Culture Bias

Question 1

What does traditional psychology represent?

Answer 1

A Western bias, as most psychologists are trained in the west.

Question 2

What is the consequence of applying Western psychological theories to other cultures?

Answer 2

It reflects a cultural bias.

Question 3

What term did Henrich et al coin to describe the group most studied by psychologists?

Answer 3

WEIRD: Westernised, Educated people from Industrialised, Rich Democracies.

Question 4

What happens if the norm for behavior is set by WEIRD people?

Answer 4

Behaviors of people from non-Western, less educated, agricultural, or poorer cultures are seen as ‘abnormal’, ‘inferior’, or ‘unusual’.

Question 5

How can alpha and beta bias be related according to Hare-Mustin and Marcek (1988)?

Answer 5

They can be related to culture as well as gender.

Question 6

What is alpha bias?

Answer 6

Real and enduring differences between cultural groups.

Question 7

What distinction is usually made in cultural psychology?

Answer 7

Between collectivist and individualistic cultures.

Question 8

What expectation exists for individualistic cultures regarding conformity?

Answer 8

They are expected to be less conformist, as they don’t work for group norms.

Question 9

What did Takano (1999) find in his review of studies comparing US and Japan?

Answer 9

14 out of 15 studies did not support the common view about differences in conformity.

Question 10

What does Takano’s finding suggest about the distinction between individualistic and collectivist cultures?

Answer 10

It suggests that the distinction is no longer useful.

Question 11

What is Beta Bias?

Answer 11

Theories that ignore or minimize cultural differences.

Question 12

What assumption does Beta Bias make about people?

Answer 12

All people are the same, making it reasonable to use the same theory or method on all cultures.

Question 13

How do psychologists often study intelligence across cultures?

Answer 13

They use IQ tests devised by Western psychologists to study intelligence in many cultures.

Question 14

What is the Western view of intelligence?

Answer 14

Intelligence lies within the person.

Question 15

How do collectivist cultures view intelligence?

Answer 15

As a functional relationship depending on shared knowledge between the individual and society.

Question 16

What is the consequence of using a Western IQ test on a non-Western individual?

Answer 16

The individual is more likely to appear less intelligent.

Question 17

What is imposed etic?

Answer 17

A research tool made in one culture imposed on another culture.

Question 18

What is the Strange Situation?

Answer 18

The Strange Situation is a procedure developed to assess attachment styles in children.

It was developed based on Western values and child-rearing practices.

Question 19

Why could the Strange Situation be considered ethnocentric?

Answer 19

It assumes that behaviors like crying when the mother leaves are universally indicative of secure attachment, which may not apply in all cultures.

Different cultures may have varying caregiving practices that lead to different expressions of attachment.

Question 20

What do indigenous psychologists advocate for?

Answer 20

Indigenous psychologists encourage the development of psychological theories that are relevant to their specific cultural contexts.

Question 21

What is Afrocentrism?

Answer 21

Afrocentrism is a movement that asserts that all black people have roots in Africa and that psychological theories must reflect African values.

It critiques European values as devaluing or being irrelevant to people of African descent.

Question 22

What is the emic-etic distinction?

Answer 22

The emic approach focuses on behaviors specific to one culture, while the etic approach seeks universal behaviors but may be biased.

Question 23

How can bias in psychological research be counteracted?

Answer 23

Using indigenous psychologists in each cultural setting can provide a more accurate understanding of that culture.