Sociocultural Level of Analysis - Cultural Norms

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1 Camden E. Gaultney Year 12 IB Higher Level Psychology Ms. Cruz The 22nd of November, 2011 Sociocultural Level of Analysis - Cultural Norms The Learning Outcome #10: Using one or more examples, explain emic and etic concepts. 8 mark - SAQ.

2 Paragraph #1: Etic and Emic : - Etic and emic can both be described as one of two possible approaches or form of analysis that crosscultural psychologists can take. Paragraph #1: Etic and Emic : #1. Re-examine Personal Concept of Truth: - This challenges psychologists to re-examine their own personal concept of truth regarding culture; in most cases, the truth may be relative [based on individual culture]. #2. Cultural Variations: - It is important to recognize cultural variations to best understand members of other cultures. #3. The Culture of the Researchers: - The danger with imposes etics is that they are likely to involve imposition of the researchers own cultural biases. - Such cultural biases may not fit the culture being studied and therefore cause distortions. #4. Emic and Etic: - Western psychology on other cultures often uses research tools that are emic for them but imposed etic for other cultures.

3 Paragraph #2: The Etic Approach: - Etic is a form of analysis of behavior that studies one culture alone to understand culture-specific behavior. - Researchers attempt the study the behavior through the perspective of the people who live in that culture Frederick Bartlett, The Swazi Herdsmen Experiment : #1. The Aim: - Frederick Bartlett [1932]. - The aim of the experiment was to observe the Swazi people and their capability to recall the situation at hand. Paragraph #2: Frederick Bartlett, The Swazi Herdsmen Experiment : #4. The Evaluation: Links to the Question: #1. Culture Norms and Priorities: - The researchers explained the findings by stated that the Swazi culture revolves around the possession and care of cattle and it is important for people to recognize their animals because this is part of their fortune. - In this experiment, the researchers observed a number of Swazi herdsmen through the use of a etic form of analysis. - It was acknowledged that the Swazi people are perfectly capable of adapting their recall to the situation at hand, in an impressively detailed and accurate manner, such as of various cattle transactions.

4 Paragraph #3: Manson et al, The American Indian Depression Scale Experiment : #1. The Aim: - Manson et al [1985]. - The aim of the experiment was to investigate the development of the American Indian Depression Scale. - The authors derived five Hopi illness categories relevant to depression: worry sickness, unhappiness, heartbroken, drunken-like craziness and disappointment. - After doing so, the researchers than conducted interviews with native informants. - Most of the Hopi participants could not identify a Hopi word that was the equivalent to the term depression, but were familiar with all five Hopi illness categories. - That being said, the researchers identified some Hopi characteristics that were similar to Western ways of looking at depression. - The characteristics for others states of being, such as heartbroken, were entirely different. Paragraph #3: Manson et al, The American Indian Depression Experiment : #4. The Evaluation: Links to the Question: #1. Culture: - The findings from this study exemplify how cultures have different ways of dealing with depression, as well as proves that depression is a culture specific issue. #2. Social Pressures and Responses: - In addition, it can be argued, with support of this study, that depression occurs due to social factors and unbearable pressures on the individual. #3. Social Learning Theory: - Furthermore, it is suggested though this experiment that depression can be a learnt behavior. - An individual can internalize the behavior modeled and it can become an integral part of personality for the rest of their life.

5 Paragraph #4: The Emic Approach: - Emic is a form of analysis of behavior that emphasizes the differences between cultures through considering behavior patterns unique and specific to a culture. - The purpose of research is to compare and contrast cultural phenomena across cultures to investigate whether phenomena are culture-specific or universal. Kashima and Triandis, The Details on the Slide Experiment : - Kashima and Triandis [1968]. - The aim of this experiment was to investigate the presence of cultural differences in relation to selfserving bias. - The participants were students from both the United States of America and Japan. - In the experiment, the participants were asked to remember details of slides of scenes from unfamiliar countries. - When asked to explain their performance, the Americans tended to attribute their success to ability while the Japanese tended to explain their failures in terms of their lack of ability [modesty bias]. Paragraph #4: Kashima and Triandis, The Details on the Slide Experiment : #4. The Evaluation: Links to the Question: #1. Social Learning Theory: - Is this behavior learnt through modeling or an innate predisposition? #2. Cultural Norms: - Different cultures may attribute things differently due to the behavior that they have learnt from authority in their culture. #3. Individualist and Collectivist Cultures: - Some cultures encourage a search for invariant dispositions, some locate on individuals factors and others in collective actors. #4. Self Esteem: - People ignore the hidden power of situations and focus on other people s dispositions more than they should - they attribute more personal responsibility to themselves for good events than they should.

6 Paragraph #5: Margaret Mead, The Gender Development in New Guinea Experiment : #1. The Aim: - Margaret Mead [1935]. - The aim of the experiment was to further study the gender development in three different tribes in New Guinea. - One tribe exhibited masculine characteristics - both men and women were aggressive. - Another tribe exhibited female traits - both men and women were emotional and non-aggressive. - Amongst one tribe there was a gender reversal - the men ran the household and the women ran the village. - These illustrated the role of culture on behavior. - Gender roles are culturally determined rather than biologically. - Something that is regarded as a masculine behavior in one culture could be considered as feminine in another. - Demonstrates an imposed etic in research. Paragraph #5: Mead, The Gender Development in New Guinea Experiment : #1. Tightness of Cultures: - The tightness of culture is relevant to defining normality and abnormality. - The expectation of members to behave according to norms and tolerance of deviation from norms differs between cultures. #2. Relationships: - Such as issues of marriage and arranged marriage within cultures. - This can differ depending on individual and collectivist cultures. - Do humans take an emic or etic approach? #3. Depression: - Is it really a cultural issue - dependent on emic or etic? - Biological level of analysis: can be caused due to inheritance. - Cognitive level of analysis: negative self-perception, self worthlessness and lack of coping strategies. - Can a behavior which is internal be learnt?

Discuss the sources of cultural bias in psychological theory and research, and how they have (or have not) been addressed.

Discuss the sources of cultural bias in psychological theory and research, and how they have (or have not) been addressed. Cultural bias is one of many biases to be found in psychological theory and research,