A2 PSYCHOLOGY –
ISSUES AND DEBATES
Psychology and cultural differences
USE YOUR MINI
WHITEBOARDS TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS
 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 on your board 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 on your board.
 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.
A N E X A M P L E O F C R O S S C U LT U R A L R E S E A R C H
 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 P164 -165 TEXT BOOK
 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?
QUESTION FOR
WORKSHOP: TO BE
REVISED AND WRITTEN 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)