Culture Bias In Psychology

Question 1

Much traditional psychology is rooted in Western ideas.

Theories developed in one culture are applied inappropriately to other cultures

Answer 1

Research findings are interpreted from the viewpoint of the researchers own culture

Question 2

Cross cultural studies

Research: 10,000 adults in 36 countries, males look for signs of fertility & youth, women look for resources

This behaviour has an evolutionary, biological basis

Identify universally innate traits

Answer 2

Test/procedures developed in US? May not be valid in other cultures -> imposed etic

Sample may not represent the culture of interest, no generalisations can be made

Problems of cross-cultural:
Translation: The true meanings of the findings may be “lost in translation”

Participants: Using similar P’s (e.g. age) from different countries doesn’t mean they will have the same social background

Research tradition: Some cultures are used to scientific research

Question 3

Difference or bias?

West= individualist
East= collectivist

Myers and Diener: individualistic cultures report higher SWB - due to differences in what they value

Answer 3

Imposed etic: definition of SWB in the west will be different to that of the east

Culturally biased and maybe not reflective

Question 4

How can this bias be reduced?

Answer 4

Indigenous psychologists

Emir approach: acknowledge some phenomena may only apply in particular cultures

Question 5

Ethnocentrism

When researchers use their own ethnic group or culture as the basis of judgement for other groups, leads to alpha / beta bias

Answer 5

Alpha bias: differences exaggerated, one superior e.g. Milgram “Germans are different”

Beta bias: minimising differences, assuming they work in the same way e.g. Kohlberg moral dilemmas