Cultural bias in psychology

• cultural bias

  research which ignores or minimises cultural differences in behaviour and assumes ones own particular cultures behaviour is the norm or standard by which other cultures are judged
• many critics argue that although psychology may claim to have unearthed truths about people all over the world (universality), in reality findings from studies only apply to the particular groups of people who were studied (i.e. cultural bias)
• universality

  researchers have wrongly assumed that findings from studies in western cultures can be applied all over the world

  if the norm or standard for a particular behaviour is judges only from the standpoint of one particular culture, then any cultural differences in behaviour will inevitably be seen as abnormal, inferior or unusual (cultural bias)
• examples of universality

  studies of conformity (Asch) and obedience (milgram) revealed very different results when they were replicated in parts of the world outside the US
• Joseph Heinrich

  he says that the majority of claims about human psychology and behaviour was based on research that has studied participants that are WEIRD
• what are WEIRD participants?

  western, educated, democratic, rich and democratic participants
• what is the issue with only using WEIRD participants?

  these have been described as the least representative population for generalising about humans, so there is a problem making generalisations or applying findings. this can lead to people who are not WEIRD being seen as abnormal because one culture is being used as the standard by which other cultures are judged
• how to counter cultural bias:

  1. only apply or generalise the research results or findings to the culture of the participants studied
  2. ensure that cross-cultural research is conducted where different samples are studied, e.g. with non-WEIRD participants
• ethnocentrism is the belief that other behaviours are deficient
• ethnocentrism

  ethnocentrism is the belief in the superiority of one's own cultural group

  in psychological research this may be communicated through a view that any behaviour that does not conform to the (usually western) model is somehow deficient or underdeveloped
• example of ethnocentrism: Ainsworth's strange situation

  • Ainsworth has been criticised as reflecting only the norms and values of American culture in attachment research
  • she identified the key defining variable of attachment type as the child's experience of anxiety on separation. she suggested the ideal (or secure) attachment was the infant showing moderate distress when left alone by the mother figure
• consequences of the ethnocentrism of Ainsworth's SS

  this led to misinterpretation of child-rearing practices in other countries which deviated from the American norm. for example, German mothers (high levels of insecure-avoidant) were seen as cold and rejecting rather than encouraging independence in their children

  thus the strange situation was revealed as an inappropriate measure of attachment type for non-US children
• example of culture bias and ethnocentrism- definitions of abnormality, deviation from social norms

  • the problem is that what is socially acceptable in one culture may not be in another
  • e.g. one symptom of schizophrenia is hallucinations
  • Fernando found that people from afro-carribbean cultures living in the UK were 7 times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than any other group
  • spiritual practices of hearing voices are a typical part of their culture and not necessarily abnormal, requiring a diagnosis
• consequences of culture bias and ethnocentrism in definitions of abnormality, deviation from social norms

  western doctors and psychiatrists, and members of the public may misinterpret these spriitual rituals and experiences as signs of schizophrenia, a mental illness, because they are applying the definition of schizophrenia universally without understanding the culture of the person they are diagnosing
• berry argues that:

  • an epic approach looks at behaviour from outside a given culture and identifies behaviours that are universal
  • an epic approach functions from within certain cultures and identifies behaviours that are specific to that culture
  • Ainsworth's research illustrates an imposed etic- she studied behaviour within a single culture (America) and then assumed her ideal attachment type could be applied universally
• cultural relativism

  the idea that norms and values, as well as ethics and moral standards, can only be meaningful and understood within specific cultural contexts
• strength: recognition of cultural relativism and universals

  the 'imposed etic' shows the culturally-specific nature of psychology. but we should not assume all psychology is culturally relative and that there is no such thing as universal human behaviour. ekman suggests basic facial expressions for emotions are the same all over the human and animal world. some features of human attachment (e.g. imitation and interactional synchrony and universal). a full understanding of human behaviour requires the study of both universals and variation among individuals and groups
• limitation: cross-cultural research prone to demand characteristics


  when conducting research in western culture the participants' familiarity with the general aims and objectives of scientific enquiry is assumed. in cultures without historical experience of research, local populations may be more affecting by demand characteristics than western participants. this is a particular form of cultural bias where unfamiliarity with the research tradition threatens the validity of the outcome
• limitation: difficulties with interpretation of variables


  another issue with conducting research in different cultures is that the variables under review may not be experienced in the same way by all participants. emotions may give rise to different behaviours within an indigenous population compared to the west (e.g. invasion of personal space is normal in china, but threatening in the west). issues like these may affect interactions between the researcher and participants in cross-cultural studies and this may reduce the validity of the findings
• strength: cross-cultural research challenges western assumptions

  one of the benefits of conducting cross-cultural research is that it may challenge our typically western ways of thinking and viewing the world. understanding that the knowledge and concepts we take for granted are not shared by others may promote greater sensitivity to individual differences and cultural relativism. this means the conclusions psychologists draw are likely to have more validity if they recognise the role of culture in bringing them about