Abstract:

Tight-loose culture, a new dimension in empirical research in the field of cross-culture psychology, sheds some light on the interpretation of social norms and the tolerance of deviant behaviors in diverse cultures. This paper elaborates on the definition of tight-loose culture, its underlying causes as well as measurement method at the national, regional and individual level. This study finds out that tight-loose culture has been widely integrated into the research of self-consciousness, personality cultivation and mental state. It can also be applied to the study of judgment, decision-making and innovation. Besides, tight-loose culture has become an interdisciplinary research area that incorporates culture into cognitive neuroscience, biology (gene) and national safety (social harmony and terrorism). Taking the merits of relevant research perspectives into account, future research in this field (tight-loose culture) could orient the distinction of descriptive norms and injunctive norms.

Key words: tight-loose culture, cross-cultural psychology, social norms, cultural anthropology