Lesson 2 - Cultural bias in Psychology

Question 1

what % of psychology researchers were american

Answer 1

64%

Question 2

what are cultural assumptions of psychology

Answer 2

white american male dominated subject

Question 3

cultural bias

Answer 3

the tendency to judge people in terms of one’s own cultural assumptions.

behaviour from one culture is the norm, everything else is abnormal

Question 4

how to reduce culture bias

Answer 4

researchers shouldn’t try to extrapolate findings to cultures not included in the study

Question 5

ethnocentrism

Answer 5

emphasising the importance of the behaviour of one’s own culture

Question 6

example of ethnocentrism

Answer 6

ainsworth, strange situation
assumes that a securely attached child would show moderate distress(separation protest) and if that didn’t happen the child was insecurely attached.
- german mothers were seen as cold and rejecting

Question 7

cultural relativism

Answer 7

behaviour can only be properly understood in the context of the norms and values of the culture in which it occurs

Question 8

strength of research into cultural bias

Answer 8

+individualistic and collectivist naming system is too simple of a distinction and inaccurate
+ mental illnesses in some cultures that do not exist in others

Question 9

weaknesses of research into cultural bias

Answer 9

w- some human behaviour is universal. interactional synchrony between an infant and their caregiver has been observed in many cultures
w- cross cultural research is one way to prevent cultural bias in psychology