Multicultural Psych Final Exam

Functional equivalence

the idea that different behaviors or mental processes can serve the same function or purpose

Conceptual equivalence

refers to whether a concept or construct has the same meaning across different groups, cultures, or contexts

Linguistic equivalence

refers to whether a measure, question, or concept is translated accurately across languages so that it retains the same meaning

Metric equivalence

refers to whether a test or scale measures a construct in the same way across different groups

Descriptive use of culture

refers to simply describing and documenting differences between cultures, without trying to explain why those differences exist

Historical use of culture

refers to explaining current behaviors, attitudes, or differences between groups by looking at their historical background and experiences

Normative use of culture

refers to using culture as a standard or benchmark to evaluate and compare behavior

Psychological use of culture

refers to using culture to understand how it shapes individuals’ thoughts, emotions, and behaviors

Structural use of culture

refers to examining how cultural systems, institutions, and social structures shape behavior and experiences

Genetic use of culture

refers to explaining behavior or cultural differences by looking at their origins and how they developed over time, including biological, evolutionary, and developmental influences

Worldview definition

set of beliefs, values, assumptions, and ideas through which a person or group interprets and understands the world

Beneficence and nonmaleficence

Beneficence = do good

Nonmaleficence = do no harm

Fidelity and responsibility

Fidelity = being trustworthy and keeping commitments

Responsibility = being accountable for professional actions

Integrity

being honest and accurate in all professional and scientific work

Justice

fairness in who gets access to psychological benefits and who shares in research burdens

Respect for people’s rights and dignity

protecting autonomy, privacy, and treating everyone with inherent worth and fairness

Etic perspective

focuses on what is universal across cultures, using the same measurement system

Emic perspective

how culture is understood from within that culture

Imposed etics

wrongly forces one culture’s framework onto others

Differing views between men and women regarding worldview

Men = status, power, achievement

Women = social harmony, caregiving, relational success

Individualism

importance of the individual over the group

Collectivism

importance of the group over the individual

Idiocentrism

a person’s tendency to prioritize personal goals, independence, and self-reliance, regardless of the culture they live in

Allocentrism

refers to an individual-level tendency to prioritize group goals, relationships, and interdependence, even within any culture

Horizontal-vertical dimension

Equality (horizontal) or Hierarchy and status differences (vertical) within either individualistic or collectivistic worldviews

Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s value orientation model

human nature orientation, man-nature orientation, time orientation, activity orientation, social orientation

Guilt

an emotional response that occurs when a person believes they have done something wrong, violated a moral standard, or harmed someone else

Shame

an emotional response that occurs when a person feels bad about themselves as a whole person, often because they believe they have failed, been judged, or violated social or moral standards

Losing face

refers to the experience of losing social respect, honor, or reputation in front of others

Saving face

refers to the effort to protect or maintain one’s own or another person’s social respect, dignity, and reputation in a social situation

Giving face

refers to the act of showing respect, recognition, or honor to someone in order to enhance or protect their social status and dignity

Elements of WEIRD

Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic

Maxims of quality

the rule that says people should be truthful and provide information that is accurate and supported by evidence when communicating

Maxims of quantity

the rule that says people should give the right amount of information in communication—not too much and not too little

Cooperative principles: relevance

the expectation that people’s contributions to a conversation should be related to the topic being discussed

Cooperative principles: manner

the expectation that people should communicate in a way that is clear, orderly, and easy to understand

Cooperative principles: relations with conversational partner

refers to how speakers and listeners manage communication based on their social relationship, shared knowledge, and mutual expectations in a conversation

Cooperative principles: rule violations

refer to situations where a speaker does not follow one or more of the conversational maxims

Proxemics

how people use space and distance in social interactions

Kinesics

body movement and gestures as a form of communication

Haptics

touch as a form of communication

Paralanguage

nonverbal elements of speech that accompany words and affect how those words are interpreted

Ethnic minority worldview

set of beliefs, values, experiences, and ways of interpreting the world that are shaped by belonging to a minority ethnic group within a larger society

Derald Wing Sue’s worldview model

A person’s worldview is influenced by a combination of:

• Cultural background (race, ethnicity, nationality)

• Gender

• Social class

• Religion

• Age

• Sexual orientation

• Other identity factors

Worldview based on social class: Materialism

value and success are primarily defined by material possessions, wealth, and financial achievement

Worldview based on social class: social class behaviors

how a person’s socioeconomic position influences their typical patterns of behavior, communication, and life strategies

Worldview based on social class: lifestyles

how socioeconomic status shapes everyday living patterns, habits, preferences, and ways of organizing life

Immigrants

individuals who move from one country to another with the intention of living there, either temporarily or permanently

Return migration

the process in which an immigrant moves back to their country of origin after living in another country

Refugees

individuals who are forced to leave their home country because of serious threats to their safety or freedom

Asylum seekers

individuals who have fled their home country and are seeking legal protection (asylum) in another country because they fear persecution or danger, but whose claim for refugee status has not yet been formally decided

Berry’s stages of refugee careers

1. Pre-migration

2. Migration

3. Settlement

4. Adaptation

Acculturative stress

psychological and emotional strain that occurs when a person is adjusting to a new culture

Bicultural stress

stress and psychological strain that comes from trying to navigate and balance two different cultural identities at the same time

Barry’s Model of Acculturation

1. Integration

2. Assimilation

3. Separation

4. Marginalization

Unidimensional

refers to a model or idea that assumes a concept exists along one single continuum

Bidimensional

model that views cultural adaptation along two separate and independent dimensions rather than one

Multidimensional

refers to a model that explains culture or identity as having multiple independent factors or dimensions, rather than just one or two

Microsystem

immediate environment that directly interacts with an individual

Mesosystem

connections and interactions between different parts of a person’s microsystem

Exosystem

settings that do not directly involve the individual but still affect their development and experiences

Macrosystem

broader cultural and societal values, beliefs, laws, and customs that shape all the other systems around a person

Stereotype

widely held but oversimplified and generalized belief about a group of people

Prejudice

preconceived (usually negative) attitude or feeling toward a person or group based on their membership in a social category rather than on individual experience

Discrimination

unfair or unequal behavior toward individuals based on their membership in a particular group

Racism

system of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors in which people are treated differently or judged based on their perceived race or ethnicity

Fundamental attribution error

tendency to overestimate the role of a person’s internal traits (like personality) and underestimate the influence of situational factors when explaining their behavior

Ultimate attribution error

bias where people explain negative behaviors of an out-group as due to their personality or character, while explaining positive behaviors as situational or “exceptions”

Illusory correlation

perception of a relationship between two variables (often a group and a behavior) when no real relationship exists

Availability heuristic

a mental shortcut where people judge how likely something is based on how easily examples come to mind

Outgroup homogeneity effect

the tendency to see members of an outgroup as more similar to each other than they really are, while seeing members of your own group (the ingroup) as more diverse and individual

Cognitive dissonance

mental discomfort a person feels when they hold two conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or when their behavior does not match their beliefs

Stereotype threat

fear or anxiety that a person may confirm a negative stereotype about their social group, which can actually affect their performance

Overt racism

explicit, clear, and intentional acts, beliefs, or statements that discriminate against or express hostility toward people based on race

Covert and intentional racism

racist beliefs or actions that are deliberate but hidden, subtle, or disguised so they are not immediately recognized as racism

Symbolic racism

refers to a form of racism where negative attitudes toward a racial group are expressed indirectly through beliefs about values rather than overt biological inferiority

Covert and unintentional racism

racial bias or discrimination that is subtle, not openly expressed, and not necessarily deliberate

Aversive racism

a form of racial bias in which individuals explicitly support egalitarian values (believing they are not racist), but still hold unconscious negative feelings or biases toward certain racial groups

Microassault

form of overt, intentional, and explicit racist behavior or communication, but it is often carried out in ways that can sometimes be subtle or socially contextual

Microinsult

a type of microaggression that involves subtle, often unintentional comments or behaviors that convey rudeness, insensitivity, or a demeaning message about a person’s identity

Microinvalidation

a type of microaggression where a person’s thoughts, feelings, or experiences related to their identity are dismissed, denied, or invalidated

White fragility

defensive reactions some White people may have when their racial identity or advantages are questioned or when they are confronted with discussions about racism and inequality

The Four F Reactions: Freeze

your body and mind temporarily shut down or become still when you feel threatened or overwhelmed

The Four F Reactions: Flee

getting away from a threat as quickly as possible

The Four F Reactions: Fight

standing your ground and trying to defend yourself when you feel threatened

The Four F Reactions: Fright

the immediate feeling of fear or shock when something threatening or overwhelming happens

Culture bound values

beliefs and standards of what is considered important, right, or desirable that are specific to a particular culture

Class bound values

beliefs, norms, and ideas about what is important or desirable that are shaped by a person’s social class

Barriers to counseling/therapy: language barriers

difficulties in communication between a client and therapist due to differences in spoken or written language

Anorexia nervosa

may engage in extreme dieting, excessive exercise, or other behaviors to prevent weight gain

Bulimia nervosa

disorder characterized by repeated episodes of binge eating (consuming large amounts of food in a short period while feeling a loss of control), followed by compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain

Binge eating disorder

disorder characterized by repeated episodes of eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, accompanied by a feeling of loss of control during the episode

Ethnic gloss

broad, oversimplified label to describe a diverse group of people, which hides important cultural, linguistic, and social differences within that group

Possible causes of health disparities

socioeconomic status, access, systemic inequality, discrimination

Common sense model

explains how people understand and respond to health problems based on their personal beliefs about the illness

Health belief model

explains and predicts health behaviors by focusing on individuals’ beliefs and perceptions about health conditions

Social determinants of health

non-medical conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that influence their health outcomes and quality of life

The Three S’s of Similarity: Simple

basic idea in psychology that people tend to like and feel more connected to others who are similar to them in straightforward or easily observable ways

The Three S’s of Similarity: Safe

the idea that people feel more comfortable and trusting toward others who seem safe or non-threatening based on similarity

The Three S’s of Similarity: Sane

idea that people are more likely to connect with others they perceive as mentally stable, rational, and emotionally balanced