John Widdup Berry is a psychologist known for his work in two areas: ecological and cultural influences on behavior; and the adaptation of immigrants and indigenous peoples following intercultural contact.
[5] He moved to Scotland and obtained his PhD from the University of Edinburgh in 1966,[6] presenting the thesis "Cultural determinants of perception".
[9][10] Since retiring in 1999, he has taken short-term teaching and research appointments in many countries (including in Australia, China, Estonia, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Sri Lanka, Sweden and the United Kingdom).
[11] His first area of research examines how cultural groups and their individual members adapt their customs and behaviours to the ecological contexts in which they have developed and now live.
The focus of much of this research has been with indigenous peoples in Africa, the Arctic and Asia, contrasting groups with hunting, agricultural and urban life styles.
[13] He is much involved in the application of research findings in both of these areas to the development of policies and programmes in the domains of education, immigration, multiculturalism and wellbeing.