Culture Bias Flashcards
What does traditional psychology represent?
A Western bias, as most psychologists are trained in the west.
What is the consequence of applying Western psychological theories to other cultures?
It reflects a cultural bias.
What term did Henrich et al coin to describe the group most studied by psychologists?
WEIRD: Westernised, Educated people from Industrialised, Rich Democracies.
What happens if the norm for behavior is set by WEIRD people?
Behaviors of people from non-Western, less educated, agricultural, or poorer cultures are seen as ‘abnormal’, ‘inferior’, or ‘unusual’.
How can alpha and beta bias be related according to Hare-Mustin and Marcek (1988)?
They can be related to culture as well as gender.
What is alpha bias?
Real and enduring differences between cultural groups.
What distinction is usually made in cultural psychology?
Between collectivist and individualistic cultures.
What expectation exists for individualistic cultures regarding conformity?
They are expected to be less conformist, as they don’t work for group norms.
What did Takano (1999) find in his review of studies comparing US and Japan?
14 out of 15 studies did not support the common view about differences in conformity.
What does Takano’s finding suggest about the distinction between individualistic and collectivist cultures?
It suggests that the distinction is no longer useful.
What is Beta Bias?
Theories that ignore or minimize cultural differences.
What assumption does Beta Bias make about people?
All people are the same, making it reasonable to use the same theory or method on all cultures.
How do psychologists often study intelligence across cultures?
They use IQ tests devised by Western psychologists to study intelligence in many cultures.
What is the Western view of intelligence?
Intelligence lies within the person.
How do collectivist cultures view intelligence?
As a functional relationship depending on shared knowledge between the individual and society.
What is the consequence of using a Western IQ test on a non-Western individual?
The individual is more likely to appear less intelligent.
What is imposed etic?
A research tool made in one culture imposed on another culture.
What is the Strange Situation?
The Strange Situation is a procedure developed to assess attachment styles in children.
It was developed based on Western values and child-rearing practices.
Why could the Strange Situation be considered ethnocentric?
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.
What do indigenous psychologists advocate for?
Indigenous psychologists encourage the development of psychological theories that are relevant to their specific cultural contexts.
What is Afrocentrism?
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.
What is the emic-etic distinction?
The emic approach focuses on behaviors specific to one culture, while the etic approach seeks universal behaviors but may be biased.
How can bias in psychological research be counteracted?
Using indigenous psychologists in each cultural setting can provide a more accurate understanding of that culture.
