ID: Cultural Bias

Question 1

Define Cultural bias

Answer 1

Norm of behaviour judged from a standpoint of a particular culture

Question 2

Define Ethnocentrism

Answer 2

Judging other cultures from the view of one’s own culture. (Leads to discrimination)

Question 3

Define Cultural Relativism

Answer 3

Idea that norms/values/morals can only be meaningful within specific + cultural contexts

Question 4

What can cultural relativism lead to? (Add some detail about Margret Mead)

Answer 4

Alpha bias
Paupa New Guinea, she believed significant gender differences were due to culture however she realised

Question 5

What does WEIRD stand for and who came up with it? Why?

Answer 5

-Westernised
-Educated
-Industrialised
-Rich
-Democratic
Henrich et al - to explain these r the people most likely to be studied

Question 6

Define Alpha bias
What can it lead to?
Expectation of Alpha bias?

Answer 6

-Exaggerated differences between cultures making some cultures that are not western seem inferior
-Theories that devalue cultures in comparison to others
-individualist cultures r less conformist however Takano and Osako - review of 15 studies and 14/15 did not agree

Question 7

Define beta bias
What can it lead to?

Answer 7

Research minimises differences between cultures
Theories that ignore questions about the lives of people from other cultures (non western) as will assume there the same

Question 8

Give 2 examples of beta bias (clue: other topics)

Answer 8

-IQ test - designed by USA psychologists so westernised - making others seem less intelligent
-Ainsworth study - ethnocentrism and lead to imposed ethic

Question 9

Describe one limitation of psychological research due to cultural bias

Answer 9

-Most influential studies r culturally bias
-Conformity, Asch + Milgram used white middle class and USA
-individualistic = independence, collectivist = groups and contribution to society
- replications of their experiements showed collectivist cultures had different results and didn’t conform.
-Suggests should be applied to individualist not collectivist or all

Question 10

Counter of previous point

Answer 10

-Distinction of Individualistic + collectivist = simplistic
-Takano + Osako did a review of 15 studies and found no evidence of indi + collectivist
-Implying cultural bias is less of an issue than we think

Question 11

Name another limitation

Answer 11

-Cultural bias can reinforce stereotypes
-IQ tests
-immigrants - Africans and south east Europeans seem inferior and less intelligent
-This has long lasting implications

Question 12

Name one strength

Answer 12

-one way we can prevent cultural bias is by using studies with samples with mixed cultural groups
-Smith and bond = 66% of studies r American/ 32% r European/ 2% r rest of world
-Sears = 82% of participants r undergrads and 51% of those r psychology students
-Henrich found 67% of participants r American psych students
-findings r important as shows communication between us all is possible so more cultural samples can be made