Cultural bias

    Cards (20)

    • What is cultural bias in research?
      Cultural bias refers to a distorted view of other cultures due to a researcher's own cultural understanding.
    • How does cultural bias affect theories and research?
      Cultural bias can lead to the ignoring of cultural differences, affecting the validity of theories and research.
    • What does the term 'universality' mean in psychology?
      Universality means that theories apply to all people, regardless of culture or gender.
    • Why is it unlikely that mainstream psychology has developed universal theories?
      Mainstream psychology tends not to view culture as an important influence on behavior.
    • How is bias defined in the context of cultural differences?
      Bias is defined as a prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in an unfair manner.
    • What is ethnocentrism?
      Ethnocentrism is the use of one's own cultural group as a basis for judging other cultural groups.
    • How does the Western individualistic view towards attachment differ from a collectivist culture's view?
      In Western cultures, independence is valued, while in collectivist cultures, dependence is more highly valued.
    • What is cultural relativism?

      Cultural relativism suggests that all cultures are worthy of respect and should be understood from their own perspective.
    • What approach should researchers take to study another culture effectively?
      Researchers should take an emic approach, identifying and measuring behavior specific to that culture.
    • What is the difference between emic and etic approaches?
      An emic approach studies behavior from within the culture, while an etic approach studies behavior from an outside perspective.
    • What did Mead's research into gender differences conclude?
      initially concluded that there were significant gender differences due to culture.
    • What are the implications of cultural bias in diagnosing mental illness?
      Cultural bias may lead to misdiagnosis if symptoms defined by Western culture are not applicable to other cultures.
    • How can taking an emic approach improve research validity?
      Taking an emic approach allows researchers to develop a full understanding of a culture, leading to more valid interpretations of behavior.
    • What are some examples of universal traits in psychology?
      Some universal traits include interactional synchrony and the fight or flight response.
    • Why might the distinction between individualism and collectivism be unhelpful in modern research?
      This distinction may be unhelpful because there are differences within cultures, and the world is becoming more interconnected.
    • What issue arises from operationalizing variables in cross-cultural research?
      Without understanding the culture, researchers may misinterpret behaviors that are viewed differently across cultures.
    • What did Takahashi find in his study using the Strange Situation procedure?
      Takahashi found that infants became extremely distressed upon separation due to cultural differences, not attachment type.
    • What are the strengths and weaknesses of cultural bias in psychological research?
      Strengths:
      • Highlights the importance of cultural context in understanding behavior.
      • Encourages researchers to consider diverse perspectives.

      Weaknesses:
      • Can lead to misinterpretation of behaviors.
      • May result in unfair treatment of individuals from different cultures.
    • What are the key differences between emic and etic approaches in cultural research?
      Emic Approach:
      • Studies behavior from within the culture.
      • Focuses on culture-specific practices.

      Etic Approach:
      • Studies behavior from an outside perspective.
      • Assumes universality of behaviors across cultures.
    • what is examples of ethnocentrism?
      strange situation- assumes that one culture can apply to other
      based on Western norms
      Jahoda- autonomy may be more important in one culture than other cultures.
      Definition of abnormality