Culture bias

• Many critics argue that although psychology may claim is 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. show cultural bias)
• Universality is assumed for results of Western research
• 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 judged only from the standpoint of one particular culture, then any cultural differences in behaviour will inevitably be seen as abnormal, inferior or unusual.
• Example of universality in research:

  Studies of conformity (Asch) and obedience (Milgram) revealed very different results when they were replicated in parts of the world outside of the US.
• Ethnocentrism is the belief in the superiority of one's own cultural group
• What does ethnocentrism result in?


  A view that other behaviours are deficient
• How may ethnocentrism be communicated in research? 


  In psychological research this may be communicated through a view that any behaviour does not conform to the (usually Western) model is somehow deficient of underdeveloped
• What is an example of ethnocentric research?


  Ainsworth's strange situation
• Example of enthocentlrism (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 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
• What did the ethnocentrism of the strange situation lead to?


  It led to misrepresentation of child-rearing practices in other countries which deviated from the American norms. For example, German mothers were seen as cold and rejecting rather than encouraging independence in their children.

  Thus, the strange situation was reveal as an inappropriate measure of attachment types for non-US children
• What avoids cultural bias?


  Respecting cultural relativism
• Cultural relativism:

  The 'facts' and 'things' that psychologists discover may only make sense from the perspective of the culture within which they were discovered

  Being able to recognise this is one way of avoiding cultural bias in research
• berry argues that:

  • an etic approach looks at behaviour from outside a given culture and identifies behaviours that are universal
  • an emic approach functions from within certain cultures and identifies behaviours that are specific to that culture
• Ainsworth's research illustrates an imposed etic- she studied behaviours within a single culture (American) and then assumed her ideal attachment type could be applied universally
• Evaluation: cross-cultural research is prone to demand characteristics

  when conducting research in western cultures 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 affected 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
• Evaluation: cross-cultural research challenges western assumptions

  one of the great 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
• evaluation: difficulties with the interpretation of variables

  another issue with conducting research in different cultures is that the variables under review may not be experience 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
• evaluation: recognition of both 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 world. some features of human attachment (e.g. imitation and interactional synchrony) are universal. a full understanding of human behaviour requires the study of both universal and variation among individuals and groups