I&D2. Cultural Bias

Question 1

Culture

Answer 1

Rules, customs, morals, and ways of interacting that bind together members of a collective (society)

Question 2

Cultural Bias

Answer 2

Judging all cultures based on your own cultures standards; distorts/biases judgements

Question 3

Cultural Relativism

Answer 3

The view that behaviour, morals, standards and values can only be correctly judged in their own cultural context (e.g. having multiple wives being viewed from an Islamic view)

Question 4

Cultural Relativism Example

Answer 4

• Milgrim’s Obedience Study
• 40 AMERICAN MALES
• replicated with Spanish students (90% obedience levels - higher)
• Milgrim’s original results specifically bound to ‘American’ cultures

Question 5

Ethnocentrism

Answer 5

Evaluating others based on the standards and customs of one’s own culture

Question 6

Ethnocentrism Example

Answer 6

• Ainsworth’s Strange Situation
• Secure Attachment ONLY characterised by moderate seperation and stranger anxiety
• however, would incorrectly make German mothers ‘cold and rejecting’ according to Ainsworth, as children showed little separation and stranger anxiety

Question 7

Indigenous Psychologies

Answer 7

COUNTER to Ethnocentrism, development of different groups of theories in different countries

Question 8

• Eval: Institutionalised Bias in Research Methods

Answer 8

• Smith and Bond surveyed European Textbook, found studies were:
• 66% American
• 32% European
• 2% Rest of World
• Psychology based on middle class, young, male adults
• ‘universal’ behaviours only demonstrated in certain cultures

Question 9

+ Eval: Worldwide Psychology

Answer 9

• Researchers now able to travel
• Increase in cross-cultural research
• Therefore, decrease in ethnocentrism

Question 10

• Effect of Cultural Bias Research

Answer 10

• US IQ TEST
• European Immigrants scored slightly less than White Americans
• Results may lead to stereotyping and discrimination