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Berry (1967)
Aim
To measure the difference in conformity levels between cultures of varying collectivist/individualist scores.
Method
Quasi-experiment
Procedure
Sample of Temne, Inuit, and Scottish participants
Participants were shown a set of lines and asked to find which one had the same length as a different line
There were a few practice trials of this before researchers collected actual experimental data
Researchers told participants that members of their community chose a certain option which happened to be incorrect
Participants would then pick the line with the same length again
Results
Temne participants had the highest conformity levels, Scottish participants were in-between, and Inuit participants had the lowest conformity levels.
Conclusion
Difference in conformity rates reflects the cultural values of each group
Temne individuals value their group membership more (collectivist trait) and will therefore be more likely to change their answer to support their group
Inuit individuals value group membership less (individualist trait) and will therefore be less likely to conform with their group
Strengths
Translations and pre-trial tests increase the participants’ comprehension of the task and therefore accuracy of their responses
Providing consideration of traditional and transitional factors increases relevancy to status quo by demonstrating the limited effect of globalization
Limitations
Lacks temporal validity since it is an older study and uses Asch's test which was also developed a long time ago
The etic approach reduces operationalization’s efficacy since individuals’ traits may not reflect that of the culture overall
Meeuwsen, van den Brink-Muinen, and Hofstede (2009)
Aim
To investigate if and how Hofstede’s cultural dimensions impact the medical communication and dynamics between patients and doctors.
Method
Naturalistic overt observation
Procedure
~300 medical practitioners and ~6,000 patients from Belgium, Estonia, Poland, ect. participated
Researchers used Roter’s interaction analysis system (RIAS) to assess medical communication from videotapes
Participants received questionnaires to inform about the demographic
Results
High PDI countries tended to have shorter communication between doctors and patients, less eye-contact, and less unexpected information exchange.
Conclusion
The high PDI countries had more strictly defined roles for the doctor and patient where the doctor holds much greater power
The resulting communication is thus also more fixed and leads to the results of less overall discussion/back-channeling
Strengths
The use of a third-party source to analyze data (RIAS) reduces researcher bias
Larger sample size allows for greater generalizability to European population (given that this is the sample used)
Limitations
Social desirability effect may impact doctors’ and patients’ actions since they want to be viewed more positively
One of the researchers developed the theory being tested, potentially leading to researcher bias
This is somewhat reduced by the use of researcher triangulation
Kulkofsky et al. (2011)
Aim
To examine the connection between the cultural dimension of individualism/collectivism on the formation of flashbulb memories
Method
Questionnaire
Procedure
Participants had five minutes for a free-recall of public events in their lives
They then provided information about these memories including when the event occurred and certain other details
They also had to rate how nationally important or personally important the event was
Questionnaire also included important information about repetition, an important aspect of flashbulb memories
Results
Personal importance and emotional intensity had less predictive value for flashbulb memories
Individualistic participants tended to have more personally important memories
Conclusion
Collectivist participants de-emphasize individuals’ personal experiences, leading to less rehearsal of personal events
This then lowers the chance of developing a flashbulb memory
Strengths
Questionnaires were translated and back-translated, allowing for participants to provide more accurate responses
Overall, increases the research’s credibility
Limitations
Collectivist culture was represented solely by Chinese participants and thus the results may reflect Chinese culture instead of collectivist culture overall
Lower generalizability to other populations
Ecological fallacy of participants behaving according to a general cultural standard of collectivism/individualism
Bandura, Ross, and Ross (1961)
Aim
To investigate whether behaviours can be learned vicariously through a model and to find if the similarities of the model to the individual influences this learning.
Method
Matched-pairs designed true laboratory experiment
Procedure
Participants were ranked on aggression levels and this value was used to determine participant allocation to different conditions
Participants were placed in one of eight conditions
Aggressive conditions involved participants watching an adult display verbal and physical violence towards a bobo doll
Non-aggressive conditions involved participants watching an adult play with toys
Participants were either shown a model with the same or different gender as themselves
Participants then entered a similar room as the one with the model
This room had both non-aggressive (teddy bears, crayons) and aggressive (mallet, dart guns) toys
Two researchers made notes on the child’s behaviour over 20 minutes
Results
Participants exposed to a violent model were more likely to engage in aggressive behaviour
Participants were even more likely to act violently if they were the same gender as the model
Conclusion
Exposure to model allowed for the attention and retention aspect of SCT to occur
This would then allow for repetition in the future
Self-efficacy of participants increases with relatability of model which then enhances the probability of repetition
Strengths
The use of researcher triangulation (two observers) and single-blind nature of the study reduces researcher bias
The study’s results parallels similar research such as Rosenblith (1959) and real world data, indicating high external validity
Limitations
Children tend not to be left alone in laboratory settings, leading to low mundane realism and therefore low applicability to real-world settings
The sample only included children of Stanford staff and thus the sample is not representative of the general population
The participants are likely wealthier and more educated than the average individual
Kimball (1986)
Aim
To find if access to television can change a community’s level of gender stereotyping.
Method
Natural experiment
Procedure
Surveys provided to ~500 children living in three different cities
Multitel had multiple TV channels
Unitel had one TV channel
Notel had no TV reception although they were set to receive it
Participants level of gender stereotyping was measured using the Sex Role Differentiation (SRD) scale
This scale involved aspects such as appropriateness of certain behaviours for boys vs. girls and how often their parents perform certain tasks
Results
Notel participants originally had more egalitarian gender attitudes (lower SRD scale scores)
After the introduction of TV, Notel participants had higher SRD scores, indicating stronger gender stereotypes
Conclusion
Participants have exposure to a new set of models from TV access
These models may act according to gender stereotypes, allowing for these behaviours to be retained by children
Children may then exhibit these behaviours as well through learning them vicariously
Strengths
High ecological validity due to real-world setting and minimal researcher intervention
Limitations
Researchers cannot know what individuals tended to watch on TV and therefore cannot ensure that the models shown actually promoted gender stereotypes
This is an example of poor operationalization
Self-reported data allows for demand characteristics and social desirability effect
Participants are likely to understand the study’s true aim since they can infer from the contents of their questionnaires
Tajfel et al. (1971)
Aim
To investigate if in-group favouritism exists and how it impacts behaviour.
Method
True laboratory experiment
Procedure
Participants were artificially categorized into groups
Each participant estimated the number of dots on a sheet of paper
Individuals who had low estimates were placed in one group while those with high estimates were placed in another
Individuals participated in a resource-allocation task where they would distribute a set amount of money between a member of their group and a member of the out-group
The second part split participants by their preference of painting
An altered resource allocation test was conducted where out-groups would receive more resources if the in-group also receives more resources
Results
For the first part of the study, participants tended to give more resources to in-group members
For the second part, participants gave less resources overall
This allowed for all groups to receive less
Conclusion
Preference towards in-group suggests that a social identity is created towards that group
The willingness to reduce the in-group’s resources to minimize the out-group’s resources also implies discrimination towards the out-group
Further shows that individuals distinguish between in-groups and out-groups
Strengths
The highly controlled conditions allows for easier replicability and therefore reliability
The study has minimal confounding variables due to laboratory conditions
Limitations
Low mundane realism since individuals tend not to have such recently established in-groups and out-groups
Demand characteristics and social desirability bias may impact participants’ responses
Abrams et al. (1990)
Aim
To investigate if in-group identity would have an impact on one’s likelihood to conform.
Method
True laboratory experiment
Procedure
Participants consisted of first-year psychology students
Participants were either told that confederates were other psychology students or history students
Asch’s conformity test was used with participants either writing down or speaking their responses
Confederates would provide unanimous incorrect answers half of the time
Results
Conformity was higher in the in-group condition
There was no significant different between the private response conditions
Conclusion
Differences in behaviour between conditions establishes that individuals distinguish between in-groups and out-groups
The categorization is based on perceived similarities and differences
Strengths
The use of actual university students as confederates increases mundane reality
This demographic accurately reflects the participants’ peers
Greater comparability to other conformity research due to constant use of Asch’s conformity test in this field of research
Limitations
Demand characteristics caused by participants’ awareness of Asch’s conformity test
Psychology students are likely interested in the field and may have prior knowledge
Asch’s conformity test is both old and rather popular
High cultural bias due to use of only Western participants
Also are university students who are not representative of the general population
Students tend to be richer, younger, and more educated than the average individual
Steele and Aronson (1995)
Aim
To investigate the effects of stereotype threat on Black American students and their academic performance.
Method
True laboratory experiment
Procedure
Participants took a test from the General Record Examination
The test was either framed as a test of intelligence or a problem-solving task
Participants were either Black or White
Results
There was no significant difference between Black and White participants in the ‘problem-solving’ condition
Black participants performed significantly worse in the ‘test of intelligence’ condition
Conclusion
The worsened performance can be attributed to stereotype threat
The stereotype that Black individuals lack intelligence and therefore experience stress that they will confirm the stereotype
This stereotype is enhanced by having be salient after the researchers explicitly stated the test’s purpose
The stress then leads to lowered performance
Strengths
Although the study is a true laboratory experiment, it still has high external validity
Testing situations are also generally very rigidly structured
The study’s context is very applicable to real-life situations
Limitations
Use of only Stanford students in sample may be unrepresentative
Highly successful students may have more self-efficacy overall due to previous successes and therefore suffer less from stereotype threat
Operationalization of stereotype threat may be incorrect
The study did not test for the salience of the stereotype or racial identity
Stone (2002)
Aim
To find if the way a sport is framed affects the performance of different racial groups based on stereotype threat.
Method
Field experiment
Procedure
Students rated their athletic ability relative to their peers’ on a Likert scale
Only students with above average athletic ability who did not play golf were recruited
Participants then participated in a golfing task that was either framed as a ‘sports intelligence’ or ‘athletic ability’ test
Results
White participants practiced less in the ‘athletic ability’ condition
Black participants scored lower in the ‘sports intelligence’ condition
Conclusion
By practicing less in the ‘athletic ability’ condition, White participants engage in self-sabotage
This allows them to have a method to explain their scores if they perform poorly
Allows for self-esteem to be maintained, an aspect of social cognition
Stereotype threat may cause stress to Black participants in ‘sports intelligence’ condition
Leads to lower performance
Strengths
The public setting of the experiment makes it more realistic
Individuals may feel judged and be more likely to self-handicap to appear better in front of others
Limitations
The stereotypes between Black and White individuals is the product of their history and previous events
The stereotype dynamic is unique to these groups and cannot be applied to other stereotypes
Interpretation may be subject to researcher bias
White participants’ lack of practice was interpreted as self-handicapping
May also reflect their confidence in performing well
Smith and Lloyd (1978)
Aim
To investigate if the effects of gender labelling would impact toy choices.
Method
True laboratory experiment
Procedure
A set of primiparous mothers interacted with cross-dressed babies
Babies were given names and outfits indicating the opposite gender
Within the room, several masculine, feminine, and gender neutral toys could be used
These gender designations were provided by third-party individuals
Videotapes and written records were used to collect data
Results
Participants tended to use toys with the associations of the child’s perceived gender
Mothers tended to encourage physical activity more often with perceived male babies
Conclusion
These actions imply that enculturation of gender may be learned directly through parent figures
Strengths
Use of babies as confederates improves internal validity
There cannot be any demand characteristics since the baby cannot understand the study
Similar research has yielded the same results, increasing reliability
Limitations
Mothers may not be adequately deceived by the cross-dressing
Studies such as Doucet et al. (2009) suggest that information exchange may occur through pheromones
This may indicate about the baby’s actual sex
Demand characteristics may impact how participants treat the children
They may act in a manner they believe is more socially acceptable since they are being watched
Fagot (1978)
Aim
To determine the influence of parents in the development of gender-roles in young children.
Method
A series of overt, naturalistic observations and a questionnaire
Procedure
A sample of 24 families with a child between 20 and 24 months old
Observers noted child’s behaviour every 60 seconds from a list of possible behaviours
A questionnaire collected information on parents’ views on gender stereotypes and sex role socialization
Results
Parents reacted more favorably when their children engaged in same-sex preferred behaviour
Parents reacted less favorably when their children engaged in cross-sex preferred behaviours
Conclusion
These reactions may help perpetuate gender stereotypes and norms in children
An example of direct tuition adding to children’s enculturation
Strengths
The naturalistic setting of a playground adds to mundane realism, increasing external validity
This situation also mitigates social desirability bias
Similar to the observers in the study, parents may also feel judged by other families in public settings
Use of researcher triangulation during observation helps reduce researcher bias
Limitations
Results cannot be extrapolated to more personal situations (eg. at home) where parents do not feel judged
Parents were all affiliated with the university and are therefore likely wealthier and more educated than the average person
Lueck and Wilson (2010)
Aim
To investigate the variables that may predict acculturative stress in Asian American immigrants
Method
Semi-structured interviews
Procedure
The sample included both first and second-generation immigrants
Allows for acculturation gap to be examined
Interviewers familiar with participants’ language and culture conducted interviews
The interviews asked about the level of acculturative stress experienced and possible risk/protective factors
A sample of participants then reviewed their responses for correctness later
Results
70% of participants indicated experiencing acculturative stress
Bilingualism and sharing similar beliefs/values with family reduced stress
Discrimination and a strong preference for only speaking English increased stress
Conclusion
Being able to speak multiple languages allows for connection in both cultures and may lead to integration instead of assimilation
Similar beliefs as family helps maintain connection to original culture, providing support for issues of acculturation
An inability to fit into both cultures (monolingualism and discrimination) increases the negative impacts of acculturation
Strengths
Semi-structured interview structure allows for unexpected information to be collected, increasing the credibility of data
Use of multiple interviewers reduces researcher bias
Limitations
Interviewers may interpret or misinterpret answers based on pre-existing beliefs and schema
Somewhat mitigated by having some participants review their responses and validate their correctness
Levels of acculturative stress may lack some construct validity
Shah et al. (2015)
Aim
To study the association between acculturation and obesity rates in South Asian immigrants.
Method
Questionnaire
Procedure
1375 male migrant workers who had lived in the UAE for over 6 years had their BMI calculated
These values were based on WHO’s standards
Participants were enrolled at a health examination centre where each third person was asked to join the study
Results
Migrants had a higher BMI than native citizens and those from the immigrants’ home country
The longer a migrant had lived in the UAE, the higher their BMI was
Conclusion
Acculturation is known to cause unhealthy eating behaviours which could lead to conditions such as obesity
Immigrants may be unable to access their cultural food and be unaccustomed to the UAE’s food
They may then eat more fast food which leads to the increased BMI
Strengths
Large sample sizes allows for improved internal validity
The focus of South Asia is uncommon for much of psychology research
Allows for a broader view of acculturation in multiple cultures when viewed in conjunction with other research
Limitations
Lowered construct validity since time spent in the new culture is not the only factor impacting acculturation levels
Connections with other individuals and ties to original culture were not measured
May not be very generalizable since the sample excludes other immigrant populations such as women and children
Buchan et al. (2011)
Aim
To determine if one’s identification with global culture can influence willingness to cooperate.
Method
Quasi-experiment
Procedure
1122 participants from various cultures were found via quota sampling
Participants could allocate tokens representing money to themselves, participants in their community, participants in their country, or participants in other parts of the world
Tokens provided to the broader population would have a greater monetary value overall
The tokens for the larger community would be split among a larger amount of people
Investing in the greater community would lead to less returns for oneself but the greatest overall benefit for all participants
Participants filled out a questionnaire pertaining to their concern on local, national, and global issues
This questionnaire helped inform the extent of their global social identity
Results
Those with higher global social identity scores tended to invest more in the global community
These participants tended to forgo personal interest to provide more resources for the broader population
Conclusion
High global social identity participants may view all people as part of their in-group
This causes them to feel more connected to them and therefore act more altruistically
Overall, this indicates that globalization and the global identity caused by it can change individual’s behaviour
Strengths
The large and cross-cultural sample allows for the results to be generalized
This is especially important for research on globalization since this is an inherently universal concept
The use of participants from both urban and non-urban regions help provide information on people with varying degrees of global social identity
The operationalization of global social identity used is common in other research, allowing for them to be more comparable
Ensures that determining experimental reliability is possible
Limitations
Having participants fill out the questionnaire after they made their choices would increase their identity saliency towards the options they chose
This may artificially exacerbate the statistical significance found
Participants may not be as engaged in the study as with real life
The amount of money distributed may be considered insignificant to many participants and they therefore will not put much effort into their choices
The value of the money may vary from location to location, reducing consistency across participants
Norasakkunkit and Uchida (2014)
Aim
To find if globalization has an effect on the rise of hikikomori in Japan.
Method
Questionnaire
Procedure
A set of 195 Japanese students were tested for risk of developing hikikomori
They also filled out a survey on their alignment with the values of Japanese culture and their community
This test examined their perceptions of their current self, ideal self, and general Japanese society
They were also tested on identification with Japanese and global culture
Results
Participants considered high-risk for hikikomori rated their current self as having low social harmony, an important trait in Japanese culture
All participants considered social harmony to be valued highly by their society
High-risk students did not identify with local or global culture
Conclusion
Having a lack of local and global culture alienates students from both populations, leading to stress
This may manifest as hikikomori as individuals isolate themselves from the cultures that do not align with their own
Strengths
The study uses an emic approach of understanding the underlying causes of a specific, culture-bound phenomenon
This allows for a more in-depth understanding of the topic
Limitations
Study uses an analogous approach where participants do not actually have hikikomori
Does not properly represent the target population and results may not be applicable
Does not explain why hikikomori is mostly a culture-bound phenomenon