METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN ETIC AND EMIC RESEARCH PSYC 338

ETIC APPROACHES * Culture general * Comparative * Seeks to explore universals * Uses culture as an IV

CRITICAL ISSUE IN ETIC METHODOLOGY: EQUIVALENCE Stimuli Conceptual (construct) Linguistic Functional Metric

STIMULI EQUIVALENCE Appropriateness of stimuli/test materials; equivalent familiarity (or unfamiliarity) with test materials across cultural groups

THE CHITLIN TEST By Adrian Dove

WHICH WORD IS MOST OUT OF PLACE? A) Splib B) Blood C) Gray D) Spook E) Black

HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO COOK CHITLINS SO THAT THEY WILL NOT BE RUBBERY? One hour 15 minutes 6 hours 24 hours One week

CONCEPTUAL EQUIVALENCE: The meaning or essence of a construct is the same or equivalent

CULTURAL CONCEPTIONS OF INTELLIGENCE Nzelu (Zambia)- wisdom Obugezi (Uganda)-stable, cautious, friendly Gnom (Kipsigis)- readiness to carry out tasks in the service of the community

CULTURAL CONCEPTIONS OF INTELLIGENCE Western tests may not adequately capture the notion of intelligence in other cultures

LINGUISTIC EQUIVALENCE * Appropriate translation of materials to ensure equivalence of meaning * Relates to both stimuli and conceptual equivalence

TRANSLATION METHODS * Back translation Individual translation Team translation

EXAMPLES OF TRANSLATIONS Outside a Hong Kong tailor shop….. In a Thai dry cleaners… In a Greek hotel… Ladies may have a fit upstairs Drop your trousers here for best results Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 am daily

EXAMPLES OF TRANSLATIONS At an Italian physician’s office…. Detour sign in Japan… In a Greek tailor shop… Lederer (1987) Specialist in women and other diseases Stop! Drive sideways Order your suits here; because of big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation

FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENCE: Exists when behaviours or processes compared serve the same or very similar functions across cultures

EXAMPLES OF FUNCTIONAL INEQUIVALENCE * Nonverbal behaviours such as gaze, proxemics, gestures * Agreements with statements such as “I like myself alot”

METRIC EQUIVALENCE: the same coherent psychometric properties found in two or more sets of data from different cultural groups (includes scalar equivalence)

METRIC CONSIDERATIONS * Reliability, validity * Factor structure, coefficient of congruence Scalar equivalence Item response theory Standardization

EMIC APPROACHES * Culture specific * Seeks to understand culture in its own terms * May unfold as indigenous or cultural psychology

CRITICAL ISSUE IN EMIC RESEARCH * A sensitive and appropriate methodology for the specific cultural context

AN EXAMPLE FROM THE PHILIPPINES Background: indigenization from within pakapa-kapa (inductive approach) interdisciplinary perspectives Method: Pagtatanong-tanong

CHARACTERISTICS OF PAGTATATANONG-TANONG “Asking questions” Participatory Equal status Adaptable, flexible Can be integrated with other methods Ethical concerns

PROCESS OF PAGTATATANONG- TANONG Preparation Selection of convenient and comfortable time and place Researcher and participant get to know each other “Asking questions” goes both ways Smooth ending

LEVELS OF INTERACTION A. Ibang-tao (Outsider category) 1. Pakikitungo (civility) 2. Pakikisalamuha (interaction with) 3. Pakikilahok (participation with) 4. Pakikibagay (in accord with) 5. Pakikisama (being along with)

LEVELS OF INTERACTION B. Hindi Ibang-tao (One of us category) 6. Pakikpagpalagayang- loob (mutual trust) 7. Pakikisangkot (active involvement) 8. Pakikiisa (being one with)

CONCLUDING CONCERNS Power sharing Ethical issues: treatment and dissemination of data * Benefits for community

QUESTIONS: What are the critical methodological standards for emic and etic approaches? Can and do we meet these standards on our research? How would you use the information on methodologies to evaluate research on culture and psychology?