Gender and Culture Bias

• AO3: STRENGTH (holism): Research support by Gould 


  Previous research by Yerkes suggested that intelligence (as measured by IQ) is innate. THIS IS BIOLOGICALLY REDUCTIONIST. Gould wanted to investigate this

  It was found that Yerkes study was invalidated by its cultural bias.

  This shows how it is important to consider the role of multiple factors influencing traits before we take an ethnocentric approach - this is because intelligence may be defined differently in different cultures
• AO3 Research Support for Gould (importance of holistic approach to consider potential biases)

  Gould found that Yerkes study that intelligence is innate was invalidated by cultural bias.

  • Cole found that when he presented an African Tribe with 20 objects to put into groups, the put them into functional groups rather than object categories (for example they put an orange with a knife)

  (WHEN ASKED TO PUT THEM INTO GROUPS THAT A STUPID PERSON WOULD, THEY DID WHAT WESTERN PSYCHOLOGISTS EXPECTED)
• What is the importance of not generalising conclusions past the culture of which it was conducted in.

  Cole found that intelligence is regarded differently between different cultures. (asking to put into groups a stupid person would)

  • This demonstrated how it is important not to generalise research past the culture in which it was conducted as this could be considered an imposed etic.
  • Therefore we should be mindful that multiple factors may contribute to a behaviour and by reducing it to one (biological etc) this is assuming universality which lacks cultural relativism