal cultural dimensions of human experience. Cognitive psychology deals mainly with mental processes like thinking and memory, while developmental psychology examines human growth and changes across the lifespan, typically focusing on stages of development rather than the direct influence of cultural context.