S4: Influence of Culture on Perspective (ch4)

Question 1

perception is..

Answer 1

active: use of sensory organs to identify, evaluate and interpret stimuli
subjective: influenced by factors like personal experience, expectations and culture (values, beliefs)

Question 2

stages in the reception process : stage 1 selection

Answer 2

General principles: limited room to process incoming stimuli
Three steps: 1. Selective exposure 2. Selective attention 3. Selective retention

To deal with the cognitive load of processing information

Three common perceptual tendencies

1. Closure: tendency to see things as a complete whole
2. Familiarity: use existing knowledge to identify what you see
3. Expectation: we precise what we expect to perceive

Question 3

Implicit Personality Theory

Answer 3

After the first impression is formed based on expectations

We tend to look for confirmation, ignore inconsistent causes

Tendency to attitude clusters for similar traits

Question 4

stages in the reception process : stage 2 catagorization

Answer 4

to manage selected stimuli -> categorization

Group people/objects/events based on similarities

To reduce uncertainty

Distinguish between ingroups and outgroups

But: categorization can lead to overlook individual’s differences and to overgeneralize -> stereotyping, prejudice

Question 5

stages in the reception process : stage 3 Interpretation

Answer 5

attach meaning to sensory data (=decode information)

Apply elements of familiarity

Context, experience, knowledge

Subjective process -> differing perceptions, from own framework

Question 6

Out-group homogeneity effect

Answer 6

Members of the out-group (‘others’) are seen as similar

Members of the in-groups are seen as unique individuals

Question 7

Attribution theory

Answer 7

Why do people behave in a certain way? Interpretation based on two attributions for causes of behaviour

Internal: beliefs, attitudes, personality | External: situational

Question 8

Self-serving bias

Answer 8

Own success/others failures -> attributed to own behaviour (internal)

Own failure / other success -> attributed to situational factors (external)

Question 9

Ethnocentrism

Answer 9

Use own culture as point of reference to assess other culture

Other cultures seen as inferior

Strengthens in-groups solidary and loyalty

Risk of stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination of ‘others’

Question 10

Cultural relativism

Answer 10

Judging a culture in its own context, on its own merits

Culture as holistic

Interpreting others behaviour through their cultural frame of reference, not your own

Enhances intercultural understanding

Question 11

stereotypes

Answer 11

Stereotypes are preconceived beliefs about the characteristics of certain group based on ex. Behaviours, dress, physical attributes

A stereotype is an oversimplified categorization of a group

Often constructed from a false association between two variables

Question 12

Prejudice

Answer 12

Prejudice is the result of negative, generalized evaluations about a group or person, based on negative stereotyping

Stereotyping and prejudice are emphasizing and perpetuated by the mass media (ex. In the movies, TV, the news) and in the narratives (storytelling of members of a society

Question 13

racism

Answer 13

Refers to a belief that one racial group is in some way superior to other racial groups

Stem from ignorance, hatred and fear of difference (=xenophobia)