Cultural Bias in Psychology

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What is cultural bias?
When research does not represent the experience and behaviour of all cultures
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What is alpha cultural bias?
When theories exaggerate the differences between cultures
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What is beta cultural bias?
When theories ignore the differences between cultures
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What is cultural bias concerned with?
Distorted view that psychologists have because of their own cultural experiences, can affect their theories+studies
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Issue with explaning behaviour from around the world
Findings from studies only apply to the groups of people who have been studied, mistakenly assumes that findings from studies in western culture can be applied all over the world
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What judgements could be made about mothers in Germany & Japan from cross-cultural studies in attachment?
** is an imposed etic, may not be a valid measure for other cultures as it was largely based on experience of separation, German babies taught to be independent and Japanese babies acted strangely due to new idea of seperation
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What judgements might we make about the Efe Tribe in Zaire?
Cultural bias leads us to an assumption that babies should be fed by their own mothers, in tribal communities shared feeding will give babies better chance of survival
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What is ethnocentrism?
Judging other cultures by the standards and values of your own culture, can lead to prejudice+discrimination
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In what way are Jahoda's criteria ethnocentric?
Personal autonomy is an individualistic ideal, in collectivist societies people are interdependent, perceptions of reality will differ between cultures
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What is cultural relativism?
The view that behaviour can't be understood properly unless it is viewed in the context of the specific culture
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Why are Afro-Caribbean people living in UK 3x more likely to be diagnosed as schizophrenic?
Social norms vary between cultures and one society’s norms should not be used to define another as abnormal, white western norms are considered normal+used to diagnose ethnic minorities
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What are the strengths of carrying out cross-cultural research?
Research may challenge our typical Western way of thinking & viewing the world, should lead to less judgement & discrimination
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Issue with classing cultures as collectivist and individualist
With global communication & the development of countries critics argue that such a lazy & simplistic distinction between cultures no longer applies
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Is there any behaviour that isn’t culturally specific and is universal for all humans?
Basic facial expressions (such as happiness or disgust) are the same all over the world, some features of human attachment are universal eg imitation & interactional synchrony
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Are deman characteristics more of a problem when testing western cultures?
Ps are more likely to be familiar with the methods of science, demand characteristics may be more of a problem in Western research so findings may not be valid
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Negative consequences of cultural bias
US Army IQ test used before WWI, White Americans performed best followed by European immigrants & lastly African-Americans, data from these tests had a profound effect on the attitudes held by Americans about certain groups of people
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What is alpha cultural bias?

Back

When theories exaggerate the differences between cultures

Card 3

Front

What is beta cultural bias?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What is cultural bias concerned with?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Issue with explaning behaviour from around the world

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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