Ethnocentrism

Cultural bias is when research, findings, or theories from one culture are applied to another. In the field of psychology, researchers and psychologists are mainly based in the West. Therefore, any findings from within a Western cultural setting may not be universal. It may be inappropriate to apply Western theories about obedience, for example, to other parts of the world.

Ethnocentrism is the belief that one culture is the 'natural' or 'correct' way of thinking. flaticon.com/authors/smashicons

Cross-cultural psychology

Cross-cultural psychology looks at the influence of cultural factors on behaviour. There are many aspects of human behaviour that differ according to culture. Researchers can use this method of psychology to assess which behaviours are universal and which are adapted. They can also use this method to see similarities and differences between cultures.

The etic approach in cross-cultural psychology looks at culture from the perspective of an 'outsider'. This means that the 'outsider's' understanding of concepts and measurements are applied to the study of other cultures. Using a set of 'outsider' concepts and assuming it applies everywhere is called an imposed etic.

The emic approach

Advantages and disadvantages of ethnocentrism

There are some important implications of ethnocentrism; some positive and some negative. These may be reflected in ethnocentric psychological studies and research.

Example study of ethnocentrism in psychology

In the 1970s Mary Ainsworth conducted a study assessing childrearing practices and attachment types in Western culture.

The Strange Situation Procedure

The study used a sample of white, middle-class and American mothers and infants. This study was criticized for its generalisability as it did not account for cultural child-rearing practices and attachment styles.

In the study, the most common attachment style for infants was the secure attachment style. This was considered the 'healthiest' or 'best' attachment style. However, research in the 1990s showed that this varied greatly. In Japanese culture, infants were more likely to be distressed when separated from their mothers. This was due to the cultural differences in child-rearing as Japanese infants did not experience as much separation from their mothers as in other countries.

If the findings of the original study in the 1970s were used to determine attachment types of infants around the world, there would appear to be much fewer 'healthily' attached infants. In reality, it is because the findings of this study are ethnocentric. The 'best' attachment style comes from Western culture and so attachment styles stemming from differing cultural practices may be seen negatively. This is an example of how assumptions about the 'correctness' of one culture's practices may portray another culture's practices in a negative light.

The Strange Situation procedure was considered to be ethnocentric. pixabay.com

Cultural relativism and ethnocentrism in psychology

Cultural relativism in psychology has been used to avoid ethnocentrism and cultural bias. It attempts to consider the values, practices or norms within each culture individually and in its own context. This might help avoid judgments about one culture imposed by another culture that only uses its own metrics and standards.

For example, in the Strange Situation procedure, as outlined above, Japanese infants were found to have higher levels of insecure-resistant attachment. From an American perspective, this may make researchers judge Japanese culture or its attitude to parenting negatively.

However, Japanese infants do not experience as much separation from their caregivers due to differences in working and family practices. In this context, the results seem unsurprising and more understandable. This is just one example of how studying cultural context can help interpret results in a more specific and less judgmental way. This is a key aim of cultural relativism.