Discuss cultural bias in Psychology. Refer to examples in your answer (16 marks)
The act of interpreting and judging other culture's behaviour and psychological characteristics using
your own standards and viewpoint. Researchers have wrongly assumed that findings from western
cultures can be applied all over the world (universality). However, this is a culture bias as findings
from culture are used to judge other cultures and any differences are seen as abnormal.
Ethnocentrism is a type of culture bias which is a belief that one culture is more superior than
another. For example, the Ainsworth study has been criticised for only reflecting the norms and
values of American culture as 'secure attachments' in infants is seen as ideal. This has led to mothers
in Germany seen as cold and rejecting based on strange situations when in reality this is the way this
culture raises their children.
Cultural relativism helps to avoid cultural bias as psychologists are able to recognise the facts they
discover may only make sense from a perspective of a certain culture. Psychology has been criticised
for using an etic approach as it looks at behaviour outside a culture and tries to explain universal
behaviour. Whereas, actually the theories come from the emic approach, where functions within a
certain culture (western) are applied to non-western cultures. As a result Ainsworth has an imposed
etic because she has imposed her own cultural values and beliefs upon the rest of the world.
The prevalence of culture bias in research has serious effects. The prejudices of the researchers can
influence the legislation and policy. The IQ test has a complex history, with results demonstrating
that African Americans score lower and being offered to scientific legitimacy to racism and
discrimination, as well as to support eugenic procedures. This is important because psychological
research can inflict significant harm to people, especially when the research includes a culture bias.
Reducing the validity of the research and its findings due to the occurrence of culture bias.
A strength with psychological research is recognition of cultural relativism and universality. For
example, Ekman research suggests basic facial expressions for emotions are the same for all humans.
So those who criticise Ainsworth study for being culturally biassed should consider some
attachments which are universal such as synchrony and imitation. Thus, this leads to better
understanding of human behaviours as the study requires both universal and variation within groups
and individuals.
On the other hand, a limitation of psychological research is there is no longer the issue of
individualism and collectivism. For example, Takano and Osaka (1999) found from 14/15 studies
which compared Japan and USA there was no evidence of distinction between the cultures. This is a
limitation as psychologists refer to culture in terms of individualistic (England and USA) vs collectivist
cultures (Japan and Korea). However, critics have argued this distinction no longer occurs due to
improvements/development of technology like the internet and social media networks that now
make the whole globe a “global village/community”. Thus, this invalidates the problem of this type
of culture bias as it is not much of an issue than it once was due to societies progression in the tech
field.
The act of interpreting and judging other culture's behaviour and psychological characteristics using
your own standards and viewpoint. Researchers have wrongly assumed that findings from western
cultures can be applied all over the world (universality). However, this is a culture bias as findings
from culture are used to judge other cultures and any differences are seen as abnormal.
Ethnocentrism is a type of culture bias which is a belief that one culture is more superior than
another. For example, the Ainsworth study has been criticised for only reflecting the norms and
values of American culture as 'secure attachments' in infants is seen as ideal. This has led to mothers
in Germany seen as cold and rejecting based on strange situations when in reality this is the way this
culture raises their children.
Cultural relativism helps to avoid cultural bias as psychologists are able to recognise the facts they
discover may only make sense from a perspective of a certain culture. Psychology has been criticised
for using an etic approach as it looks at behaviour outside a culture and tries to explain universal
behaviour. Whereas, actually the theories come from the emic approach, where functions within a
certain culture (western) are applied to non-western cultures. As a result Ainsworth has an imposed
etic because she has imposed her own cultural values and beliefs upon the rest of the world.
The prevalence of culture bias in research has serious effects. The prejudices of the researchers can
influence the legislation and policy. The IQ test has a complex history, with results demonstrating
that African Americans score lower and being offered to scientific legitimacy to racism and
discrimination, as well as to support eugenic procedures. This is important because psychological
research can inflict significant harm to people, especially when the research includes a culture bias.
Reducing the validity of the research and its findings due to the occurrence of culture bias.
A strength with psychological research is recognition of cultural relativism and universality. For
example, Ekman research suggests basic facial expressions for emotions are the same for all humans.
So those who criticise Ainsworth study for being culturally biassed should consider some
attachments which are universal such as synchrony and imitation. Thus, this leads to better
understanding of human behaviours as the study requires both universal and variation within groups
and individuals.
On the other hand, a limitation of psychological research is there is no longer the issue of
individualism and collectivism. For example, Takano and Osaka (1999) found from 14/15 studies
which compared Japan and USA there was no evidence of distinction between the cultures. This is a
limitation as psychologists refer to culture in terms of individualistic (England and USA) vs collectivist
cultures (Japan and Korea). However, critics have argued this distinction no longer occurs due to
improvements/development of technology like the internet and social media networks that now
make the whole globe a “global village/community”. Thus, this invalidates the problem of this type
of culture bias as it is not much of an issue than it once was due to societies progression in the tech
field.
