Cultural bias occurs when people from one culture make assumptions about the behaviour of people from another culture based on their own cultural norms and practices.
The behaviour of the white, middle-class western male has become accepted as ‘normal’ behaviour.
the standard against which the behaviour of all others has been measured
Knowledge gained from western research may therefore be culture specific, and applying this knowledge to members of other cultures reflects a cultural bias.
Eurocentrism often assumes it is creating a universal understanding of human behaviour.
in reality it is creating only an understanding of western culture
This type of bias is also called assumed universality.
example of Eurocentrism – the African approach to individualism (Malawi)
example of Eurocentrism – the treatment of the Maori people in New Zealand
the call of indigenous psychologies - where culture is given primacy (first place)
in understanding behaviour
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Cross-cultural research: two approaches
Cross-cultural research has an important role in psychology research.
The emic approach – which is similar if not identical to the indigenous approach – emphasizes every culture’s uniqueness.
Emic approaches(a) study behaviour from within the culture, (b) study only that culture, and (c) produce findings significant only within that culture.
Most cross-cultural psychologists adopt an etic approach.
The etic approach assumes that most human behaviour is common to humans but that cultural factors influence the development or display of this behaviour.
The imposed etic approach, researchers make assumptions that culture plays little or no role in the development and expression of human behaviour.
Etic approaches(a) study behaviour from outside a culture, (b) study many cultures, and (c) produce findings considered to have universal application.
Danger of imposed etics is that they are likely to impose the researchers’ own cultural biases.
May not fit what is being studied, and therefore distort the reliability and validity of the conclusions.
Failure to understand depression among black Africans – importance of recognising cultural relevatism.
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