Cultural Bias Flashcards
What is a cultural bias?
Occur when people of one culture make assumptions about the behaviour of people from another culture based on their own cultural norms.
Most psychological research reflects what? Is this okay?
Most psychological research reflects the culture in Europe and USA and it is then portrayed as a universal description of human behaviour.
This is wrong, as there are different norms in different cultures; it ignores the differences that can be found within other countries.
State 3 examples of psychological research with a cultural bias.
Milgram, only American.
Asch, only American.
Bowlby, only British.
Zimbardo, only American.
Outline individualistic cultures.
Promotes independence.
Western cultures tend to be more individualist.
Promotes the making of own decisions.
Not wanting to be co-dependent.
Individual development.
Uniqueness is praised.
Smaller nuclear families.
Non-conformity encouraged.
Outline collectivist cultures.
Promotes the importance of reliance on others.
Eastern cultures tend to more collectivist.
Signifies the importance of family and extended family.
Uniqueness is seen as deviant behaviour.
Conformity encouraged.
What is ethnocentrism?
A particular form of cultural bias.
Judging other cultures by the standards and values of one’s own culture.
We view our own behaviour, beliefs, and customs as ‘normal’, and others as ‘deviant’.
Outline ethnocentrism in its extreme form.
In its extreme form it is the belief in the superiority of one’s own culture which may lead to prejudice and discrimination towards other cultures.
Why is Ainsworth’s Strange Situation an example of ethnocentrism?
It suggests that you must imply other cultures norms in order to understand their own, e.g. was carried out in America, but was generalised to all.
It assumes that there is a correct attachment type, when it is culture specific.
The test assumes that behaviour has the same meaning in all cultures, which is unlikely.
Applies cultural norms to other cultures, being an imposed etic.
What did John Berry do in 1969?
Drew the distinction between the etic and emic approaches.
What is etic research?
(Berry, 1969)
Looks at behaviour from the outside of a given culture and attempts to explain those behaviours that are universal.
Emic.
What is emic research?
(Berry, 1969)
Functions from within or inside a given culture and identifies behaviours that are specific to the culture.
What did Berry state about psychology?
Berry stated that psychology has often been guilty of imposing an etic approach, arguing that models, theories, and concepts are universal.
He suggested that psychologists should be mindful of cultural relativism of their research.
The things that they see may only make sense from the perspective of the culture within they were discovered.
What is cultural relativism?
The idea that norms and values, as well as ethics and moral standards, can only be meaningful and understood within the specific and cultural contexts.
Who is Joseph White?
In 1961, White was 1 of 5 African Americans to hold a PhD in psychology in the US.
He is often referred to as the ‘Godfather of Black psychology’ and his 1970 ‘Toward a Black Psychology’ article argued that applying white psychology to Black people contributed to deficit based stereotyping.
He was a professor in psychology and psychiatry who worked to improve educational access and opportunity for low-income students and a founder of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi).
What does CRISE stand for?
(‘CRISE’ cross)
Cross-cultural research.
Cultural psychology.
Representative samples.
Reflexive approach.
Immersion.
Standards.
Sensitive research.
Emic approach.
