Sample Publications:

Books:  

Chirkov, V. (2025). An Introduction to Culture and Psychology: A Sociocultural Approach. London: Routledge.

Chirkov, V. (2016). Fundamentals of research on culture and psychology: Theory and methods. New York: Routledge.

Chirkov, V. I., Ryan, R. M., & Sheldon, K. M. (Eds.). (2010). Human autonomy in cross-cultural contexts: Perspectives on the psychology of agency, freedom, and well-being. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

Lebedeva, N.M., Chirkov, V. I., Tatarko, A. N. (2007). Culture and Health Attitudes: Russia, Canada, and China. Moscow: Russian Friendship University. (in Russian).

Book Chapters: 

Chirkov, V. (2017). Culture and autonomy. In A. T. Church (Ed.). The Praeger Handbook of Personality across Cultures. (Vol. 2, pp. 91-119). Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.

Chirkov, V., & Lebedeva, N. (2015). Culture of horizontality and personal autonomy: A humanistic approach to culture change In L. E. Harrison & E. Yasin (Eds.), Culture Matters in Russia - and Everywhere. (pp. 325 -342). Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

 Chirkov, V. I. (2014). The universality of psychological autonomy across cultures: Arguments from developmental and social psychology. In N. Weinstein (Ed.), Human motivation and interpersonal relationships: Theory, research, and applications. (pp. 27-52). Dordrecht, NL: Springer.

Chirkov, V. I. (2012). The motivational nature of good living: Human autonomy and why it is good for people and societies. In D. Leontiev (Ed.), Motivation, consciousness, and self-regulation (pp. 105-126). New York: Nova Science Publishers

Chirkov, V. I., Sheldon, K. M., & Ryan, R. M. (2010). The struggle for happiness and autonomy in cultural and personal contexts: An overview. In V. I. Chirkov, R. M. Ryan & K. M. Sheldon (Eds.), Human autonomy in cultural contexts: Perspectives on the psychology of agency, freedom, and well-being (pp.1-30). Dordrecht, NL: Springer.

Chirkov, V. I. (2010). Dialectical relationships among human autonomy, the brain, and culture. In V. I. Chirkov, R. M. Ryan & K. M. Sheldon (Eds.), Human autonomy in cross-cultural contexts: Perspectives on the psychology of agency, freedom, and well-being (pp.65-92). Springer.

Chirkov, V. I., & Ryan, R. M. (2011). A motivational basis of eudaimonic living and well-being across nations. In M. Salama & A. D. Fave (Eds.), Positive psychology for all (pp.67-80). Cairo, Egypt. (in Arabic)

Chirkov, V. I., Lebedeva, N. M., Molodtsova, I., & Tatarko, A. (2011). Social capital, motivational autonomy, and health behavior: A comparative study of Canadian and Russian youth. In D. Chadee & A. Kosti (Eds.), Social Psychological Dynamics (pp.211-241). Trinidad, W.I.: University of West Indies Press.

Chirkov, V.I. (2007). Culture, personal autonomy and individualism: their relationships and implications for personal growth and well-being. In G. Zheng & K. Leung & J. G. Adair (Eds.), Perspectives and Progress in Contemporary Cross-Cultural Psychology. (pp. 247-263). Beijing, China: China Light Industry Press. 

Chirkov, V.I. (2006).  Multiculturalism and human nature: A psychological view.  In Dawn Zinga (Ed). Navigating Multiculturalism: Negotiating Change (pp.33-57).  Cambridge Scholars Press.

Selected Articles in the Refereed Journals

Chirkov, V. (2024). Statistical positivism, psychoanalysis, and the theory of sociocultural models: A review of three approaches to acculturation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 101.

Chirkov, V. (2023). Alfred Schutz’s “Stranger,” the theory of sociocultural models, and mechanisms of acculturation. Culture & Psychology, 29(1), 116-138.

Chirkov, V. (2021). Reflections on an application of realism in psychology. Theory & Psychology, 31(3), 455-459.

Chirkov, V. (2020). An introduction to the theory of sociocultural models. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 23(2), 143-162.

Chirkov, V. (2020). The sociocultural movement in psychology, the role of theories in sociocultural inquiries, and the theory of sociocultural models. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 23(2), 119-134.

Chirkov, V., & Anderson, J. (2018). Statistical positivism versus critical scientific realism. A comparison of two paradigms for motivation research: Part 1. A philosophical and empirical analysis of statistical positivism. Theory & Psychology 28(6), 712-736.

Chirkov, V., & Anderson, J. (2018). Statistical positivism versus critical scientific realism. A comparison of two paradigms for motivation research: Part 2. A philosophical and empirical analysis of critical scientific realism. Theory & Psychology, 28(6), 737-756.

Chirkov, V.I. & Knorre, B. (2015) Russian Orthodoxy and human motivation: The categories of ‘sin’, ‘humility’, and ‘obedience’ in the context of human agency and autonomy. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 34(1), 26-39.

Chirkov, V.I. (2011). Human psychological autonomy: Reflections on the debates about its understanding in modern psychology. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5(9), 609-620.

Chirkov V.I. (2009). Critical psychology of acculturation: What do we study and how do we study it, when we investigate acculturation? International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 33(2), 94-105.

Chirkov V.I. (2009). A cross-cultural analysis of autonomy in education: A self-determination theory perspective.  Theory and Research in Education, 7(2), 253-262.

Chirkov, V.I., Safdar, S., de Guzman, J., & Playford, K. (2008). Further examining the role motivation to study abroad plays in the adaptation of international students in Canada. International Journal for Intercultural Relations, 32, 427-440. 

Cheah, C. S. L., & Chirkov, V.I. (2008). Parents’ personal and cultural beliefs regarding young children: A cross-cultural study of Aboriginal and Euro-Canadian mothers. Journal of Cross-cultural Psychology, 39(4), 420-423.

Chirkov, V.I., Vansteenkiste, M., Tao, R., & Lynch, M. (2007). The role of motivation to study abroad in the adaptation of international students: A self-determination theory approach. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 31(2), 199-222.

Chirkov, V.I., Ryan, R. M., Willness, C. (2005) Cultural context and psychological needs in Canada and Brazil: Testing a self-determination approach to internalization of cultural practices, identity, and well-being.  Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. 3, 425-443.

Chirkov, V.I., Ryan, R.M., Kim, Y., & Kaplan, U. (2003). Differentiating autonomy from individualism and independence: A self-determination theory perspective on internalization of cultural orientations and well- being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 8 (1), 97-110.

Chirkov, V.I. & Ryan, R.M. (2001). Parent and teacher autonomy support in Russian and U.S. adolescents: Common effects on well-being and academic motivation. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 32, 618-635.

Ryan, R.M., Chirkov, V.I., Little, T.D., Sheldon, K.M., Timoshina, E.L., Deci, E.L. (1999). The American dream in Russia: Extrinsic aspirations and well-being in two cultures. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 25, 1509-152

I teach in several areas of psychology: 

Introduction to culture and psychology

Research methodology and design

Social psychology and methodology of its research 

History and philosophy of psychology, 

Recently defended theses supervised by Dr. V. Chirkov

Sukkhu, S. (2024). Examining acculturation of immigrant children in the domain of school and education: Understanding the mechanism of acculturation using the theory of sociocultural models. (Unpublished Ph.D. thesis). University of Saskatchewan]. Saskatoon, SK.

Evan Poncelet (2018). Investigating sources and modes of communication through which rural raised drivers learn and experience cultural models of driving and their impact on traffic safety. (Unpublished Master's thesis), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK.

Melanie Kaczur. (2017). Culture and climate of safety in organizations: Conceptualizations and assessment. (Unpublished Master's thesis), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK.

Tatiana Kim. (2017). Exploring Ugandan cultural model of work through interviews with Ugandan immigrants in Canada. (Unpublished Master's thesis), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK.

Micheal Hemlick. (2017). Investigating a First Nation cultural model of employment. (Unpublished Master's thesis), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK.

Jade Anderson. (2015). Exploring the mechanisms of academic motivation: An integration of self-determination and achievement goal theories from a critical realist perspective. (Unpublished Master's thesis), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK.

Inna Molodtsova. (2015). Exploring variable-based and case-based methodological approaches to study motivation for health behaviours among Canadian university students. (Unpublished Master's thesis). University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK.

Applied sociocultural psychology Cultural and cross-cultural research Human autonomy Psychology of immigration and acculturation Realist research in psychology Self-determination Theory of sociocultural models

Dr. Chirkov’s Program of Research

       1. Philosophy of critical scientific realism. Philosophically speaking, I strongly argue that researchers must focus upon the realist paradigm to conduct research. To me, this is the most relevant way to conduct any scientific research, and this holds true for psychological and sociocultural studies.  However, psychologists have been slow to apply the principles of this paradigm to their studies, and this field of realist psychological research remains underdeveloped.  In the sociocultural and psychological sciences, realism should be complemented by interpretivism that includes both phenomenological and hermeneutic/existential psychology.  Notably, combining these philosophical ways of thinking about human functioning within sociocultural contexts constitutes a serious challenge for sociocultural researchers. Students who want to work with me will be introduced to the realism paradigm and they will be invited to work within its framework.

Publications:

      Chirkov, V. (2016). Fundamentals of research on culture and psychology: Theory and methods. New York: Routledge.

      Chirkov, V., & Anderson, J. (2018). Statistical positivism versus critical scientific realism. A comparison of two paradigms for motivation research: Part 1. A philosophical and empirical analysis of statistical positivism. Theory & Psychology, 28(6), 712-736. doi:10.1177/0959354318804670

      Chirkov, V., & Anderson, J. (2018). Statistical positivism versus critical scientific realism. A comparison of two paradigms for motivation research: Part 2. A philosophical and empirical analysis of critical scientific realism. Theory & Psychology, 28(6), 737-756. doi:10.1177/0959354318816829

     Chirkov, V. (2021). Reflections on an application of realism in psychology. Theory & Psychology, 31(3), 455-459.

       2. The theory of sociocultural models (TSCM). My special interest is the mechanisms of the psychosociocultural regulation of human experience and behaviour. For too many years, psychology has been too ‘anthropocentric’ and 'individualistic', meaning that the field has focused on explaining people's behaviour by only considering what is in their heads. However, this narrow thinking ignores (or at the very least only formally accepts) that powerful sociocultural forces direct people's actions. Human beings are embedded for their existence in the sociocultural matrices that powerfully regulate their lives and actions.  To this end, I recently introduced the theory of sociocultural models that aims at elucidating and explaining psychosociocultural mechanisms of people’s behaviours. I aim to continue developing this theory both conceptually and empirically.  Students who plan to work with me will be introduced to this theory and its historical and conceptual background and invited to contribute to its expansion to various areas of people’s concerns.

Publications:

        Chirkov, V. (2025). An introduction to culture and psychology: A sociocultural perspective. Routledge.

        Chirkov, V. (2020). An introduction to the theory of sociocultural models. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 23(2), 143-162. 

        Chirkov, V. (2020). The sociocultural movement in psychology, the role of theories in sociocultural inquiries, and the theory of sociocultural models. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 23(2),                           119-134. 

        Chirkov, V. (2016). Fundamentals of research on culture and psychology: Theory and methods. New York: Routledge.

        3. Mechanisms of acculturation and human motivation.  My primary domains for applying the TSCM are in the areas of immigration and acculturation. I am interested in investigating the mechanisms of acculturation based on the TSCM. The field of psychology of immigration and acculturation is rich and filled with many challenges for researchers to overcome. I am also interested in conducting realist research on human motivation and its mechanisms in academic, health and related areas.

        Chirkov, V. (2024). Statistical positivism, psychoanalysis, and the theory of sociocultural models: A review of three approaches to acculturation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 101.

       Chirkov, V. (2023). Alfred Schutz’s “Stranger,” the theory of sociocultural models, and mechanisms of acculturation. Culture & Psychology, 29(1), 116-138.

       Chirkov, V. (2009). Introduction to the special issue on critical acculturation psychology. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 33(2), 87-93.

       Chirkov, V. (2009). Critical psychology of acculturation: What do we study and how do we study it, when we investigate acculturation? International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 33(2),                                94-105.

       Chirkov, V. (2009). Summary of the criticism and of the potential ways to improve acculturation psychology. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 33(2), 117-180.

         4. The methodology of realist research. No paradigm or theory can be considered robust until researchers have worked together to compile a valid and reliable methodological arsenal to make this paradigm or theory work. This focus on methodology for the realist paradigm and TSCM is the fourth direction of my research efforts: I aim to develop a methodology for extracting and analyzing the public and internalized aspects of SCM of different natures; to examine the mechanisms of the psychosociocultural regulation of human actions and experiences; and to develop theories based upon the hypotheses about these mechanisms. Primary directions of these efforts include: to utilize the realist paradigm to guide these methodological developments; employing the case-based approach instead of using the variable-based methodology; developing realist interviewing and realist synthesis for data generation; to apply different forms of the interpretative framework to data examination complemented by applying within-case and between-case analyses; to use various forms of retroduction for inferring mechanisms of phenomena under investigation; ultimately, to develop theories based on the hypotheses about the discovered mechanisms.  I encourage my students to work on applying these various methods to benefit their own research and to advance psychology as a whole.

Publications:

        Chirkov, V. (2021). Reflections on an application of realism in psychology. Theory & Psychology, 31(3), 455-459.

       Chirkov, V. (2016). Fundamentals of research on culture and psychology: Theory and methods. New York: Routledge.

      Chirkov, V., & Anderson, J. (2018). Statistical positivism versus critical scientific realism. A comparison of two paradigms for motivation research: Part 1. A philosophical and empirical analysis of statistical positivism. Theory & Psychology, 28(6), 712-736. doi:10.1177/0959354318804670

      Chirkov, V., & Anderson, J. (2018). Statistical positivism versus critical scientific realism. A comparison of two paradigms for motivation research: Part 2. A philosophical and empirical analysis of critical scientific realism. Theory & Psychology, 28(6), 737-756. doi:10.1177/0959354318816829

        5. Human autonomous agency. One of the central propositions of the TSCM states that 'human agency and autonomy' are important as they are the central point of the psychosociocultural regulation of people's actions. Although people are sociocultural creatures, they are not slaves of their social environment; rather, they are capable of reflecting on this environment, resisting its influences, and becoming agents of its change. The fifth aim of my program of research is to explore this element of people’s mental regulation.

Publications:

     Chirkov, V. (2017). Culture and autonomy. In A. T. Church (Ed.), The Praeger handbook of personality across cultures (Vol. 2, pp. 91-119). Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.

    Chirkov, V. (2014). The universality of psychological autonomy across cultures: Arguments from developmental and social psychology. In N. Weinstein (Ed.), Human motivation and interpersonal relationships: Theory, research, and applications. (pp. 27-52). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

     Chirkov, V. (2011). Human psychological autonomy: Reflections on the debates about its understanding in modern psychology. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5(9), 609-620.

     Chirkov, V., Ryan, R. M., & Sheldon, K. M. (Eds.). (2010). Human autonomy in cross-cultural contexts: Perspectives on the psychology of agency, freedom, and well-being. Dordrecht, The                                     Netherlands: Springer.

     Chirkov, V., Sheldon, K. M., & Ryan, R. M. (2010). The struggle for happiness and autonomy in cultural and personal contexts: An overview. In V. I. Chirkov, R. M. Ryan, & K. M. Sheldon (Eds.),                               Human autonomy in cultural contexts: Perspectives on the psychology of agency, freedom, and well-being (pp. 1-30). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

     Chirkov, V. (2010). Dialectical relationships among human autonomy, the brain, and culture. In V. I. Chirkov, R. M. Ryan, & K. M. Sheldon (Eds.), Human autonomy in cross-cultural contexts:                                 Perspectives on the psychology of agency, freedom, and well-being (pp. 65-92). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.