Abstract

A cultural model for a domain can be verified using cultural consensus analysis to determine the degree of sharing of knowledge among individuals: the more knowledge shared, the greater our confidence that individuals are drawing on a collective representation or cultural model. Cultural consonance is the degree to which individuals, in their own behaviors, approximate the prototypes for behavior encoded in cultural models. Cultural consonance, as a theoretical construct and measurement, extends cultural consensus theory to behavior or social practice. The preferred practices within a given domain can be identified using cultural consensus analysis; cultural consonance then measures the degree to which individuals actually engage in those practices in their own lives. This measurement is illustrated in this chapter in two cultural domains: lifestyle and family life. An extensive body of research has shown that higher cultural consonance in various domains is associated with better health status and subjective well-being.