Sociocultural Approach Flashcards
(26 cards)
SIT Theory? Including key words? What two studies support this?
SIT argues that we have multiple social personalities in which we CATEGORISE ourselves in terms of group MEMBERSHIP. Our self esteem is dependent on these groups. There are three mental processes involved in this: Social CATEGORISATION; Social IDENTIFICATION; Social COMPARISON. There is always in group FAVOURITISM and out group competition, which is partly based on REALISTIC CONFLICT THEORY, where conflict between groups occurs due to resource competition. SALIENCE is becoming more aware of the FACETS of these identities.
CHEN ET AL AND SHERIF ET AL SUPPORT THIS THEORY.
What is the APFC for Chen et al (2005), and what theories does it support?
Aim - To investigate the role of dual identities (Singaporean/American) on decision making.
Procedure - 149 Uni students. Randomly assigned (true). Participants were primed in salience for one of their identities using a 12-photo collage including celebrities, buildings, brands etc. After this, the participants were to buy a book online (2.99 Singaporean dollars), with a standard delivery time of 5 days. OR they could pay extra for 1-day delivery. They were also asked to name 3 politicians.
Findings - Western-primed individuals paid for next day delivery. Eastern salient identities didn’t. They also named politicians relating to their salience.
Conclusion - Group salience can affect decision making.
THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR SIT AND CULTURAL DIMENSIONS
What is the APFC for Sherif et al (1954), and what theories does it support?
Aim - To find out how group salience can affect group hostility.
Procedure - 22 11yr old boys were split into two evenly matched groups (opportunity sampling) called the Rattlers and Eagles. There were 3 stages of the experiment: In-group formation; the friction phase; the integration phase. The formation stage was based on group tasks. Groups were not aware of each other at first. The friction phase entailed competitions such as basketball and tug of war.The integration phase was to see if group hostility could be reduced, involving tasks that required group cooperation, such as fixing water pipes and towing trucks.
Findings - ‘Mere presence’ created out-group hostility. When meeting in competitive situations, but in-group solidarity increases with out-group hostility. Friction was reduced in cooperation situations.
Conclusion - Group hostility occurs due to the formation of in and out groups.
THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR SIT
RAMP
SCT Theory? Including key words? What two studies support this?
SCT, also known as SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY suggests that behaviour is learned through OBSERVATION and from the environment through the processes of MODELLING and REINFORCEMENT. SELF EFFICACY is the expectation of personal success in a task. VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT is the usage of social observation to inform behavioural responses (i.e. observing whether someone is rewarded/punished for a behaviour). RECIPROCAL DETERMINISM dictates that humans act as agents
and that our thoughts, beliefs and actions affect and are affected by our individual environments and social systems. In order for social learning to take place, in order, ATTENTION, RETENTIONS MOTIVATION and POTENTIAL have to occur.
BANDURA AND JOY KIMBALL AND ZABRACK SUPPORT THIS THEORY.
What is the APFC for Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961), and what theories does it support?
Aim -To investigate observational learning of aggression and the conceptual reproduction of aggressive behaviour from a role model through vicarious reinforcement.
Procedure - 72 (36 male, 36 female) (3-5 years) (36 - 6 same-sex aggressive, opposite sex aggressive etc.). Children were taken to 3 separate rooms. Firstly, a role model displays scripted aggression to a bobo doll for 10 minutes. The child is then anger aroused in a second room, by having toys taken from them (under the pretence that they were for ‘other kids’). The third room allowed them to either play with non aggressive toys or bobo.
Findings - Same sex models encouraged more violence, and while boys were more physically aggressive, girls were more verbally aggressive, and children were more aggressive full stop.
Conclusion - Children are likely to reproduce role model’s aggression, especially if they are same sex.
THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR SCT
What is the APFC for Joy, Kimball and Zabrack (1986), and what theories does it support?
Aim - Investigating the impact of TV exposure on children’s gender stereotypes.
Procedure - A quasi experiment conducted in a remote Canadian town (Notel) before and after TV (120 total from 3 towns). Other towns were included for comparison, already having TV. Researchers observed children’s gender-stereotyped behaviours in play and preferences, administering questionnaires to assess local attitude. Baseline data was collected prior to TV, and follow-up data was collected 2 years later.
Findings - Increased gender stereotyping was observed in Notel after TV’s introduction, aligning with other towns.
Conclusion - Media exposure reinforces gender stereotypes and influences children’s perception of gender roles.
THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR SCT
Stereotype Effects Theory? Including key words? What two studies support this?
STEREOTYPE EFFECTS refer to how INTERNALISED STEREOTYPES can influence an individual’s PERFORMANCE, BEHAVIOUR, or COGNITION. One major mechanism is STEREOTYPE THREAT, which occurs when individuals are made aware of a NEGATIVE GROUP STEREOTYPE and subsequently experience ANXIETY or SELF-DOUBT, often leading to underperformance. This can create a SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY, where expectations held about a group lead individuals to behave in ways that confirm those expectations. The activation of STEREOTYPES can be AUTOMATIC, and their influence can occur without conscious awareness, particularly in EVALUATIVE or HIGH-STAKES CONTEXTS. Long-term exposure to stereotype threat can also impact IDENTITY and MOTIVATION, contributing to SYSTEMIC INEQUALITY. STEELE AND ARONSON AND SIY AND CHERYAN SUPPORT THIS STUDY.
Stereotype Formation Theory? Including key words? What two studies support this?
STEREOTYPE FORMATION THEORY suggests that STEREOTYPES are COGNITIVE GENERALISATIONS about groups of people, often formed through indirect social learning and direct experiences. It is grounded in aspects of SOCIAL COGNITION, including ILLUSORY CORRELATION—the perception of a relationship between two variables when none exists, often due to DISTINCTIVENESS or FREQUENCY BIAS. These perceived patterns can lead to the development of NEGATIVE or INACCURATE GROUP SCHEMAS. Stereotypes are further reinforced by CONFIRMATION BIAS, where individuals tend to focus on information that supports existing beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them. As a form of COGNITIVE SHORTCUT, stereotypes simplify SOCIAL INFORMATION PROCESSING but can lead to PREJUDICE and DISCRIMINATION when acted upon. ROGERS AND FRANTZ AND HAMILTON AND GIFFORD SUPPORT THIS STUDY.
Cultures Influence on Behaviour and Cognition Theory? Including key words? What two studies support this?
CULTURE shapes the NORMS, VALUES, and PRACTICES that guide BEHAVIOURAL PATTERNS and COGNITIVE PROCESSES. CULTURAL SCHEMAS—mental structures derived from shared cultural experiences—affect how individuals PERCEIVE, ENCODE, and RETRIEVE INFORMATION. These schemas influence MEMORY, ATTENTION, and DECISION-MAKING, leading to CULTURE-SPECIFIC variations in COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING. Behaviourally, culture informs SOCIAL ROLES, COMMUNICATION STYLES, and the INTERPRETATION of EMOTIONS or MORALITY. Studies often compare INDIVIDUALISTIC and COLLECTIVISTIC cultures to illustrate differences in SELF-CONCEPT, MOTIVATION, and RELATIONAL BEHAVIOURS. Overall, cultural context is seen as an ACTIVE AGENT in shaping both internal thought processes and outward behavioural expression. TAKONO AND SOGON AND KEARINS SUPPORT THIS THEORY.
Cultural Dimensions Theory? Including key words? What two studies support this?
CULTURAL DIMENSIONS, developed by HOFSTEDE, are theoretical frameworks used to compare cultures along measurable VALUES. These dimensions include INDIVIDUALISM vs COLLECTIVISM, POWER DISTANCE, UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE, MASCULINITY vs FEMININITY, and LONG-TERM vs SHORT-TERM ORIENTATION. Each dimension represents a CONTINUUM of cultural values that influence BEHAVIOUR, COMMUNICATION, and COGNITIVE STYLE. For example, cultures high in INDIVIDUALISM emphasise PERSONAL GOALS and INDEPENDENCE, while COLLECTIVIST cultures prioritise GROUP HARMONY and INTERDEPENDENCE. These dimensions help explain cross-cultural variations in SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES, and MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA. Understanding cultural dimensions allows for more nuanced analysis of human behaviour in a GLOBAL CONTEXT. CHEN ET AL AND BERRY ET AL SUPPORT THIS THEORY
Enculturation Theory? Including key words? What two studies support this?
ENCULTURATION is the PROCESS by which individuals learn and internalise the NORMS, VALUES, BEHAVIOURS, and ATTITUDES of their CULTURE OF ORIGIN. This process occurs through PRIMARY SOCIALISATION mechanisms such as OBSERVATION, DIRECT TUITION, and PARTICIPATION in cultural rituals. Enculturation shapes IDENTITY, LANGUAGE USE, MORAL BELIEFS, and SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS (CULTURAL SCHEMAS). It can be CONSCIOUS (explicit teaching) or UNCONSCIOUS (implicit modelling). Cultural transmission is facilitated by agents like FAMILY, SCHOOL, RELIGION, and MEDIA. Through enculturation, individuals become FUNCTIONAL MEMBERS of their culture, adapting their COGNITION and BEHAVIOUR to align with SHARED CULTURAL NORMS. ODEN AND ROCHAT AND FAGOT SUPPORT THIS THEORY
Acculturation Theory? Including key words? What two studies support this?
ACCULTURATION is the PSYCHOLOGICAL and CULTURAL ADJUSTMENT process that occurs when individuals come into CONTACT with a NEW CULTURE. It involves changes in IDENTITY, BEHAVIOUR, and VALUES, as individuals adapt to a DIFFERENT CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT. According to BERRY’S MODEL, individuals may adopt one of four ACCULTURATION STRATEGIES: ASSIMILATION, INTEGRATION, SEPARATION, or MARGINALISATION. The strategy chosen can influence MENTAL HEALTH, SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, and INTERGROUP RELATIONS. Factors affecting acculturation include LENGTH OF EXPOSURE, SOCIAL SUPPORT, LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY, and DISCRIMINATION. Successful acculturation can lead to BICULTURAL COMPETENCE, while poor adaptation may result in ACCULTURATIVE STRESS or IDENTITY CONFLICT. MIRANDA AND MATHENY AND LUECK AND WILSON SUPPORT THIS THEORY.
Globalisation Theory? Including key words? What two studies support this?
GLOBALISATION refers to the INCREASING INTERCONNECTEDNESS of CULTURES, ECONOMIES, and TECHNOLOGIES across the world, which impacts INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR, IDENTITY, and CULTURAL DYNAMICS. It can lead to CULTURAL HYBRIDISATION, the emergence of a GLOBAL IDENTITY, or conversely, a REINFORCEMENT OF LOCAL CULTURE. Psychologically, globalisation may cause IDENTITY CONFUSION, IN-GROUP/OUT-GROUP TENSION, and increased EXPOSURE TO NEW NORMS and LIFESTYLES. The ACCELERATED DIFFUSION of cultural products, ideas, and media can influence VALUES, ASPIRATIONS, and MENTAL HEALTH. While it can promote TOLERANCE and DIVERSITY, it may also cause CULTURAL HOMOGENISATION or a sense of ALIENATION in rapidly changing environments. OGIHARA AND UCHIDA AND BECKER ET AL SUPPORT THIS.
What is the APFC for Miranda and Matheny (2000), and what theories does it support?
Aim - To investigate factors that could be correlated to decreased acculturative stress in Latin Americans
Procedure – 197 Spanish speaking (roughly 2/3 male) American immigrants. Average age was ~28. Average residency was ~4 years. Participants answered a questionnaire inquiring about their family cohesion, acculturative stress, level of acculturation, language proficiency and coping strategies of acculturative stress.
Findings – Good English proficiency and stress coping mechanisms and strong family connection showed less acculturative stress, and those with longer residencies had this result amplified.
Conclusion – This supported Berry’s theory that acculturative stress is affected by various factors, and the results of this can be silenced/amplified depending on protective factors also involved.
THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR ACCULTURATION
What is the APFC for Lueck and Wilson (2010), and what theories does it support?
Aim – To investigate how acculturative stress is affected by social and linguistic factors in Asian-American immigrants
Procedure – The sample consisted of 2095 Asian Americans; 1271 of which were first generation immigrants who migrated to the US after turning 18. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews either face to face or online, ascertaining how variables such as language proficiency, socioeconomic status, family cohesion, discrimination, language preference and many more.
Findings – 1433 (~70%) were found to have sever acculturative stress induced from a variety of factors. Bilingual preferences showed lower acculturative stress, alongside stronger family cohesion, whereas general xenophobia and English language preference were indicators of higher acculturative stress.
Conclusion – A variety of factors indicated higher acculturative stress – in particular, language preference and social status influenced it the most. THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR ACCULTURATION.
What is the APFC for Takono and Sogon (2008), and what theories does it support?
Aim: To investigate the rate of conformity of Japanese participants in a replication of Asch’s conformity study
Method; 297 Japanese college students who belonged to the same non-sports college clubs participated. (non-sports clubs were chosen as there is less strict vertical discipline which may result in higher rates of normative conformity). They were split into 40 groups of between 7 and 9 participants, with each group having just one naive participant. Asch’s line-matching task was presented, and 12 out of the 18 trials the confederates unanimously answered incorrectly. In all trials the naive participant sat in the last but one position.
Results: The rate of conformity was 25.2% with 14 participants not conforming in any of the critical trials, and three conforming in all 12. No systematic relation was found between conformity rate and duration of club membership, ruling out an in-group effect.
Conclusion: the rate is much the same as the average conformity rate among the Americans in the same experimental setting. Although Asch reported 36.8%, some researchers may expect that it was a product of the McCarthy era. THIS STUY CAN BE USED FOR CULTURES INFLUENCE ON BEHAVIOUR AND COGNITION.
What is the APFC for Odden and Rochat (2004), and what theories does it support?
Aim -To investigate how Samoan children learn cultural skills and social hierarchy, through observation rather than direct tuition.
Procedure - 25 month longitudinal study on 28 children in a single Samoan village. Researchers observed the children’s behaviour, particularly focusing on how they learned to fish and understand the hierarchal structure of the society.
Interviews conducted with parents and teachers to gather additional insights into the children’s learning process.
Multiple choice test on social hierarchy was administered to assess their knowledge of the Samoan cultural norms.
Findings - Children did not receive direct instruction on fishing or social hierarchy but learned these skills through observation. Boys spent time watching adult males fish and later experimented independently with fishing equipment. By age 12 they could fish on their own. Similarly, children learned the social hierarchy by observing adult interactions and listening to conversations rather than being explicitly taught. The multiple choice test revealed a broad understanding of their societies hierarchical system.
THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR ENCULTURATION
What is the APFC for Fagot et al (1978), and what theories does it support?
Aim - To explore parental reinforcement of gender roles in toddlers.
Procedure - A naturalistic observation of 24 families with children aged 20-24 months old was carried out where parents were observed interacting with their children at home over 5 60-minute sessions. Researchers recorded parental interactions with gender appropriate and inappropriate behaviours (e.g. trucks vs dolls). Parents were unaware of being observed to minimise demand characteristics.
Findings - Parents reinforced gender appropriate behaviour and discouraged gender-inappropriate behaviour.
Conclusion - Early gender socialisation be parents shapes gender roles and behaviours. THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR ENCULTURATION
What is the APFC for Rogers and Frantz (1961), and what theories does it support?
Aim - To study and assess the attitudes of white European settlers towards Africans based on how long they have been in an African community.
Procedure - The sample consisted of 500 White Europeans aged 20 and over, living in Rhodesia for a period of fewer than five years to over forty years. The method was a survey containing sixty-six examples of laws and customs in which White Europeans and Africans were treated differently. Four response choices were provided with 0 for it is very important to maintain the current system, 2 for a weak feeling of importance, 4 is for a preference for discontinuing the law and 6 for is very important to discontinue the law.
Findings - They found that the mean score of the sample was 2.45 (SD 1.12) illustrating that the majority of Europeans in Southern Rhodesia favoured the retention of the status quo. 348 of the 500 participants (almost 70 percent) fell below a mean score of 3.00.
Conclusion - The scores show that new arrivals would eventually change their attitudes over time and compared to newcomers, residents who were there for 5-9 years were 27% more determined about maintaining the segregation. THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR STEREOTYPE FORMATION
What is the APFC for Hamilton and Gifford (1976), and what theories does it support?
Aim - To investigate how illusory correlations contribute to the formation of stereotypes.
Procedure - 40 participants had listened to statements made about two groups. Group A the majority had 26 participants and Group B the minority had 13. Each group had the same proportion of positive and negative statements. Participants were then asked to recall the number of positive and negative behaviours associated with each group.
Findings - Participants overestimated the number of negative traits in Group B. Negative behaviours seemed more memorable and representative of the whole group even though the proportion of positive to negative statements were the same.
Conclusion - Stereotypes are partly formed due to illusory correlations, where negative traits in minority groups are being seen as more frequent and a larger problem than it actually is. This helps also explain how negative stereotypes are commonly associated with minority groups. THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR STEREOTYPE FORMATION
What is the APFC for Berry (1967), and what theories does it support?
Aim - Investigate cultural differences in conformity between collectivist and individualistic societies.
Procedure - Replicated Asch’s line judgement task with participants from the Temne tribe (collectivist, Sierra Leone) and the Inuit people (individualistic, Canada) and Scotland as a control. There were 122 participants per group, of whom roughly a third were considered transitional (i.e. Western educated) or non-traditional. Confederates gave incorrect answers, and researchers measured conforming rates.
Findings - Temne participants conformed more than the Inuits
Conclusion - Collectivist cultures exhibit higher conformity rates due to greater emphasis on group harmony.
THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR CULTURAL DIMENSIONS
What is the APFC for Kearins (1981), and what theories does it support?
Aim - To explore cultural differences in memory and spatial awareness between Indigenous Australian children and white Australian children, specifically looking at how they reconstructed objects in a visual memory task.
Procedure - The sample consisted of 44 Indigenous Australian adolescents from desert regions and 44 white Australian adolescents, aged 12-16, matched for age and sex. The task involved placing 20 objects on a board, which were then covered. After a brief study period, children were asked to reconstruct the objects in their original positions. There were four variations of the task: artificial different, natural different, artificial same, and natural same. Indigenous Australian children performed better in remembering object positions, especially on tasks involving natural items.
Findings - Indigenous Australian children outperformed white Australian children in all tasks, with the largest difference on tasks involving natural items. White Australian children performed best on the artificial different task. The Indigenous group’s superior performance suggests that their survival in harsh environments may have enhanced their visual memory skills, particularly in using visual cues for memory.
Conclusion - Kearins concluded that the memory abilities of Indigenous Australians are influenced by their traditional lifestyle, which rewards visual-spatial memory skills necessary for survival in the desert. THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR CULTURES INFLUENCE ON BEHAVIOUR AND COGNITION
What is the APFC for Ogihara and Uchida (2014), and what theories does it support?
AIM - To investigate how adopting individualistic workplace values in a traditionally collectivist society (Japan) affects mental health, specifically among Japanese women employed at an international company.
PROCEDURE - The researchers surveyed 34 Japanese women working in a Westernised, individualistic company in Japan. They completed self-report questionnaires measuring individualistic orientation (e.g., personal achievement, autonomy), closeness of social networks and subjective well-being and levels of depression
FINDINGS - Women who reported higher individualism had fewer close social relationships
These same individuals showed lower levels of well-being and higher depressive symptoms
The workplace promoted individual success and competition, which clashed with traditional collectivist norms
CONCLUSION - Adopting individualistic values in a collectivist culture can negatively impact mental health due to reduced social support and conflicting identity norms. This supports the idea that cultural mismatch between personal and societal values can contribute to psychological stress. THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR GLOBALISATION.
What is the APFC for Becker et al (2002), and what theories does it support?
Aim - Assess the impact of Western TV on eating behaviours and attitudes in Fijian adolescent girls.
Procedure - Conducted as a natural experiment, 63 Fijian adolescent girls from 16-18 years old were surveyed before the introduction of TV in 1995, and 65 girls after its introduction in 1998. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, 24-item Eating Attitude questionnaires (EAT-26), and follow-up focus groups. Measures assessed body dissatisfaction, dieting behaviours and vomiting for weight control. Qualitative data from focus groups highlighted attitudes towards body image and social pressure. Statistical analyses pre and post TV were applied to data using χ squared tests and t-tests.
Findings - After TV was introduced, there was a 16% increase in dieting behaviours and a 12% increase in self-induced vomiting. Body dissatisfaction also rose significantly.
Conclusion - Media exposure to Western ideals contributes to body image concerns and distorted eating in non-Western cultures. THIS STUDY CAN BE USED FOR GLOBALISATION
