Basics + Study Methods

Question 1

Define culture.

Answer 1

A collection of ideological beliefs/traditions/customs in common of a group. It is also made up of the type of information that can be passed on through group members.

Question 2

How does culture emerge?

Answer 2

From the interaction between humans and the environment.

Question 3

How is culture described? (factors)

Answer 3

1. Individualism/Collectivism
2. Power Distance
3. Masculinity/Femininity
4. Uncertainty Avoidance
5. Tight and Loose

Question 4

What are some ways you could better understand the cultures you are studying?

Answer 4

1. Travelling to the country
2. Reading ethnographies of that culture
3. Collaborate with someone who lives there

Question 5

What are the cultural biases that may be problematic on self-report measures?

Answer 5

1. Extremity vs Moderacy Bias when choosing answers.
2. Acquiescence (agreeing to everything)
3. Reference Group Bias (deferring to norms)
4. Depravation bias (valuing things that may be ubiquitous in other cultures)

Question 6

What is a way that researchers deal with translation problems?

Answer 6

Use back-translation.

Question 7

Name and describe the three types of cultural studies:

Answer 7

1. Cultural/Linkage Study: Focus on a variable within a culture to predict differences in this variable within a culture.
2. Indigenous cultural studies: Provide a rich description of theoretical models within a culture.
3. Cross-cultural: Compare two different cultures on a psychological variable.

Question 8

Contrast allocentrism and idiocentrism.

Answer 8

Allocentrism is collectivism at the individual level, and idiocentrism is individualism at the individual level.

Question 9

Compare the emic and etic approach.

Answer 9

Emic approach determines psychological variables from a culture while the etic approach imposes outside psychological variables onto a culture.

Question 10

What is the CuPS model?

Answer 10

It’s the Culture (norms) x Person (accept or reject cultural values) x Situation (how do people usually respond) model that tells us that all these factors interact and may be more nuanced than we think. They are not errors, they are real life.

Question 11

What are the main features of a face culture?

Answer 11

1. Importance of Hierarchy
2. Important to act within your social class
3. Good behavior is maintained by the fear of shame
4. Showing harmony and deference is virtuous

Question 12

What are the main features of an honor culture?

Answer 12

1. Hierarchy is not important
2. You must establish your place in the hierarchy by projecting dominance.
3. Negative reciprocity norm and positive reciprocity norm

Question 13

What are the main features of an dignity culture?

Answer 13

1. Every person has inalienable self-worth

2. Good behavior is motivated by guilt and an effective justice system

Question 14

What did the CuPS study find about the Honor culture?

Answer 14

Those that belonged to the honor culture AND displayed a high personal endorsement of negative reciprocity went the extra mile in displaying positive reciprocity. Those that displayed a low personal endorsement were less likely to engage in positive reciprocity.

Question 15

Which CuP were LEAST likely to return the disk?

Answer 15

Those in Face and Dignity cultures that had low personal endorsement for negative reciprocation.

Question 16

What is the hypothesis for why southerners are more honor based?

Answer 16

Evolutionary approach… more southerners were herders which required higher agression and tit-for-tat if one was to stay “top-dog”.

Question 17

What are the five methods for testing the hypothesis that southerners are more honor based?

Answer 17

1. Archival methods: Pull out those history books!
2. Self-Report method: Ask people if they would kill someone over chickens.
3. Physiological methods: Measure response to violence.
4. Behavioral methods: Observe behavior in response to violence.
5. Field methods: Try to test southerners in a real-life situation.