Sociocultural Approach Flashcards
Discuss how Berry (1967) supports the notion that cultural dimensions influence behaviour.
- Aim: To investigate differences in conformative behaviour between members of individualistic and collectivistic cultures.
- Procedure: Researchers recruited 360 Temne, Inuit and Scottish participants. Stereotypically, the Temne were more collectivist and the Inuit were more individualist. Each participants was classified as either “traditional” (limited exposure to Western culture) or “transitional” (educated or employed in Western environment), or “urban” and “rural” in the case of the Scottish participants. Each participant took part in a line test in which they chose, from 9 options, a line which was the same length as the reference line. The first 2 trials were pilot tests to ensure the participant understood the instructions. In the third trial, researchers claimed that most participants of the same culture chose the line the researcher was pointing to (which was the correct answer). The fourth and sixth trials were the critical trials as researchers told participants that their peers chose a specific line (which was wrong, and was 5 lines away from the correct line) as their answer, expecting that participants would choose the correct answer regardless of their peer’s choices if they did not conform. Researchers used the average total deviation of the participants’ answers from the correct line as a measure of conformity behaviour.
- Findings: Researchers found that the Temne conformed the most of any culture, and the Inuit conformed the least. The traditional (and rural) groups conformed more than the transitional (or urban) groups did.
- Conclusion: Researchers concluded that members of individualistic cultures conform less than those from collectivist cultures.
- Link: Berry (1967) shows that there are behavioural differences in people from cultures on opposites sides of a cultural dimension spectrum. Temne participants, who were more stereotypically collectivist, placed more emphasis on togetherness and collaboration, and therefore conformed more often to the answers of their peers than did the Inuit participants, who were more stereotypically individualistic and valued individuality more. Furthermore, traditional (or rural) participants who were less exposed to individualistic Western culture were more likely to conform to their peers than transitional (or urban) participants were for similar reasons. Overall, Berry (1967) shows that different attitudes towards the cultural dimension of Individualism vs Collectivism can lead to behavioural differences.Prompt: to investigate differences in conformity behaviour in individualistic and collectivist cultures.
Outline SCT.
- Social Cognitive Theory proposes that behaviours are learned by observation and imitation via the processes of modelling and reinforcement.
- Individuals are encouraged or discouraged from imitating behaviours by vicarious reinforcement (the decision whether or not to imitate behaviour after observing someone experience a positive or negative consequence for exhibiting such behaviour).
- The extent to which a person imitates behaviour depends on their self-efficacy (motivation, and confidence in one’s own ability to replicate a behaviour).
- In the real world, social cognition leads to reciprocal determinism, where individuals mutually imitate and influence each other’s behaviour.
Discuss how Sherif et al supports SIT.
Prompt: to investigate whether the introduction of a superordinate goal reduces the severity of conflict between social groups. (Contact Hypothesis, Aliport, 1954)
Discuss how Becker et al (2002) explains globalization.
Prompt: to investigate the effect of the introduction of TV on disordered eating attitudes in Fiji school girls.
Evaluate the methods used to research enculturation.
Odden and Rochat (2004): naturalistic, overt, non-participant unstructured observation
Fagot (1978): controlled, overt, non-participant structured observation
Holistically evaluate the theory of acculturation.
Implication: understanding how individuals adapt to different cultures.
Application: providing support to immigrants who may otherwise struggle to adapt to the new culture.
Criticality: oversimplification – situation-dependent acculturative behaviour (Alternation Model), construct validity of acculturative stress
Evaluate the methods used to research acculturation
Miranda and Matheny (2000): questionnaire
Lueck and Wilson (2010): semi-structured interview
Holistically evaluate research into SCT.
Internal vs external validity,
Construct validity,
Reductionist
Holistically evaluate the theory of enculturation.
Implication: understand the different ways in which children learn cultural norms.
Application: understand the impact of parenting on education on shaping children’s value and beliefs.
Criticality: ecological fallacy, individual differences (non-conformists)
Discuss how Takano and Sogon and Asch demonstrates how culture influences behaviour.
Prompt: to investigate the differences in conformity in Japan.
Evaluate methods used to research how culture influences behaviour.
Kearins (1982): quasi-experiment
Kulkosky et al (2011): survey
Holistically evaluate research into SIT.
Internal vs external validity
Construct validity (abstractness)
Reductionist
Discuss ethical issues in research into enculturation.
Odden and Rochat (2004):
Fagot (1978):
Outline globalization.
Prompt: Globalization is the process of delocalizing oneself from the traditional norms of one’s local culture, and acculturating the norms of the new culture.
Discuss how Odden and Rochat (2004) explains enculturation.
Prompt: to investigate the role of social cognition on the learning of cultural norms in Samoan children.
Discuss how Tajfel supports SIT.
Prompt: to investigate the minimum conditions needed for intergroup discrimination to occur.
Evaluate the methods used to research the formation of SCT.
Hamilton and Gifford (1976): true experiment
Rogers and Frantz (1961): survey
Holistically evaluate research used to investigate how cultural dimensions influence behaviour.
Imposed etics,
Construct validity,
Research bias in factor analysis.
Evaluate research into acculturation.
Ecological fallacy/stereotyping,
Construct validity of acculturative stress,
Research bias of acculturative stress and acculturation strategies
Outline how cultural dimensions influence behaviour.
Prompt: Hofstede (1973) proposed that 6 cultural dimensions describing general trends and tendencies of behaviour among members of a specific cultures shape the sets of values and beliefs which define cultures, and therefore explains the cultural differences in behaviour.
PIMUCI
Holistically evaluate research into the formation of stereotypes.
Internal vs external validity,
Construct validity
Evaluate methods used to research the effects of stereotypes.
Steele and Aronson (1995): true experiment
Siy and Cheyran (2013): questionnaire and survey
Discuss how Kraeh et al (2016) explains acculturation.
Prompt: investigate the impact of acculturative stress on the mental well-being of North Korean refugees in South Korea.
Discuss how Abrams et al supports SIT.
Prompt: to investigate whether group membership influences conformity behaviour.
Discuss ethical issues in research into globalization.
Becker et al (2002): confidentialiy
Holistically evaluate the claim that culture influences behaviour.
Implication: understanding that cultures may lead to different behaviours and ways of thinking
Application: accommodating for differences in value systems and behaviours between members of different cultures.
Criticality: problem of imposed etics, ecological fallacy, cultural differences are difficult to explain
Discuss how Huesmann et al supports SCT.
Prompt: ton investigate the relationship between chidlren’s exposure to TV and their tendency for aggressive behaviour as young adults.
Evaluate methods used to research how cultural dimensions influence behaviour.
