cultural bias

Question 1

cultural bias

Answer 1

-research+theories conducted developed in 1 culture r applied to another
-most research=in western societies eg usa+uk
-causes bias that 1 cultural background=dominant so reduce extent to which theories can be universal
eg conformity +attachment research v diff in non west cultures

Question 2

ethnocentrism

Answer 2

-belief in superiority of ones own cultural group.
-This manifests as behaviours not matching the Western norms being seen as deviant or inferior or underdeveloped
-eg mary ainsworth strange situation (1970)- criticised as reflecting only norms+values of american culture. identified key defining variable of attachment type as

Question 3

ethnocentriscism research

mary ainsworth strange situation

Answer 3

-1970
-criticised as reflecting only norms+values of american culture. identified key defining variable of attachment type as childs exp of anxiety on separation
-suggested ideal/secure attcahment= infant shwoing small amounts of distress whne left alone by mum figure
-but this led to misinterpreation of child rearing practices in other countries which devaite from usa norm
-eg german mums seen as cold+rejecting rather than encouraging indepence in kid.

Question 4

cultural relativism

Answer 4

-idea human behaviour can only be meaningful+understood w/in speciufic social+cultural contexts
-eg stenberg 1985

Question 5

imposed etic

Answer 5

-research dveeloped in 1 culture+inappropriatley applied to another so assuming 1 way of doing things can be applied universally
-eg ainsworth assumed us model of attachment was norm

Question 6

emic approaches

Answer 6

study cultures in isolation by identifying behaviours that r spefic to that culture

Question 7

etic approaches

Answer 7

look aty behaviours across many cultures to find universal human behaviours eg kohlberg study=ied in 5 diff countries

Question 8

etic v emic

john berry (1969)

Answer 8

-suggested that psychological theories should be considered to be culturally relative- they were developed in one (usually) Western culture, and therefore they reflect the norms and values of that culture.
-psychologists shuld be more mindful of cultural relativism of resesarch- things they discover may only make sense from prespective of culture within which they were discovered+to recognise this is 1 way of avoiding cultural bias

Question 9

ao3

cultural diff may not be as big of a factor as previsouly thought

Answer 9

-now days world is more interconnected so distinction between indivualistic n collectivist is lazy+simplistic
-Takano and Osaka (1999), analysing 15 studies comparing individualist (valuing independence + individual over group) + collectivist culture (valuing group activity, interdependence, + the collective interest over the individual)
=found no evidence of difference in behaviour in 14 of them

Question 10

culture bound syndromes

Answer 10

-groups of syndromes classified as treatbale illnesses in certain cultures that arent recognised as such in the west
eg schizoprenia

Question 11

ao3

there is some universal human behaviours

Answer 11

-berrys concept of imposed etic=useful reminder of culturaslly specific nature of their work but shouldnt be assumed all is culturally relative+that theres no such thing as universal behaviour
-ekman(1989) basic facial expressuons for emotions=same all over human+animal world=evidence for notion theres universals
-critics of ainsworth shouldnt obscure fact some features of human attach eg interactional synrochy r universal
-so full understanding of HB requies study of universal+variation among indivuals+groups