Culture Bias in Psychology - AO1

Question 1

What is Alpha cultural bias ?

Answer 1

• Refers to theories that assume there are real enduring differences between cultural groups.

Question 2

What is Beta cultural bias ?

Answer 2

• Refers to theories that ignore or minimise cultural differences.
• Done by assuming all people are the same so then it is appropriate to use the same theories with all cultural groups.

Question 3

An example of Alpha Cultural Bias:

Answer 3

• Distinction made between individualistic and collectivist cultures.
• Would expect members of individualistic cultures to be less conformist.
• To assess the validity of this view Takano and Osaka (1999) reviewed 15 studies which compared the US and Japan in terms of individualistic/collectivist.
• Found 14 out of 15 studies did not support the common view about differences in conformity.
• No longer a useful distinction.

Question 4

An example of Beta Cultural Bias:

Answer 4

• IQ tests devised by western cultures.
• When western IQ tests are used on non-western cultures, non-western people appear as less intelligent.
• An example of an Imposed etic approach.

Question 5

What is Ethnocentrism ?

Answer 5

• Refers to the use of our own ethnic or cultural groups as a basis for judgments about other cultural groups.
• Beliefs that behaviours of our own group are ‘normal’ compared to other groups which are ‘strange’

Question 6

Alpha bias X Ethnocentrism :

Answer 6

• Ethnocentrism is an example of alpha bias.
• As someone’s own culture is viewed as better than another culture which then leads to one culture being devalued in comparison to the other.
• Example of this is an individualistic approach to attachment where independence is valued and dependence is undesirable which is the opposite in the eye of a collectivist culture.

Question 7

Beta Bias X Ethnocentrism :

Answer 7

• Ethnocentrism can lead to beta bias.
• If psychologists believe their world view is the only view.
• E.G. IQ testing

Question 8

What is Cultural relativism ?

Answer 8

• The idea that all cultures are worthy of respect and that in studying another culture we need to try and understand the way that a particular culture see’s the world.

Question 9

Alpha bias X Cultural relativism :

Answer 9

• Cultural relativism can lead to alpha bias where the assumption of real differences leads to psychologists to overlook universals.
• Example : Margret Meads research where she concluded there were significant gender differences due to culture, but later realised that there were universals which stated that men were more aggressive than women.

Question 10

Beta Bias X Cultural relativism :

Answer 10

• Cultural relativism is often discussed in the context of defining a mental disorder.
• Example in definitions of abnormality behaviours that are infrequent in one culture may be more frequent in another culture.