Unit 4 Flashcards
What is the field of cross-cultural psychology?
the scientific study of variations in human behavior, taking into account the ways in which behavior is influenced by cultural context
What are the 2 objects of the cross cultural psychology study?
- Describing the diversity of human behavior in the world
- linking individual behavior to the cultural environment in which it occurs
What are the goals of cross-cultural psychology?
- Transporting psychological hypotheses and findings to other cultural settings (to test validity and applicability)
- Discovering cultural and psychological variations (not present in our own limited cultural experience)
- Integrating, into a broadly based psychology, the results obtained when pursuing the first two goals, and generating a nearly universal psychology
What is impulsive gratification?
the tendency to seek immediate pleasure or satisfaction without considering the long-term consequences.
-> self regulation: better life outcome
Is impulsive gratification biologically developed?
It is not determined by genetic factors alone. Cross-cultural studies show, for example, that economic uncertainty can significantly affect impulsive gratification
How is impulsive gratification related to culture?
- through economic uncertainty, poverty, education, family traditions, etc..
- learning from others
- motivation from family, religion, individual/collective goals etc.
What is Motivation?
a condition—usually an internal one—that initiates, activates, or maintains the individual’s goal-directed behavior
What do most social sciences emphasize in contrast to evolutionary theories?
the crucial role of social factors in determining individual motivation and behavior
What are some theories from Sociology?
Max Weber: desires and actions viewed as appropriate or inappropriate on basis of links to existing customs and rules
Karl Marx: Economic condition of inequality activates human needs
What does the Drive theory state?
it suggests that motivation arises from biological needs or drives, which are internal states of tension or discomfort that push an organism to act in order to restore balance (homeostasis)
-> linked to Clark Hull
according to the drive theory, who values needs more than most other things?
people from cultures that feel deprived of certain needs
social needs -> drive -> goal-directed behavior (direct people toward establishing and maintaining relationships)
What do arousal theories of motivation suggest?
that people seek to maintain optimal levels of arousal by actively changing their exposure to arousing stimuli
-> focuses on the concept of arousal or levels of alertness as primary motivator for behavior
What are people motivated to according to the arousal theories?
to maintain an optimal level of arousal
What do people of all cultures have (differences)?
different needs and motivations, but the value of those needs and the behaviors related to them are different.
What does Seeking Sensory Stimulation involve?
the drive to seek novel, exciting, or stimulating experiences
-> e.g.: exploring new environments, engaging in social interactions, trying new foods, or participating in thrilling activities
-> Universal psychological mechanism
What is Procrastination?
the tendency to delay or avoid tasks, often due to a preference for immediate pleasure or relief over long-term goals that require sustained effort
->Universal psychological mechanism
What is hunger?
a biological need
-> cultural norms and traditions regulate eating habits, what to consider tasty and tasteless, taboos on particular foods
What does the humanistic theory of Abraham Maslow’s state?
Humans have a number of innate needs that are arranged in a hierarchy in terms of their potency
-> strengest of needs are culture specific
where are eating disorders more common?
in western countries
-> cultural norms have a significant impact on whether an individual develops a preoccupation with thin-body ideals and acquires an intense fear of gaining weight
What is aggressive motivation?
the desire to harm or injure others
what does aggressive behavior include?
physical abuse, verbal assault, angry retaliation,
open hostility
where does aggressive behavior root in?
psychological, political, biological, socioeconomic, and cultural
factors
What is Bidirectional causation in aggressive motivation and violence?
dangerous social conditions induce encouragement of violence in “self-defense” – the encouragement of aggressive behavior creates a social climate that permits it
What does it mean that a society has materialistic values?
that the success is determined by money and access to power
What does the Frustration-aggression hypothesis state?
aggression is a main response to frustration
-> frustration leads to aggressive behavior
-> caused by unfavorable circumstances (poverty, broken families, migration, urbanization, unemployment, discrimination)
What does Borowitz “Herostratos syndrome” mean?
kind of violence caused by a craving for notoriety or self- glorification
-> individuals commit notorious acts of destruction or violence to gain fame - even if it leads to infamy rather than admiration
What does “culture of honor” stand for?
a complex set of beliefs, attitudes, and norms about the importance of personal reputation, and the necessity of protecting and defending one’s reputation and social image
Are there violence-free societies?
no
-> BUT: the rates vary among different groups and the thresholds of tolerance vary
