Cultural Bias Flashcards
What is cultural bias in psychology?
Cultural bias refers to the tendency of psychologists to interpret or judge behaviors, thoughts, or attitudes based on the norms and values of their own culture, leading to inaccurate conclusions when applied to individuals from different cultural backgrounds.
How does cultural bias affect psychological research?
Cultural bias can result in ethnocentrism, where one culture is viewed as the standard, leading to misinterpretation of behaviors from other cultures as abnormal or deviant.
What is ethnocentrism in psychological research?
Ethnocentrism occurs when researchers view other cultures from the perspective of their own culture, often judging them by the standards and norms of their own society, which can lead to biased conclusions.
What is imposed etic?
Imposed etic is when researchers apply their own cultural concepts and categories to interpret behavior in other cultures, assuming that the same principles apply universally, which may lead to misunderstandings.
What is emic research?
Emic research refers to studying behaviors and phenomena from within the culture being studied, using the culture’s own context, categories, and beliefs, rather than imposing external, culturally biased views.
How has cultural bias affected the development of psychological theories?
Many psychological theories, such as those related to intelligence, mental illness, and child development, were initially based on Western norms and may not be applicable or valid in non-Western cultures, leading to an ethnocentric view of human behavior.
How does cultural bias influence the diagnosis of mental disorders?
Cultural differences in the expression of symptoms may lead to misdiagnosis. For example, behaviors considered normal in one culture (e.g., hallucinations in certain spiritual practices) might be seen as signs of schizophrenia in another culture.
How does cultural bias appear in intelligence testing?
Intelligence tests, such as the IQ test, were developed based on Western values and educational systems, which may not be appropriate for people from different cultural backgrounds, leading to biased results.
What example of cultural bias exists in attachment theory?
John Bowlby’s attachment theory was criticized for being culturally biased, as it was based on research conducted in Western societies. The assumption that secure attachment patterns are universal has been challenged by research in non-Western cultures, where caregiving practices differ.
How did the Strange Situation attachment study demonstrate cultural bias?
The Strange Situation, developed by Mary Ainsworth, is based on Western cultural norms of attachment. In cultures where children are less likely to be separated from their mothers (e.g., Japan), children may show different attachment behaviors, which could be misinterpreted as insecure attachment.
What are the criticisms of cultural bias in Western psychology?
Ethnocentrism: The assumption that Western behaviors, beliefs, and practices are the universal standard.
Lack of cultural relativism: The failure to acknowledge that behavior and mental processes should be understood in the context of the culture in which they occur.
Overgeneralization: Applying theories and findings from one culture to all human beings without considering cultural differences.
How does cultural bias limit the generalization of psychological findings?
Findings from studies based on one cultural group (usually Western) may not apply to people from other cultures, leading to limited applicability and relevance in global contexts.
How can psychology address cultural bias in research?
Conducting cross-cultural studies to compare behaviors and psychological phenomena across different cultures.
Using culturally appropriate research methods (e.g., emic approaches) that consider the norms and values of the culture being studied.
Incorporating diverse perspectives in research teams to reduce ethnocentric viewpoints.
What role does cultural relativism play in reducing cultural bias?
Cultural relativism emphasizes understanding behavior within its cultural context rather than judging it based on one’s own cultural standards, allowing for more accurate and respectful interpretations of different cultural practices.
How did the Ganze et al. (2000) study reduce cultural bias?
Ganze et al. conducted cross-cultural research on attachment by using culturally appropriate methods for each society and taking into account local caregiving practices, rather than applying Western assumptions about attachment.
