Culture Flashcards

1
Q

Culture=

A

customs, habits, beliefs and values that shape emotions, behaviours and life patterns

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2
Q

processes in engaging in culture> (2)

A
  1. Acculturation= active process of changing to adopt to the dominant culture
  2. Enculturation= incremental assimilation of own culture
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3
Q

what is selective migration?

A

Idea individuals tend to relocate to places where people have similar values & personalities to them (if have choice)

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4
Q

Characterising culture> WEIRD (2)

A

WEIRD:
> Psychology de-facto context= cultural focus of most psych research conducted

> cultural psychology= focus on redressing the WEIRD bias

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5
Q

Characterising culture> collectivism vs individualism> collectivist cultures> (6)

A
  • emphasise benefit of group over individual
  • more sociable
  • other-focused emotions
  • happier when “connecting” with others
  • less risk-taking
  • reduced self-enhancement (ambition etc)
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6
Q

Characterising culture> collectivism vs individualism> individualistic cultures> (5)

A
  • emphasise benefit of individual over group
  • focus on independence, competition & achievement
  • high risk-taking
  • self enhancement important
  • social structures vs individual interests
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7
Q

Characterising culture> Tightness vs looseness> influencing factors> (3)

A
  • ecological & historical threats (natural disasters, territorial conflict, resource scarcity)
  • socialisation factors in societal institutions (media regulations, autocracy)
  • micro-level psychological affordances (prevention self-guide)
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8
Q

Characterising culture> tightness vs looseness> what is it?

A

idea that cultures which face threat are more likely to be restrictive on people’s individual freedoms

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9
Q

Culture & psychology> personality/ individual differences (2)

A
  • macro & micro influence= understanding macro-influence to explain individual level difference
  • Assumptions of importance= culture is an environment that can influence personality
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10
Q

Cultural theory> what is the configurationalist approach?>

A
  • links to anthropology
  • assumption that personality is culture
    –>culture ‘takes’ on character of members’
    personalities
    –>therefore, cultural differences due to individual
    differences
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11
Q

Cultural theory> Configurationalist theory> study

A

Tribal cultures> traits: harmonious, group focus, appollonian culture

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12
Q

Cultural theory> Basic personality structure approach> (3)

A
  • idea that focus on individual is INADEQUATE explanatory paradigm;
  • focus should be on societal structures
  • idea shared experiences within primary institutions produce basic personality traits; basic traits interact with secondary institutions
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13
Q

Cultural theory> Basic personality structure approach> components

A
  1. Primary institutions of a culture (e.g. family unit)
  2. Aspects of culture (child’s cultural training> economic environment, industrialised area? tourism?)
  3. Secondary institutions (e.g. religious groups, community rituals)
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14
Q

Cultural theory> Basic personality structure approach> conc

A

> idea shared experiences within primary institutions produce basic personality traits;
basic P traits then interact with secondary institutions
idea can work out what common traits are for that particular culture

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15
Q

problems with the basic personality structure approach

A

> issue is that focus on most common trait as the dominant trait (but most common=general, oversimplification)

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16
Q

Cultural theory>Modal personality approach>

A
  • rejection of basic personality structure approach
  • identifying most common traits to ALL members=oversimplification
  • instead: looked at most frequent encountered= wider range of traits considered
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17
Q

Integrated model of personality> Critiques of personality psych>

A
  • personality psych is too fragmented (many areas but don’t come together to form coherent whole)
  • concepts & theories devised on untested assumptions (PEN model)
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18
Q

Integrated model of personality> Evolutionary theory>

A
  • explains why certain traits emerge across cultures (i.e. good for group> continuation of genetic lineage)
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19
Q

Integrated model of personality> 3 influencing factors>

A
  1. culture has MODEST impact on individual behaviour
  2. culture has STRONGER impact on motivation to adopt behaviour to align with cultural norms
  3. Culture has MOST influence on life narratives
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20
Q

Integrated model of personality> critiques>

A

w & J, 2007,
- overclaim on importance of life narratives in personality theory
- important other factors offer more salience (learning from experience)

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21
Q

Integrated model of personality: (1) Culture has MODEST impact on individual behaviour>

A

> same trait, expressed differently in contrasting cultures
(e.g. high neuroticism:
in US= excessive worries & concerns;
in Ghana= magical thinking & causal reasoning

22
Q

Integrated model of personality: (1) Culture has STRONGER impact on motivation to adopt behaviour to align with cultural norms>

A

> e.g. USA individualistic vs china collectivist
“artistic” type:
in US= creative, intense;
in China= ‘type’ doesn’t exist, despite traits existing

23
Q

Integrated model of personality> culture has MOST influence on life narratives

A

> cultures differ in story tropes/character archetypes that exist
e.g. US ‘rags to riches’ story & ‘self-made man’
Japan “samurai seppuku” (selfless acts for greater cause)

24
Q

Life narratives=

A

culturally-influenced life narratives are manifestations of personality (inspired by the psychology/anthropology intersection)

25
Q

Purpose of life-narratives>

A

> Make sense of episodic memories
(narrative around it- “im this person because of this”)
Adolesence= sense of self emerges
Self in different contexts
Self evolving over time

26
Q

Life narratives & personality>

A

> we self-ascribe personal characteristics based on life narratives (e.g. “I’m a fighter” due to overcoming adverse early experiences)
Big 5 & life narratives:
1. love: first relationships= lower neuroticism & higher extraversion (AFTER)
2. Education/work: first job= more conscientiousness

27
Q

National character: Benedict & Mead, 1946>

A

post ww2 analysis of fascist germany & japanese culture
>germany= authortiarian personality:
- obedient to superiors
-oppressive to subordinates
>Japan= contradictory-
-fanatic militarism & restrained aestheticisim

28
Q

National character: Benedict & Mead, 1946> methological issues>

A

ethnographic study
>fine for small tribes/group but adequate for industrial countries?

29
Q

National character: B&M, 1946> supporting evidence> Mcrae & terracciano, 2006>national character & big 5> method>

A

method= N=4000, 49 countries
Process:
1. Perceptions of own national character: national character survey (measured modified to align with big 5)
(e.g. “how extraverted is the typical British person?”)
2. compare with self report (of own personality on big 5)

30
Q

National character: B&M, 1946> supporting evidence> Mcrae & terracciano, 2006>national character & big 5> outcomes>

A

> High-medium POSITIVE correlations:
-(Poland, Australia, Lebanon)
High-medium NEGATIVE correlations
-(Britian, Denmark, Belgium)
however, majority of countries showed NO significant relationship
personality profiles do NOT resemble national character profiles

31
Q

Personality & national culture> comparison of importance of status across cultures> (Hofstede, 2005)> 5 dimensions>

A
  1. Low vs high power distance
  2. Individualism vs collectivism
  3. Long term vs short term orientation
  4. Masculinity & femininity
  5. Uncertainty avoidance
32
Q

Personality & national culture> comparison of importance of status across cultures> (Hofstede, 2005)> 5 dimensions> (1) Low vs high power distance=

A

-hierarchical dynamic between perceived “high status” & “low status”
>low power cultures= individuals relate to one another as equals
>High power cultures= acceptance of autocratic ruling

33
Q

Personality & national culture> comparison of importance of status across cultures> (Hofstede, 2005)> 5 dimensions> (3) Long-term vs short-term orientation>

A

-importance attached by a culture to future or past
- importance of short-term or long-term achievement to societal goals
>western cultures= short-term goals (consumption, competitiveness)
>Eastern cultures= persistances & long-term strategising)

34
Q

Personality & national culture> comparison of importance of status across cultures> (Hofstede, 2005)> 5 dimensions> (4) masculinity & femininity>

A
  • extent to which society can be understood as having ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ traits (defined from western perspective)
    >masculine cultures= competitiveness, materialism, ambition
    >feminine cultures= social relationships & life quality
35
Q

Personality & national culture> comparison of importance of status across cultures> (Hofstede, 2005)> 5 dimensions> (5) uncertainty avoidance>

A
  • what cultural mechanisms exist to reduce anxiety over uncertainty (e.g. religious instituitions)
    >religous culture= higher on uncertainty avoidance
36
Q

Personality & national culture> criticisms of Hofsted’s 5 dimensions> Value survey’s model>

A

> conceptualisation of DYNAMIC circumstances (likely outdated now- i.e. f/m)
sample= higher economic earners (thus not representative)
culturally insensitive to regional difference

37
Q

Personality & national culture>Differences with cultures> (1) Religious belief

A

> Religious belief=
-dimensions of religiousity= great contrast in ontological
assumptions & specific rituals of major religions

38
Q

Personality & national culture>Differences with cultures>

A

> religious belief
religious orientation
Religious coping

39
Q

Personality & national culture>Differences with cultures> Religious Orientation>

A

Religious orientation= approach someone takes towards religion
>two orientations:
1) intrinsic orientation= deep personal commitment to a belief
2) Extrinsic orientation= protection and consolation, group belonging

40
Q

Personality & national culture>Differences with cultures> (2) Religious Orientation> Measure & big 5 link>

A

Intrinsic approach:
1. My whole life approach is based on my religion
2. I have often had a strong sense of God’s presence
Extrinsic approach:
1. I go to church mostly to spend time with friends
2. I got to church to make friends

> big 5 link:
-Intrinisic & agreeableness & conscientiousness
-Extrinsic & neuroticism

41
Q

Personality & national culture>Differences with cultures> (3) Religious coping

A

Religious coping= role religious belief serves in times of distress
1. Positive religious coping=
>negative event fosters personal & spiritual growth
2. Negative religious coping=
>questioning of god’s judgement
>event is interpreted as punishment

42
Q

Personality & national culture>Differences with cultures> Religious Believers & PEN model>

A
  • 100 published studies= religious believers score consistently lower on psychoticism
43
Q

Religion and personality> findings>

A

> Religiosity correlated with sensitivity, empathy & sociability
Religious individuals score higher on generosity to others
(however this is in-group directed)

44
Q

Religion and personality> criticisms>

A
  • significant but small effect size
  • not all aspects of religious belief considered (e.g. relationship with deity)
  • secular assumptions of researchers (exploring religion from non-religious viewpoint)
45
Q

Social media & culture> (bayer et al, 2020)

A
  1. Profile: display of personal info
  2. Network: opportunity to connect with other users
  3. Stream: supply of content from other users for purpose of interaction
  4. Message: capacity to message other users
46
Q

Social media & personality: Big 5 meta-analysis>

A

-N=10,000
>Extraversion & openness= main predictors of social media use on 3 behaviours:
-higher levels of friends, photo posting, interactions
>Low conscientiousness & high neuroticism correlated to problematic facebook interactions (i.e. addiction/abusive behaviour)

47
Q

social media and personality> Big 5 meta analysis> challenges>

A

> exaggeration of differences:
- homogenity biases (same across all)
- greater variation within cultures than between
- focused on differences, but mostly similar
- statistics mostly for finding differences
-small effects earier to detect with large sample
- ethnocentricism
-cultural relativism

48
Q

What is ethnocentricism?>

A

viewing, interpreting and judging another culture from the viewpoint of your own
>perception that:
- OWN cultures’ values or beliefs= norm, boring, ‘standard’
- OTHER cultures’ values or beliefs= ignorant, exotic, strange & unknowable

49
Q

What is cultural relativism?>

A

idea all cultural views are equally valid

50
Q

what is the fundamental attribution error?

A
  • Fundamental attribution error= assumption that behaviour is usually internal factors manifesting (as opposed to considering wider culture)