D4a1 Heinrichs et al (2005): cultural differences in fears Flashcards
Custom
a longstanding practice of a particular group of people
Tradition
a practice that has been handed down through generations
Social norm
a behaviour or belief that is expected and accepted in a particular culture
Collectivist
describes a culture that encourages group dependence, cooperation and group identity. People rely on each other to achieve together
Individualistic
describes a culture that encourages independence, personal achievement, competition and individuality
Social anxiety
a fear of social situations: e.g meeting new people, being watched, being center of attention, public speaking, etc
Aim of Heinrichs et al
to see if being brought up in different cultures affected social anxiety and fear of blushing
Procedure of Heinrichs et al
1) 909 psychology students tested. They were from 8 countried: USA, Australia, Canada, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Korea, Japan.
2) countries divided into collectivist and individualistic (collectivist: Spain, Korea, Japan. Individualistic: others)’
3) Participants given short description of social situation and asked to say how they would react
4) answers recorded as either low or high social anxiety
4) participants also completed social anxiety and blushing questionnaire: social anxiety questionnaire measured individual fear of social situations, and blushing questionnaire measured fear of embarassment
Results of Heinrichs et al
Participants from collectivist cultures often responded to descriptions in ways that showed high social anxiety- answers avoided public interaction/ public speaking. They were also more fearful of blushing and scored higher on social anxiety questionnaire.
Social anxiety highest to lowest: Japan, Korea, Spain, USA, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Germany
Conclusion of Heinrichs et al
Collectivist cultures (cc) show greater social anxiety and fear of blushing than individualistic cultures because cc have strict rules about acceptable behaviour, and if someone breaks social norm, there is greater punishment. People in cc will hold back through fear of letting the group down, and social norms more important for cc as behaviour of individual affects whole group. Individualistc cultures place value on individuality, and it is important to stand out
The nature-nurture debate in Heinrichs et al
The study explains that culture determines how we think and act. As behaviour is a result of the people around us and our upbringing, it supports the nurture side of the debate.
