Chapter 12

A series of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to cultural variation in psychology, focusing on definitions and important terms.

Culture

Refers to psychological attributes of groups, including symbols, beliefs, values, norms, and practices shared by interconnected individuals.

Enculturation

The process by which a child picks up the culture into which they are born.

Acculturation

The process by which an individual moves into a new culture and learns its characteristics.

Etics

Universal components of ideas or concepts that are the same across cultures.

Emics

Cultural-specific aspects of ideas or concepts that differ from one culture to another.

Individualism

A cultural perspective emphasizing the individual as more important than the group, common in Western cultures.

Collectivism

A cultural perspective that prioritizes the group over individual rights and needs, often found in Asian cultures.

Cultural Tightness

Describes cultures that have strict norms and tolerances for deviations from expected behavior.

Cultural Looseness

Describes cultures that allow for more deviation from established norms and have more lenient expectations of behavior.

Honor Cultures

Cultures that emphasize personal reputation and the need for retaliation against insults.

Dignity Cultures

Cultures in which individuals are valued for their intrinsic worth, independent of others' perceptions.

Face Cultures

Cultures that emphasize protecting social harmony and the social image of others.

Holistic Thinking

A thought process that looks at the context and relationships in understanding events, often seen in collectivist cultures.

Analytic Thinking

A thought process that focuses on objects and their attributes, typical of individualistic cultures.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency to judge another culture solely based on the values and standards of one's own culture.

Cultural Relativism

The belief that a person's beliefs and activities should be understood based on that person's own culture.

Generalizability

The extent to which findings from a study can be applied to broader populations or different cultures.

Cultural Variation

Differences in behaviors, beliefs, and values between different cultural groups.

Cross-Cultural Psychology

The branch of psychology that examines the influence of culture on psychological processes.

Multiculturalism

The existence and interaction of diverse cultures within a society, where multiple cultural identities coexist.

Values

Deeply held beliefs that guide behavior and judgments about what is important in life.