culture bias Flashcards
define culture bias?
when the ‘norm’ for a particular behaviour is judged only from the standpoint of one particular culture, and any cultural differences that deviate from this behaviour will be viewed as abnormal.
culture bias stats 1992
64% of the worlds 56,000 psychology researchers were American, 90% textbooks studied citied in USA.
define alpha bias in culture bias
ones own culture is considered better or different e.g ethnocentrism.
define ethnocentrism
judging other cultures by the standards and values of one’s own culture.
give an example of culture bias (alpha)
Ainsworth’s research- only reflecting the norms and values of American culture, secure attachment most desirable making German mothers seem cold as they had avoidant.
define beta bias in culture bias
when psychologists believe their world view is the only view, often because they assume all people are the same and findings will apply to all cultures.
cultural relativism
behaviour can not be properly judged unless we understand the culture in which it originates from.
give two examples of cultural relativism
- statistical infrequency- hearing voices
2. deviation from social norms- wearing clothes
give a weakness of culture bias AO3
real life damaging and validating stereotypes- WW1 US army IQ test culturally biased towards white dominated majority. AA bottom of IQ scale, negative effects of attitudes towards them.highlight negative impacts of culturally biased work.
give a strength of culture bias AO3
if you can recognise it, it can be changed to prevent it, Smith and Bond found in 1988 survey, 66% American studies, 32% European and 2% rest in textbooks. Severely unrepresentative and greatly improved by researching other groups.
give another weakness of culture bias AO3
Nobles (1976) argues that western psychology has been a tool of oppression and dominance. Cultural bias has also made it difficult for psychologists to separate the behavior they have observed from the context in which they observed it.
