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Cross-cultural generalizability is an empirical question

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2026

Shawn K. S. Chan Open the ORCID record for Shawn K. S. Chan [Opens in a new window] ,
Wilson Cyrus-Lai Open the ORCID record for Wilson Cyrus-Lai [Opens in a new window] ,
Michael Schaerer ,
Robbie C. M. van Aert Open the ORCID record for Robbie C. M. van Aert [Opens in a new window] ,
Marcel van Assen  and
Eric Luis Uhlmann
Shawn K. S. Chan
Affiliation:
INSEAD, Singapore, France shawn.chan@insead.edu  wilson-cyrus.lai@insead.edu eric.luis.uhlmann@gmail.com
Wilson Cyrus-Lai*
Affiliation:
INSEAD, Singapore, France shawn.chan@insead.edu  wilson-cyrus.lai@insead.edu eric.luis.uhlmann@gmail.com
Michael Schaerer
Affiliation:
Singapore Management University, Singapore schaerer@smu.edu.sg
Robbie C. M. van Aert
Affiliation:
Tilburg University, Netherlands r.c.m.vanaert@tilburguniversity.edu m.a.l.m.vanassen@tilburguniversity.edu
Marcel van Assen
Affiliation:
Tilburg University, Netherlands r.c.m.vanaert@tilburguniversity.edu m.a.l.m.vanassen@tilburguniversity.edu
Eric Luis Uhlmann
Affiliation:
INSEAD, Singapore, France shawn.chan@insead.edu  wilson-cyrus.lai@insead.edu eric.luis.uhlmann@gmail.com
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Crowd-sourced replication initiatives reveal that cultural differences in findings, while undoubtedly important in some cases, are often smaller and less systematic than assumed. This makes empirical testing, rather than presumption, exigent. The extent to which developmental psychology theories generalize across cultures is an empirical question, best answered via small- and large-scale collaborations between partner laboratories across the world.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e263
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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