Cultural Issues in Psychological Research

AO1 (8 marks), AO3 (12 marks)
AO1
- Ethnocentrism is when researchers use their own view of behaviour
and impose this as a standard across all cultures when researching.
- Emic research takes a personalised, individual starting point for
research where etic research begins from the researcher perspective.
- Nomothetic laws of universality tend to ignore the effects of culture
on how behaviours may differ across them.
- Cross-cultural research has been conducted to test the universality of
some explanations of behaviour like attachment.
- Biological explanations of human behaviour, such as the dopamine
hypothesis, are based on objective research that is not affected by
culture.
- Socialisation from early infancy is underpinned by social norms and
values that are culturally specific so individual differences affect
research.
- Poor representativeness of cultural differences in participant samples
can limit research findings.
AO3
- Using emic methodological approaches, such as unstructured
interviews/participant observation, can limit imposed cultural norms
in research and allow psychologists to allow for cultural variants in
their research.
- Etic research will result in failing to consider cultural differences in
research therefore cultural issues will impact on the outcomes of
- An idiographic approach can view behaviour from a personal
participant level to increase the validity of research outcomes and
increase the cultural relativism of the findings.
- Becker et al. (2002) found the increase of western television culture
changed the eating behaviours of girls in Fiji, thus the impact of
culture should be considered in psychological research.
- Van iZendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) found there were
attachment differences across and within cultures, so cultural issues
do have a significant impact on the validity of research.
- Studies such as Cassiba et al. (2013) replicate research methods
from northern American use of the SSP and found that the outcomes
did not reflect the cultural norms of Italian child rearing.
- In cases, such as schizophrenia, it is likely that dopamine plays a
part universally in schizophrenia, but how the symptoms are
perceived or experienced may reflect cultural differences.
- Being socialised in a particular culture may lead to value-laden
interpretations of behaviours of individuals, such as operationalising
social aggression of twins in Brendgen et al. (2005).
- Gretchen Brandt refused to obey orders at 210v in the research
conducted by Milgram (experiment 8) having experienced growing up
in Nazi Germany, therefore culture may affect obedience research.
- Where studies have culturally biased samples, such as Bartlett
(1932) using just British participants, the results may not be valid
beyond the culture studied, limiting the usefulness of the research
findings.

(20)

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Look for other reasonable marking points.

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\hline Level

Mark

Descriptor

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AO1 (8 marks), AO3 (12 marks)

Candidates must demonstrate a greater emphasis on assessment/conclusion vs knowledge and understanding in their answer.

Knowledge & understanding is capped at maximum 8 marks.
\end{tabular}}

0

No rewardable material.

Level 1

1-4
Marks

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Demonstrates isolated elements of knowledge and understanding. (AO1)

Generic assertions may be presented. Limited attempt to address the question. (AO3)
\end{tabular}

Level 2

5-8
Marks

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Demonstrates mostly accurate knowledge and understanding. (AO1)

Candidates will produce statements with some development in the form of mostly accurate and relevant factual material, leading to a generic or superficial assessment being presented. (AO3)
\end{tabular}

Level 3

9-12
Marks

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Demonstrates accurate knowledge and understanding. (AO1)

Arguments developed using mostly coherent chains of reasoning, leading to an assessment being presented which considers a range of factors. Candidates will demonstrate understanding of competing arguments/factors but unlikely to grasp their significance. The assessment leads to a judgement but this will be imbalanced. (AO3)
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Level 4

13-16
Marks

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Demonstrates accurate and thorough knowledge and understanding. (AO1)

Displays a logical assessment, containing logical chains of reasoning throughout which consider a range of factors. Demonstrates an understanding of competing arguments/factors but does not fully consider the significance of each which in turn leads to an imbalanced judgement being presented. (AO3)
\end{tabular}

Level 5

17-20
Marks

\begin{tabular}[t]{l}
Demonstrates accurate and thorough knowledge and understanding. (AO1)

Displays a well-developed and logical assessment, containing logical chains of reasoning throughout. Demonstrates a full understanding and awareness of the significance of competing arguments/factors leading to a balanced judgement being presented. (AO3)
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