11. ISSUES & DEBATES (CULTURE BIAS) Flashcards
What is cultural bias in psychological research?
Cultural bias occurs when people are judged based on the assumptions and norms of their own culture, leading to misinterpretations of behaviours in other cultures. This can involve either exaggerating differences or ignoring them altogether.
What is the difference between individualistic and collectivist cultures?
- Individualistic cultures stress the needs of the individual over the group, with people seen as independent and autonomous.
- Collectivist cultures prioritize the needs and goals of the group, emphasizing relationships and interdependence.
What is ethnocentrism?
Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own culture is the standard by which all other cultures should be judged. This often leads to interpreting behaviour from other cultures as abnormal or inferior based on one’s own cultural norms.
What is the concept of universality in psychological research?
Universality is the idea that certain psychological findings or behaviours apply equally across all cultures. However, much research is based on Western norms, which can lead to cultural bias when applied globally.
What is cultural relativism?
Cultural relativism emphasizes that behaviour can only be understood by considering the cultural context in which it occurs. This approach contrasts with ethnocentrism and suggests that cultural context should be a central factor in research and analysis.
What is the emic approach in cultural research?
The emic approach involves studying a single culture in its own context, without generalizing findings to other cultures. It focuses on understanding the unique aspects of that culture.
What is the etic approach in cultural research?
The etic approach involves studying behaviour across multiple cultures to identify universal elements of human behaviour, such as language or attachment, that may apply across cultures.
What is imposed etic?
Imposed etic refers to the practice of applying the values or judgments of one culture to another, assuming that behaviours that are typical in one culture are universal.
How does cultural bias affect attachment research (e.g., Ainsworth’s Strange Situation)?
Ainsworth’s Strange Situation is ethnocentric because it assumes that attachment behaviours observed in American children apply universally, ignoring cultural differences. For example, German children’s higher rates of insecure-avoidant attachment reflect cultural values encouraging independence, not a lack of maternal sensitivity.
How does cultural bias affect the diagnosis of psychopathology?
In the case of anxiety disorders, what is considered abnormal in one culture may not be in another. For example, “taijin kyofusho” in Japan, a fear of displeasing others, might be misdiagnosed as social phobia in the West, reflecting cultural bias in defining psychopathology.
How does cultural bias affect research on romantic relationships?
Many theories of romantic relationships, such as the matching hypothesis and equity theory, are based on Western samples and may not account for cultural differences in attraction, partner selection, or relationship norms, such as arranged marriages in some cultures.
How does cultural bias impact the diagnosis of schizophrenia?
African Americans and Afro-Caribbean individuals are more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia in Western countries, partly due to cultural differences in interpreting symptoms, such as hearing voices, which may be seen as culturally acceptable in some African cultures but as abnormal in others.
What did Smith & Bond (1998) find regarding cultural bias in psychological research?
Smith & Bond found that 66% of psychological studies in a European textbook were conducted in the U.S., and 32% were European. Only 2% came from non-Western countries, suggesting that psychological research is unrepresentative and culturally biased.
What were the consequences of the culturally biased US Army IQ test used in World War I?
The US Army IQ test was culturally biased towards the white majority, leading to lower IQ scores for European immigrants and African Americans. This reinforced damaging stereotypes and perpetuated negative attitudes towards these groups.
What is Afrocentrism, and how does it relate to cultural relativism?
Afrocentrism is a movement advocating for psychological theories that recognize African cultural contexts and experiences. It challenges the idea that European values are universally appropriate, emphasizing the need for theories that are relevant to African and African diasporic populations.
What is a strength of cultural relativism in psychology?
A strength of cultural relativism is that it encourages the development of indigenous psychologies that are more relevant to specific cultural contexts, as opposed to applying Western-based theories universally. It fosters a deeper understanding of cultural differences in human behaviour.
How have modern psychologists challenged traditional distinctions between individualistic and collectivist cultures?
Psychologists like Takano and Osaka (1999) found that the traditional distinction between individualism (Western cultures) and collectivism (Eastern cultures) is not as clear-cut as once thought, with many cultures displaying characteristics of both. This suggests that cultural bias in research may be less of an issue in today’s interconnected world.
