A2 Psychology – issues and debates Psychology and cultural differences

In pairs, develop some answers to the questions on pg. 52 of your pack I have chosen some answers that I think are particularly good. If you come up with one of those answers you would have received a cake (had I remembered to bring them)! The cup cake icon will appear next to the answers which are to be rewarded.

Cross cultural studies We have looked mainly at studies carried out in the US and UK. Write any studies/topic areas which you consider to be cross cultural. The definition of mental illness in other countries Pavlov’s dogs ! Obedience studies - Meeus and Raajamkers Charlton – effects of media on children

ethnocentrism Write a definition of ethnocentrism: Ethnocentrism is a type of bias and it means being focused on one’s own culture. It is impossible to avoid. It links to Bartlett’s theory of reconstructive memory. Social norms and rules are part of our socialisation and people are likely to understand information and view people using their own cultural understanding and schema.

Understanding bias in order to avoid it We must try to understand someone else’s world to avoid bias and be aware of our own biases. It is important to be aware of ethnocentrism when diagnosing disorders. Hearing voices may indicate schizophrenia here but in other parts of the world it is considered to be a spiritual experience.

An example of cross cultural research Littlewood & Lipsedge (1997) have suggested there is bias in the system, not a greater vulnerability in certain groups in society. They describe the case of Calvin, a Jamaican man arrested for arguing with the police when a post-office clerk wrongly believed he was cashing a stolen postal order. After he was arrested the psychiatric report noted: “This man belongs to Rastafarian - a mystical Jamaican cult, the members of which think they are God-like. The man has ringlet hair, a straggly goatee beard and a type of turban. He appears eccentric in his appearance and very vague in answering questions. He is an irritable character and has got arrogant behaviour." As written by a British prison psychiatrist. A psychiatrist must have knowledge of cultural factors before making a diagnosis e.g. in Puerto Rican culture believing that evil spirits can possess a person is a general belief, not schizophrenia! When testing a non-English speaker in English, the differences in language cause assumptions to be made.

Cross cultural research What is the benefit of cross cultural research? It can show whether characteristics are universal or unique to a particular culture This shows whether nature or nurture is responsible for that characteristic

Evaluation of cross cultural research Write down one strength and one weakness of cross cultural research. Strengths Universal behaviours and characteristics can be uncovered Cross cultural research can identify different approaches to certain issues between cultures. What is seen as useful in one culture can be introduced in another

Evaluation of cross cultural research Weaknesses The methodology may be more appropriate to one culture than another. This could affect the findings. The data may be interpreted differently because of the cultural background of the researcher.

Read p341in brain… Ensure you have made notes on the meaning of cultural relativity and that you can give an example. How can you use Littlewood (1997) as evidence of the usefulness of cross cultural research? Also, answer the following: Who is Bronislaw Malinowski and why is he important to this debate? Could you use H.N. Fouts (2008) as another example?

Question: plan / revise and write as a timed essay Describe two examples of the application of cross-cultural studies in Psychology and discuss the potential effect of cultural bias in their interpretation (12 marks)

Bronislaw Malinowski Undertook ethnographic fieldwork and is famous for immersing himself in the culture of the Trobriand islanders in Papua New Guinea in order to reduce ethnocentrism.

Problem with his research He couldn’t totally immerse himself though. There are differences in language that he couldn’t understand and also he probably didn’t have full understanding of the customs and traditions

An example of cross cultural research H.N. Fouts (2008) looked at the way fathers were involved with children under 4 in the Aka and Bofi foragers in Central Africa. A father’s involvement is not the same in all societies. In some societies there are flexible gender roles and a high regard for both male and female children. In other societies gender roles are more fixed. In many cultures fathers are not involved until the child is weaned. These are the issues studied by Fouts