Issues & Debates

• Alpha bias - theories that assume there are real and enduring differences between cultures, thus they exaggerate the difference
• Beta bias - theories that ignore or minimise existing differences.

  eg. intelligence testing between cultures (IQ can vary in dif situations)
• Imposed etic - when findings are found within one culture but generalised world wide
• Etic approach - looking at behaviour from outside the culture, and attempting to describe universal behaviours
• Universality - when findings from research can be generalised to all people, irrespective of genders and cultures, all psychologists should aim for this