Cultural bias Flashcards
What is cultural bias?
The idea that psychological research often ignores differences between cultures and has developed theories almost entirely based on the study of one culture alone (usually the united states).
What is ethnocentrism?
A belif in the superiority of ones own cultural group. Researchers may only see the world through their own cultural perspective and so any behaviours that do not conform to this are unsophisticated.
Example of ethnocentrism?
Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation. She suggested that the ideal attachment was characterised by the infant showing moderate amounts of distress when left alone by the mother figure. However, this led to misinterpretation of child-rearing practices in other countries which were seen as cold and rejecting rather than encouraging independence.
What is cultural relativism.
The idea that norms and values can only be understood within specific cultural contexts. Psychologists are often guilty of imposing their own cultural understandings onto the rest of the world. This is known as imposed etic when emic constructs are assumed to be universal.
Key aspects of cultural bias
-Ethnocentrism
-Cultural relativism
Give a limitation of cultural bias- classic studies.
One limitation is that many of the most influential studies in psychology are culturally biased. Cultural bias is a feature of Asch and Milgram’s original studies which were conducted extensively within the US (most middle class white students). Replications of these studies in different countries produced varying results e.g conformity levels are higher in collectivist cultures. This suggests our understanding of social influence should only be applied to individualist cultures.
Give a strength of cultural bias.
Cultural psychology is the study of how people shape and are shaped by their cultural experiences. This is an emerging field in which cultural psychologists strive to avoid ethnocentrism by taking an emic approach. This suggests that modern psychologists are mindful of the dangers of cultural bias.
Give a limitation of cultural bias.- ethnic stereotyping.
Cultural bias has led to prejudice against groups of people. For example, during World War 1, IQ tests were carried out on army recruits. Many of the items in the test were ethnocentric e.g presuming everybody would know the names of the US presidents. The result was the recruits from south eastern Europe and african americans received the lowest scores and this was used to inform racial discourse about the genetic inferiority of a particular culture. Ethnic minorities were deemed mentally unfit and feeble-minded and denied opportunities as a result.
