Issues and Debates Culture Bias in Psychological Research

Structuring Issues and Debates AO 1 AO 2 Describe the issue or debate Apply to research Exemplify with research AO 3 Evaluate the issue or debate (3)

Essay Plan • Culture

Ethnocentrism Culture Bias The tendency to judge people in terms of one's own cultural assumptions. The same two forms as gender bias (alpha and beta). Cultural Relativism Alpha Bias Beta Bias

Key Terms (examples not needed yet) Ethnocentrism • Laura • Josh • Nawa Cultural Relativism • Louise • Andi • Fowse • Habiba Alpha Bias • Gabby • Alex • Beza Beta Bias • Samantha • Dojan • Portia • Yasmin

• Read your word together Read Culture Bias AO 1 • Pick one image which you think fits in best with your key term. Pick Explain

What could be the impact of…? Ethnocentrism Good and Bad? Cultural Relativism

How would each approach respond? • Ethnocentrism • Cultural Relativism

Psychology is predominantly a white, Euro-American enterprise Why do we have this problem in our science? ? 64% of psychological researchers from US In some texts, 90% of studies have US Participants Samples predominantly white middle class Can psychological theories/studied be considered to be universal?

Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism • We are the standard that everyone should measure themselves against • We cannot understand a culture unless through the lens of that culture • We are the world! • All cultures are completely and wildly different and need specialist research techniques • We are normal, people that aren’t like us are weird! • All cultures are worthy of respect

Examples • Individualism VS Collectivism- assuming that they are completely different. The former being more conformist due to communist history and the latter less so, due to individualist values of independence. Takano and Osaka ‘ 99 found that when comparisng the US and Japan in these terms, that 14/15 didn’t support the common view of conformity. • What type of Culture Bias is the view of Individualism and Collectivism?

Examples • The traditional IQ Test (Stanford) measures intelligence as something to be found within the individual. As this is a western concepts, it ignores e. g. the Ugandan view that intelligence is a functional relationship between the individual and the society. • As a result non-western people are continually perceived as less intelligent on the Stanford IQ test.

Examples • The strange situation measures attachment and categorises infants as secure or insecure. This methodology leads to UK and US infants categorised as secure as they reflect desirable norms and values contained within the research methodology. • In Germany, where independence is values, and Japan, where dependence is values, these infants are considered to be insecurely attached.

Examples • Margaret Mead was an Anthropologist who worked with the Trobiand Islanders in Papua New Guinea. Anthropologists use Emic methods, which means going into the culture and understanding them from within. • The only problem is that she falsely assumed that all traits were different in each cultural group, and only later identified that across all groups there were some universals. An example would be that fact that men tended to be more aggressive universally.

Examples • Certain mental health related behaviours can only really be understood in the context of the culture of the patient. • For example, in some cultures it is considered normal to sleep more, work less and hear voices. • This has recently (2015) been recognised in the DSM-V which makes reference to cultural diversity, in that they suggest that panic can be manifested as crying in some cultures, and difficulty breathing in others.

Evaluation Indigenous Psychology • Laura • Josh • Dojan • Portia Bias in research methods • Samantha • Yasmin • Alex • Beza • Habiba Etic VS Emic distinction • Andi • Gabby • Nawa • Fowse • Louise

P E E L

1. Outline what is meant by universality and bias in psychological research. (6 marks) 2. Describe one example of psychological research that demonstrates alpha bias. (4 marks) Typical exam style questions 3. Describe one example of psychological research that demonstrates beta bias. ( 4 marks) 4. ‘Psychological theories and studies are criticised for having an alpha or beta bias and, as such, does not represent human behaviour very well. ’ Discuss issues related to alpha and beta bias in psychology. Refer to examples of gender bias in your answer. (16 marks)

Short Answer Qs Write- 7 mins Peer Mark- 7 mins