Cultural Bias Flashcards
What are the 4 talking points for cultural bias?
Cross cultural studies
Difference or bias
Ethnocentrism
Historical and social context
Whats a definition of cultural bias?
When one culture makes assumptions about the behaviour of another based off of their own cultural norms
Why would a psychologist use a cross cultural study? (Cross-cultural studies)
In order to see whether cultural pratices affect behaviour or if behaviour is innate
Whats an example of a cross cultural study?
David Buss’s research in 36 countries and found the same mate preferences
What’s a disadvantage of cross-cultural studies?
Western researchers conducting research in a different culture may fail to understand other cultural pratices
What is imposed etic (cross-cultural studies)?
When research techniniques which are created in one culture are used in another (e.g western questionaires)
Whats a problem with the group of ppts in a cross-cultural study?
Generalisations are often made off of a very small sample, which is not reflective of an entire culture
What is the main point of difference or bias?
Its easy to confuse difference and bias, as research has found differences between cultural groups (e.g Myers and Diener swb in indv and collect), so differences were found
What is the counterpoint for difference or bias?
Differences in findings such SWB in Myers and Dieners research could be caused by cultural bias, for ex western quedtionair (imposed etic) built off western assumptions of happiness, so may appear different when they really can’t be compared
How can psychologists adress the issue of difference or bias?
Indigenous psychologists need to be recruited to help understand the culture
What is ethnocentrism?
using ones own ethnic or cultural groups as a basis for judgements about other groups
What two types of bias researchers have identified (Ethnocentrisism) ?
Alpha bias - refers to the assumption that there is real and enduring differences between cultural groups, leads to other cultural pratices are devalued
Beta bias - refers to the theories that ignore or minimise cultural differences, (e g Kohlbergs moral dilemas)
How does Alpha bias apply to ethnocentrisism?
Its the idea that ones own culture is better than another, leading to other cultures being devalued
How did Kohlberg’s moral dilemma research display beta bias? (ethnocentrisism)
He assumed that morality was the same across a variety of cultures (e.g USA, Britian, Turkey, Taiwan and Mexico) so it minimises possible cultural differences
What is the opposite of ethnocentrism?
Cultural relativism - the idea that all cultures are worthy of respect
How can cultural relativism we applied to alpha bias?
Cultural relativism can lead to an alpha bias where the assumptions of real differences leads the psychologists to ingore universals (ignorance of similarities such as feelings)
How can cultural relativism lead to a beta bias?
Its often brought up in the context of mental disorders, as hearing voices in the west could be diagnosed as Scz , but in some cultures its quite normal, so may be ‘misdiagnosed’ by western psychiatrists
What is the main point of social context for cultural bias? (Historical and social context)
The concept of ‘culture’ also applies to subcultures (e.g students, nurses etc) as they have a set of customs and beliefs, can cause bias as a large amount of research is on students
What percentage of US research ppts were psychology undergrads?
67%
What is the main point for historical context for cultural bias (Historical and social context)?
Different historical periods can be regarded as different cultures
For ex - Dr John Bowlbys (1945) ‘44 juvenile thieves study’ - was over 60 years ago and child-care is very different today (e.g prolonged isolation in hospital), findings may not generalise well to modern arragements because childcare has changed
