Culture Flashcards
Culture=
customs, habits, beliefs and values that shape emotions, behaviours and life patterns
processes in engaging in culture> (2)
- Acculturation= active process of changing to adopt to the dominant culture
- Enculturation= incremental assimilation of own culture
what is selective migration?
Idea individuals tend to relocate to places where people have similar values & personalities to them (if have choice)
Characterising culture> WEIRD (2)
WEIRD:
> Psychology de-facto context= cultural focus of most psych research conducted
> cultural psychology= focus on redressing the WEIRD bias
Characterising culture> collectivism vs individualism> collectivist cultures> (6)
- emphasise benefit of group over individual
- more sociable
- other-focused emotions
- happier when “connecting” with others
- less risk-taking
- reduced self-enhancement (ambition etc)
Characterising culture> collectivism vs individualism> individualistic cultures> (5)
- emphasise benefit of individual over group
- focus on independence, competition & achievement
- high risk-taking
- self enhancement important
- social structures vs individual interests
Characterising culture> Tightness vs looseness> influencing factors> (3)
- ecological & historical threats (natural disasters, territorial conflict, resource scarcity)
- socialisation factors in societal institutions (media regulations, autocracy)
- micro-level psychological affordances (prevention self-guide)
Characterising culture> tightness vs looseness> what is it?
idea that cultures which face threat are more likely to be restrictive on people’s individual freedoms
Culture & psychology> personality/ individual differences (2)
- macro & micro influence= understanding macro-influence to explain individual level difference
- Assumptions of importance= culture is an environment that can influence personality
Cultural theory> what is the configurationalist approach?>
- links to anthropology
- assumption that personality is culture
–>culture ‘takes’ on character of members’
personalities
–>therefore, cultural differences due to individual
differences
Cultural theory> Configurationalist theory> study
Tribal cultures> traits: harmonious, group focus, appollonian culture
Cultural theory> Basic personality structure approach> (3)
- idea that focus on individual is INADEQUATE explanatory paradigm;
- focus should be on societal structures
- idea shared experiences within primary institutions produce basic personality traits; basic traits interact with secondary institutions
Cultural theory> Basic personality structure approach> components
- Primary institutions of a culture (e.g. family unit)
- Aspects of culture (child’s cultural training> economic environment, industrialised area? tourism?)
- Secondary institutions (e.g. religious groups, community rituals)
Cultural theory> Basic personality structure approach> conc
> idea shared experiences within primary institutions produce basic personality traits;
basic P traits then interact with secondary institutions
idea can work out what common traits are for that particular culture
problems with the basic personality structure approach
> issue is that focus on most common trait as the dominant trait (but most common=general, oversimplification)
Cultural theory>Modal personality approach>
- rejection of basic personality structure approach
- identifying most common traits to ALL members=oversimplification
- instead: looked at most frequent encountered= wider range of traits considered
Integrated model of personality> Critiques of personality psych>
- personality psych is too fragmented (many areas but don’t come together to form coherent whole)
- concepts & theories devised on untested assumptions (PEN model)
Integrated model of personality> Evolutionary theory>
- explains why certain traits emerge across cultures (i.e. good for group> continuation of genetic lineage)
Integrated model of personality> 3 influencing factors>
- culture has MODEST impact on individual behaviour
- culture has STRONGER impact on motivation to adopt behaviour to align with cultural norms
- Culture has MOST influence on life narratives
Integrated model of personality> critiques>
w & J, 2007,
- overclaim on importance of life narratives in personality theory
- important other factors offer more salience (learning from experience)
Integrated model of personality: (1) Culture has MODEST impact on individual behaviour>
> same trait, expressed differently in contrasting cultures
(e.g. high neuroticism:
in US= excessive worries & concerns;
in Ghana= magical thinking & causal reasoning
Integrated model of personality: (1) Culture has STRONGER impact on motivation to adopt behaviour to align with cultural norms>
> e.g. USA individualistic vs china collectivist
“artistic” type:
in US= creative, intense;
in China= ‘type’ doesn’t exist, despite traits existing
Integrated model of personality> culture has MOST influence on life narratives
> cultures differ in story tropes/character archetypes that exist
e.g. US ‘rags to riches’ story & ‘self-made man’
Japan “samurai seppuku” (selfless acts for greater cause)
Life narratives=
culturally-influenced life narratives are manifestations of personality (inspired by the psychology/anthropology intersection)
Purpose of life-narratives>
> Make sense of episodic memories
(narrative around it- “im this person because of this”)
Adolesence= sense of self emerges
Self in different contexts
Self evolving over time
Life narratives & personality>
> we self-ascribe personal characteristics based on life narratives (e.g. “I’m a fighter” due to overcoming adverse early experiences)
Big 5 & life narratives:
1. love: first relationships= lower neuroticism & higher extraversion (AFTER)
2. Education/work: first job= more conscientiousness
National character: Benedict & Mead, 1946>
post ww2 analysis of fascist germany & japanese culture
>germany= authortiarian personality:
- obedient to superiors
-oppressive to subordinates
>Japan= contradictory-
-fanatic militarism & restrained aestheticisim
National character: Benedict & Mead, 1946> methological issues>
ethnographic study
>fine for small tribes/group but adequate for industrial countries?
National character: B&M, 1946> supporting evidence> Mcrae & terracciano, 2006>national character & big 5> method>
method= N=4000, 49 countries
Process:
1. Perceptions of own national character: national character survey (measured modified to align with big 5)
(e.g. “how extraverted is the typical British person?”)
2. compare with self report (of own personality on big 5)
National character: B&M, 1946> supporting evidence> Mcrae & terracciano, 2006>national character & big 5> outcomes>
> High-medium POSITIVE correlations:
-(Poland, Australia, Lebanon)
High-medium NEGATIVE correlations
-(Britian, Denmark, Belgium)
however, majority of countries showed NO significant relationship
personality profiles do NOT resemble national character profiles
Personality & national culture> comparison of importance of status across cultures> (Hofstede, 2005)> 5 dimensions>
- Low vs high power distance
- Individualism vs collectivism
- Long term vs short term orientation
- Masculinity & femininity
- Uncertainty avoidance
Personality & national culture> comparison of importance of status across cultures> (Hofstede, 2005)> 5 dimensions> (1) Low vs high power distance=
-hierarchical dynamic between perceived “high status” & “low status”
>low power cultures= individuals relate to one another as equals
>High power cultures= acceptance of autocratic ruling
Personality & national culture> comparison of importance of status across cultures> (Hofstede, 2005)> 5 dimensions> (3) Long-term vs short-term orientation>
-importance attached by a culture to future or past
- importance of short-term or long-term achievement to societal goals
>western cultures= short-term goals (consumption, competitiveness)
>Eastern cultures= persistances & long-term strategising)
Personality & national culture> comparison of importance of status across cultures> (Hofstede, 2005)> 5 dimensions> (4) masculinity & femininity>
- extent to which society can be understood as having ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ traits (defined from western perspective)
>masculine cultures= competitiveness, materialism, ambition
>feminine cultures= social relationships & life quality
Personality & national culture> comparison of importance of status across cultures> (Hofstede, 2005)> 5 dimensions> (5) uncertainty avoidance>
- what cultural mechanisms exist to reduce anxiety over uncertainty (e.g. religious instituitions)
>religous culture= higher on uncertainty avoidance
Personality & national culture> criticisms of Hofsted’s 5 dimensions> Value survey’s model>
> conceptualisation of DYNAMIC circumstances (likely outdated now- i.e. f/m)
sample= higher economic earners (thus not representative)
culturally insensitive to regional difference
Personality & national culture>Differences with cultures> (1) Religious belief
> Religious belief=
-dimensions of religiousity= great contrast in ontological
assumptions & specific rituals of major religions
Personality & national culture>Differences with cultures>
> religious belief
religious orientation
Religious coping
Personality & national culture>Differences with cultures> Religious Orientation>
Religious orientation= approach someone takes towards religion
>two orientations:
1) intrinsic orientation= deep personal commitment to a belief
2) Extrinsic orientation= protection and consolation, group belonging
Personality & national culture>Differences with cultures> (2) Religious Orientation> Measure & big 5 link>
Intrinsic approach:
1. My whole life approach is based on my religion
2. I have often had a strong sense of God’s presence
Extrinsic approach:
1. I go to church mostly to spend time with friends
2. I got to church to make friends
> big 5 link:
-Intrinisic & agreeableness & conscientiousness
-Extrinsic & neuroticism
Personality & national culture>Differences with cultures> (3) Religious coping
Religious coping= role religious belief serves in times of distress
1. Positive religious coping=
>negative event fosters personal & spiritual growth
2. Negative religious coping=
>questioning of god’s judgement
>event is interpreted as punishment
Personality & national culture>Differences with cultures> Religious Believers & PEN model>
- 100 published studies= religious believers score consistently lower on psychoticism
Religion and personality> findings>
> Religiosity correlated with sensitivity, empathy & sociability
Religious individuals score higher on generosity to others
(however this is in-group directed)
Religion and personality> criticisms>
- significant but small effect size
- not all aspects of religious belief considered (e.g. relationship with deity)
- secular assumptions of researchers (exploring religion from non-religious viewpoint)
Social media & culture> (bayer et al, 2020)
- Profile: display of personal info
- Network: opportunity to connect with other users
- Stream: supply of content from other users for purpose of interaction
- Message: capacity to message other users
Social media & personality: Big 5 meta-analysis>
-N=10,000
>Extraversion & openness= main predictors of social media use on 3 behaviours:
-higher levels of friends, photo posting, interactions
>Low conscientiousness & high neuroticism correlated to problematic facebook interactions (i.e. addiction/abusive behaviour)
social media and personality> Big 5 meta analysis> challenges>
> exaggeration of differences:
- homogenity biases (same across all)
- greater variation within cultures than between
- focused on differences, but mostly similar
- statistics mostly for finding differences
-small effects earier to detect with large sample
- ethnocentricism
-cultural relativism
What is ethnocentricism?>
viewing, interpreting and judging another culture from the viewpoint of your own
>perception that:
- OWN cultures’ values or beliefs= norm, boring, ‘standard’
- OTHER cultures’ values or beliefs= ignorant, exotic, strange & unknowable
What is cultural relativism?>
idea all cultural views are equally valid
what is the fundamental attribution error?
- Fundamental attribution error= assumption that behaviour is usually internal factors manifesting (as opposed to considering wider culture)
