Cultural bias : Issues

Question 1

What is the background of cultural bias?

Answer 1

-in 1992 64% of researchers were American
94% of studies were done in North America (male psychology students)
-however, it is important to research the effects of the culture of behaviour (biological evolutionary changes are small)

Question 2

Why is it important to research effects of culture on behaviour?

Answer 2

-evidence that psychology has neglected cross-cultural research (ineffective)
- needs to be carried out in order to have a complete understanding of behaviour

Question 3

What is cultural bias?
-Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism

Answer 3

Cultural bias is the tendency to judge all people in terms of their own culture’s assumptions, distorts or biases judgements.
-norm or standard only judged from standpoint of one particular culture, deviation from this standard seen as “abnormal” or “inferior”
- Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism are a part of cultural bias

Question 4

Alpha bias in psychology

-suggesting individualism or collectivism may not be real distinction

Answer 4

Alpha: assume real differences between cultural groups

(a distinction made between individualist and collectivist culture)
-expect individualistic cultures to be less conformist
HOWEVER, 14 out of 15 studies that compared the US to Japan does not support common view about differences in conformity

Question 5

Beta bias in cultural bias
-theories that minimise cultural differences

test of IQ between western and non-western cultures

Answer 5

same theories with all cultural groups
ex. IQ (provided by western psychologists to study across different cultures)

Western- IQ within an individual
Uganda (collectivist): IQ as functional relationship shared knowledge between individual and society
(Western IQ tests might show non-Western cultures as less intelligent)
SUCH TEST ARE DESCRIBED AS IMPOSED ETIC (tests developed by one group is applied to other groups)

Question 6

Universality and Bias

Answer 6

Milgram’s study (test obedience to an authority figure) and Asch’s line study ( influence of majority influence on conformity) -> samples of US BUT generalised to all cultures based on assumptions of levels of obedience and conformity reflected universality (same reaction)

-when the studies are replicated in other cultures, there are different levels of obedience and conformity

Question 7

What is Ethnocentrism ?

Answer 7

-belief in the superiority of one own’s cultural group, any behaviours that do not conform to the model are seen as deficient and underdeveloped

Question 8

example of a study that involves ethnocentrism

Answer 8

Strange situation used US, UK style of parent child interaction to assess children across many cultural group (Anglo-American’ assessment)
-wrongly identified children from germany as insecurely-avoidant and those from Japan as insecurely-resistant (did not take into account of child rearing practises)

-also involved in diagnosis of mental illness (DSM model developed in the US) African Carribean immigrants 7 times more likely to be diagnosed as schizophrenia (HOWEVER hearing voices which is classified as a positive symptom” hallucination” is normal in their culture as they believe that the ancestors are communicating with them)

Question 9

more depth into cultural bias of SST

Answer 9

The mistake made by those administering the SST in different cultures without considering cultural differences in behaviour that might confound the test, is known as an ‘imposed etic’. It is a problem common to much cross cultural research in psychology and it is argued that an ‘emic’ approach is better. This is when a test is designed for one individual culture, within that culture, using researchers from the culture to develop the task so that it tests and reflects normal behaviour.

Question 10

Define cultural relativism

Answer 10

-behaviour cannot be judged properly unless it is viewed in the context of the culture where it originates
- aware that each culture has own set of social norms and values that MUST be studied independently

Question 11

what is an emic approach

Answer 11

Behaviours should be studied within the culture using techniques developed by that culture

Question 12

the distinction between the emic and etic approach

Answer 12

etic approach: looks at behaviour from the outside of a given culture and attempts to describe behaviours that are universal

emic approach: functions within or inside certain cultures and identifies behaviours that are specific to that culture

Question 13

Evaluation
-factors to consider to reduce cultural bias in research
DO NOT rely too much on the individualistic-collectivist dimension

Answer 13

individualistic-collectivist dimension is a gross simplification-> little difference actually between these cultures !! divisions between rural vs urban lifestyles might be a better distinction

Question 14

evaluation
cross-cultural (study many different cultures to identify variations) and a transcultural approach (study many different cultures to identify the similarities) should be adapted

Answer 14

cross-cultural approach undertaken by people within cultures rather than those outside (require need of assistance and understanding)

Question 15

Evaluation
Afrocentrism

Answer 15

refers to a movement where the central proposition is that African values are neglected in favour of European values (research mostly takes place in US/UK)
-devalues African values
-unable to establish universality and cultural variations of behaviours

Question 16

Evaluation
research should be completed by indigenous groups to avoid cultural bias

Answer 16

using members from the exact culture that is being studied in order to draw an appropriate research aim
(tasks should be appropriate for cultural norms and interpreted by indigenous researchers to ensure validity)

!mead did research and found gender role differences between tribes BUT then she realised there were also strong universals behaviours between genders (males more aggressive) -> exaggerated ross cultural differences !!

Question 17

Evaluation
why it is important to avoid completing ethnocentric research

Answer 17

-unable to achieve universality until ethnocentric bias is addressed

-bias in DSM criteria !! clinicians studied atypical behaviours for Western patients…
updated DSM have included cultural bound syndromes (examples of cross mental health conditions only exist in non-western cultures)
HOWEVER existence of this shows how DSM is nto as universally agreed as it is set up to be