Cultural Bias

Question 1

Ethnocentrism

Answer 1

There are 2 sides of the cultural bias issue in psych
Ethnocentrism = seeing the world only from one’s own cultural perspective - believing its normal

Question 2

E.g of ethnocentrism

Answer 2

Ainsworth’s Strange Situation
. Its not appropriate for addressing kids from non UK/USA as cultural differences in child - rearing styles make results liable to misinterpretation

Question 3

Cultural Relativism

Answer 3

(The other side of the cultural bias debate)
. Insists behaviour can only be understood if the cultural context is taken into consideration

Question 4

E.g of cultural relativism

Answer 4

Takahsi’s Research
. Conducted SS on Japanese infants and had to stop the study as kids became extremely distressed, had to adjust procedure of SS

Question 5

Culturally Relative Studies

Answer 5

The best way to study cross-cultural and avoid cultural bias research is to employ a series of culturally relative studies that take place in local settings, conducted by local researchers using local techniques

Question 6

Eval - Research Support for cultural relativism (S)

Answer 6

. Meaning of intelligence is different in every culture based off what they value. E.g: being academic depends on whats relevant
. A test designed to measure Europeans understanding of an Africans/Asians intelligence = disadvantaged
. Illustrates importance of having a series of culturally relative studies using local techniques instead of standard

Question 7

Eval - DSM is culturally biased (S)

Answer 7

. Concepts of MH variates between cultures and times
. In some cultures, depression may be experienced in physical terms rather than with emotions
E.g: complaints of nerves and headaches in Latino and Mediterranean cultures
. Cultural bias exists = lead to mis - diagnosis, may not know that they have depression based on definitions from other cultures

Question 8

Eval - Underrepresentation of cultures in psych research (S)

Answer 8

. Smith and Bond found in 1998 survey of European textbooks on social psych
66% studies = American
32% = European
2% from rest of the world
. Strength cultural bias exists = psych not applicable to describe psych in these cultures due to heavy western bias

COUNTER-ARGUMENT = indigenous psych created
. Theories drawing explicity on particular experiences of people in different cultural contexts
E.g: Afrocentrism = theories now recognise the African context of behaviours and attitudes