Cultural Bias in Psychology

This page delves into the concept of cultural bias in psychological research and theory. Key terms and concepts include:

1. Universality: Characteristics applicable to all humans despite cultural differences
2. Individualistic cultures: Emphasizing individual needs over group needs
3. Collectivist cultures: Prioritizing group needs over individual needs
4. Ethnocentrism: Believing one's own culture is superior and using it as a standard to judge others

Vocabulary:

• Imposed etic: Assuming theories and concepts from one culture are universal
• Cultural relativism: Understanding cultural norms and values within their specific context

Example: Ekman's study on emotion recognition across cultures supports the idea of universal emotions, while Asch's conformity study highlights cultural limitations in psychological research.

Highlight: Yerkes' intelligence testing demonstrated cultural bias by favoring American cultural knowledge, discriminating against other cultures.

Understanding cultural bias is essential for answering questions like "discuss cultural bias in psychology (16 marks)" in A level Psychology Issues and Debates exams.

Nature vs Nurture Debate in Psychology

The nature vs nurture debate is a fundamental issue in psychology:

1. Nature: Behavior and thinking result from genes, evolution, and biological factors
2. Nurture: Behavior is learned or acquired through environmental experiences

Vocabulary: Interactionist approach: Accepts that both nature and nurture are interconnected in shaping human behavior

Definition: Epigenetics: Changes in genetic activity without altering the gene itself, resulting from environmental interactions

Example: Bowlby's theory of monotropy supports the nurture side, while explanations of OCD as frontal lobe abnormalities support the nature side.

Understanding this debate is essential for addressing Issues and Debates Psychology exam questions related to nature vs nurture.

Holism vs Reductionism in Psychology

This page introduces two contrasting approaches to studying human behavior:

1. Holism: Studying an indivisible system rather than breaking it down into parts
2. Reductionism: Understanding behavior by studying smaller constituent parts

Definition:

• Biological reductionism: Explaining social and psychological phenomena at a biological level
• Environmental reductionism: Explaining behavior in terms of stimulus-response links learned through experience

Idiographic vs Nomothetic Approaches

The page briefly mentions the idiographic approach, which focuses on individual cases to understand behavior. This contrasts with the nomothetic approach, which seeks general laws applicable to all individuals.

These concepts are crucial for students preparing for AQA A level Psychology Issues and Debates examinations and understanding key debates in the field.