Cultural influences Flashcards
culture
could be defined as a set of common rules that regulate interactions and behaviour in a group, as well as a number of shared values and attitudes in the group.
origins of culture
The origins of culture may be explained as evolution: culture is a response of a group of people to the demands of their environment. Specific environmental contexts engender certain expectations regarding appropriate cultural norms.
cultural norm
a set of rules based on socially or culturally shared beliefs of how an individual is expected to behave to be accepted within that group.
- Norms regulate behaviour within a group. When individuals deviate from social or cultural norms, they may be punished, marginalized, stigmatized, or—more positively—seen as creative and affecting change in the society.
- Being social animals, the need to belong plays a strong role in the desire to conform to group norms.
- All groups have culture & are all the same in purpose but different in means. The term “culture” refers to the purpose while “cultural norm” refers to how to achieve the purpose. Different cultural groups have different cultural norms
Cultural transmission
- Cultures are dynamic bc they change overtime to adjust to the changing demand of their environmental context but remain stable as generations come and go. This process is often referred to as cultural transmission.
a theory of learning whereby individuals acquire a significant amount of info by interacting within their culture.
- it is accomplished through the process of enculturation & social cognition
Influence of culture on cognition
There are differences in the was people process information. This can be explained by a motivation to conform to the norms of potential observers.
Conformity definition
adjusting one’s behaviour so as to be consistent with social norms.
Berry Aim
Investigate whether the behaviour of conformity is linked to social norms and socialisation practice/cultural dimensions
Berry Method
quasi
measured levels of conformity using the Asch paradigm —participants are shown a series of lines of varying length w 1 target line on the top page w several other lines below
Berry Procedure
120 participants
Procedure
- P were asked to identify which of the other lines has an equal length to the target line
- p are tricked into believing that most of the other p pick a particular line as the correct answer, but is not actually equal to the target line
- Directions were given in their own language by a native interpreter using a pre-translated set of instructions & questions.
- measure of conformity in this experiment is whether or not the participant will accept the suggestion of ‘majority’ & pick an incorrect response bc most other group member haven’t chosen it
Berry IV
no IV manipulated
Berry DV
the number of lines that their answers were away from the correct line
Berry conclusion
- individualists Inuit conform less often than the Temne collectivist bc conformity to group norms is ingrained as a cultural value in the Temne society which depend on tight social relations
- this level of interdependence & cooperation shapes social norms – the collective effort of agriculture shapes a collectivist society.
- By contrast, fishing or hunting can be done completely solo, w no collective effort. This level of economic independence may shape social norms, and this in turn may impact behaviours like conformity.
Berry Results
The Temne accepted the suggestion of the group and frequently selected the incorrect response
- Participants from the Inuit group were mostly unaffected by this suggestion of the “majority”.
- no significant difference within groups - no difference whether the participants were living traditionally or more Western
- There was a correlation between the level of interdependence and the rate of conformity
