Culture Bias Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Overview of culture bias, focusing on:
  • Recap of universality
  • Key terms: ethnocentrism and cultural relativism
  • Evaluation points detailed
• Exam practice video link provided for essay practice

Key Terms

1. Culture Bias
   • Interpreting phenomena through one's own cultural lens, ignoring cultural differences.
2. Universality
   • Concept revisited from gender bias, highlighting the need for standardized psychological study across all people.
3. Ethnocentrism
   • Judging other cultures by one's own cultural standards, often leading to prejudice and discrimination.
4. Cultural Relativism
   • Norms and values are only meaningful and understood within the context of a specific culture.

Culture Bias in Psychology

• Henrik et al. (2010) and Arnett (2008) studies:
  • Highlight the dominance of "WEIRD" (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) participants in psychological studies.
  • Questions the universality of findings.
• Norms and standards set by specific groups can lead to biases against non-westernized cultures.

Ethnocentrism

• Researchers may assume their culture's perspective is normal and superior.
• Example: Ainsworth's Strange Situation
  • Criticized for reflecting Western norms, misinterpreting attachment behaviors in cultures like Japan.

Cultural Relativism

• Opposite of ethnocentrism: understanding culture-specific norms and values.
• Example: Sternberg's Intelligence Concept
  • Intelligence varies between cultures; motor skills valued in pre-literate societies.

Evaluation Points

1. Real World Consequences

   • Culturally biased research can reinforce prejudices and discrimination, as seen with IQ tests during WWI in America.

2. Recognition and Improvement

   • Awareness and recognition of cultural bias are crucial for improvement.
   • Smith and Bond (1998): Suggest that more diverse cultural research is needed.

3. Indigenous Psychology and Afrocentrism

   • Emphasizes the development of context-specific theories.
   • Afrocentrism values African context in understanding behaviors.

4. Globalization and Complexity of Cultural Distinctions

   • Arguments suggest that cultural distinctions may be oversimplified or obsolete due to globalization.
   • Takano and Osaka (1999) study found no significant individualist-collectivist split, questioning previous cultural distinctions.

Conclusion

• Encouragement to visit exam practice video for further examples and essays.
• Emphasis on the importance of understanding cultural bias in modern psychology.
• Contact via like button for feedback.

Note: Emic and Etic research not covered extensively as they are not part of the AQA specification.