Final answer:
The concept from the list that best represents the species-specific vehicle for acquiring symbolic meanings, as mentioned in cultural psychology, is cultural relativism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cultural Psychology and Its Relation to Multicultural and Cross-Cultural Contexts
The student's question is referring to the medium through which symbolic meanings are given to practices that contribute to our development within cultural psychology. Specifically, it asks to identify a concept from a given list that best represents this medium. Crucially, culture plays a significant role in how individuals and societies develop, often conveying symbolic meanings through various practices, beliefs, values, and behaviors that are specific to a cultural group. Researchers like Henrich, Heine, and Norenzayan (2010) have emphasized the importance of studying various cultures, especially non-WEIRD societies, to understand the diversity of human psychology. The correct concept that describes the species-specific vehicle for acquiring symbolic meanings within the realm of cultural psychology is cultural relativism. This concept asserts that one ought to understand a culture based on its own values and practices rather than through the lens of another culture.
Multicultural psychology focuses on the theories and research related to diverse populations within a single country, while cross-cultural psychology compares populations across countries. Both disciplines emphasize the importance of cultural factors in shaping attitudes, behaviors, and personality traits. It is vital to consider that while some aspects of personality and behavior may be universal, others are specific to particular cultural contexts. Thus, the study of culture as a system of symbolic categories, including values, norms, language, and symbols, is an essential aspect of understanding human psychology and social behaviorisms.