Culture bias

• Facts about the history of culture bias:

  • In 1992, 64% of psychology researchers were American
  • In 1991, a textbook of social psychology, 94% were conducted in North America
• Henrich:

  W = westernised

  E = educated

  I = institutionalised

  R = rich

  D = developed

  • Most studies were completed in these types of countries
• Ethnocentrism:

  • Term used to describe the belief in superiority of one's own culture and ethnic group
  • Our own cultural perspective is taken as a standard by which we measure other culture
• Culture:

  • The belief and customs that a group of people share
  • e.g. child rearing practices
• Cultural relativism:

  • Behaviour cannot be judged properly unless its viewed in the context of the culture that it originates from
• Individualistic:

  In the western world - independence
• Collectivistic:

  • In the eastern world - greater good of the group
• Etic approach:

  • Universal behaviours
• Ethic approach:

  Specific to a culture
• Imposed etic:

  Wrongly assuming universality but it is actually specific
• Historical evidence of culture bias:

  • Historically, research has been culturally bias in psychology
  • E.g. Strange situation, Milgram, Asch
  • This is problematic because these conclusions may have imposed etic on other cultures
  • This means findings may only be applicable to the western world
• Takono and Osaka:

  • Historically, research has been culturally bias in psychology
  • E.g. Strange situation, Milgram, Asch
  • This is problematic because these conclusions may have imposed etic on other cultures
  • This means findings may only be applicable to the western world
• Cultural bias leading to prejudice:

  • Through negative stereotypes
  • IQ tests on African-Americans suggested they were mentally unfit because it was an American IQ test
  • This means there is a misunderstanding of groups of people which can affect their education and employment chances