Call for papers: Translational approach to understanding cross-cultural differences in socio-cognitive development

Deadline for submissions: October 15, 2026

• Megumi Kuwabara, PhD
• Megan Norris, PhD

We are opening submissions for consideration in a special issue titled “Translational Approach to Understanding Cross-Cultural Differences in Socio-Cognitive Development.” The special issue is part of an innovative journal titled Translational Issues in Psychological Science, co-sponsored by APA and the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students.

For this issue, we invite manuscript submissions that seek to expand the scope of psychological research by centering cultural and contextual factors as primary drivers of child development. We are interested in manuscripts that explore regional diversity and consider how culture, language, context, and other external factors impact a child’s lived experience.

We welcome submissions on topics, such as, but not limited to:

• Decentering weird Models—manuscripts that propose, refine, or critique theoretical frameworks used to explain socio-cognitive development across cultures.
• Contributions that integrate perspectives from multiple disciplines—including psychology, education, anthropology, linguistics, sociology, public health, and related fields to explain how culture intersects with socio-cognitive development.
• Manuscripts exploring how broader contextual factors—including migration, socioeconomic conditions, and educational access—shape socio-cognitive outcomes across cultures.
• Empirical or translational research that explores the topics of language, communication, and socialization across cultures.
• Manuscripts that connect cross-cultural developmental science to applied settings, such as schools, healthcare systems, and/or clinics.

Manuscripts submitted to TPS should be co-authored by at least one psychologist in training (graduate student, postdoctoral fellow), should be written concisely for a broad audience, and should focus on the practical implications of the research presented in the manuscript. For more information about the journal, including detailed instructions to authors, visit the TPS website.