1. IB Psychology 2.13.17 Today’s Agenda: Turn in: Emic & Etic Concepts
Berry (1967)
Zhang (2010)
HW:
CRA
Turn in:
Nothing
Take out:
Notes, notes, notes
Today’s Learning Objectives:
Using one or more examples, explain “emic” and “etic” concepts.

2. Another interlude from NPR…

3. Culturally Specific and Cross-Cultural Studies
Emic and Etic Concepts

4. Emic = (m) = mono = one
Etic = (t) = two or more

5. Definitions Etic Concept Emic Concept
An explanation used to understand a culture in scientific terms by comparing the culture to others and addressing the universals of human behavior
In other words, what do we all have in common?
Accounts, descriptions and explanations used to understand a culture in its cultural context.
It is an attempt to learn the concepts of a culture and see the world the way they do.
In other words, what can I learn from taking another’s perspective?

6. Etic Approach Comparing two more cultures in a cross-cultural approach
Can be used as an attempt to find cross-cultural similarities in behaviour or universal behaviours
Examples:
Bond and Smith meta-analysis of conformity
WHO study on depression
Levine’s study on prosocial behaviour

7. Emic Approach
An attempt to study culturally specific phenomena (behaviour relevant to one culture)
Examples:
Bartlett’s observations of the Swazi herdsmen
Hopi (Native American) Depression
Papua New Guinea

8. Etic: WHO Study of Depression
How is it an example of an etic approach?
Compares across different cultures
Who was involved?
Switzerland; Japan; Canada; Iran
What were the four culturally similar symptoms?
Sadness; joylessness; anxiety; sense of insufficiency
What were the culturally specific symptoms?
Chinese participants more somatic symptoms;
40% displayed symptoms not in the diagnostic scheme used (thus; culture plays a role in the expression of depression symptoms)

9. Emic: Native American Depression
What were the five illness categories of depression for the Hopi people?
Worry sickness; unhappiness; heartbroken; drunken-like craziness; disappointment
What was one culturally specific behaviour discovered in this study?
The patterns of symptoms for being “heartbroken” were different to Western cultures