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General Psychology
In Shweder's view, the overarching perspective of the field of psychology assumes that the mind operates under a set of natural and universal laws that exist independently of a person's context or the content of that person's thoughts.
Nonuniversal
The lowest level of universality, which states that a given psychological process does not exist in all cultures and can be considered a cultural invention.
Existential Universal
The second-lowest level of universality, which states that a given psychological process exists in all cultures, although it is not necessarily used to solve the same problems across cultures, nor is it equally accessible across cultures.
Functional Universal
The second-highest level of universality, which states that a given psychological process exists in all cultures and is used to solve the same problems across cultures, but is more accessible to people from some cultures than others.
Accessibility Universal
The highest level of universality, which states that a given psychological process exists in all cultures, is used to solve the same problems across cultures, and is accessible to the same degree across cultures.
WEIRD Societies
A shorthand for the king of societies on which the database of psychological research is largely based. WEIRD stands for Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic
Muller-Lyer Illusion
A visual illusion in which two lines of equal length appear unequal; a line with ends that angle outward appears longer than a line with ends that angle inward.
Color-blind Approach
Looking beyond individuals' ethnic or cultural background and focusing on common human nature.
Multicultural Approach
Focusing on and respecting the distinctive aspects of different cultural groups
Ethnocentrism
Evaluating people from other cultures by comparing them to the standards of one's own culture.
Prestige Bias
A tendency to imitate, and learn from, prestigious people, or those who have the respect and attention of others.
Similarity Bias
A tendency to selectively imitate, and learn from, people who are similar to ourselves.
Conformist Transmission
A tendency to learn behaviors that are performed by a greater number of people
Mentalizing
Taking an interest in the mental state and perspective of others, including their intentions, goals, preferences, and strategies. Also referred to as having a theory of mind.
Imitative Learning
A type of cultural learning in which the learner internalizes aspects of a model's goals and behavioral strategies
Emulative Learning
A type of cultural learning focused on the environmental events involved with a model's behavior, such as how the use of one object could potentially cause changes in the state of the environment
Scaffolding
Simplifying a task by directing a learner's attention to the relevant steps in the process
Ratchet Effect
In cultural learning, the process by which cultural information becomes more complex and often more useful over time, because an initial idea can be learned from others and then modified and improved on by the learners.
Cultural Worlds
Worlds that contain cultural ideas that have accumulated over time
Encephalization Quotient
The ratio of an animal's brain weight to the brain weight predicted for a comparable animal of the same body size.
Gene-Culture Coevolution
The interaction of genes and culture, by which genetic evolution produces skills that enhance cultural learning, and by which cultural habits come to shape the evolution of genes.
Social Brain Hypothesis
the theory that cognitive demands inherent in social living led to the evolution of large primate brains
Neocortex Ratio
The ratio of the volume of the neocortex to the volume of the rest of the brain, which is used as a proxy measure of intelligence
Proximate Cause
A cause that has a direct and immediate relationship with its effects
Distal Cause
An initial difference that leads to effects over long periods of time, often through an indirect relationship.
Evoked Culture
The idea that all people, regardless of where they are from, have a biologically based repertoire of behaviors that are accessible to them, and that these behaviors are engaged for appropriate situations
Transmitted Culture
The idea that people find out about certain cultural practices through social learning, or by modeling the behavior of others who live near them
Natural Selection
The evolutionary process that occurs when three conditions are present. This process determines which genetic variants will become more common across generations
Dynamic Social Impact Theory
A theory stating that individuals influence each other through their interactions, leading to clusters of like-minded people separated by geography.
Contemporary Legend
A fictional story told in modern societies as if it were true. Also called urban legend.
Minimally Counterintuitive Idea
An idea that violates our expectations enough to be considered surprising and unusual, but not too outlandish.
Individualistic Culture
A culture with many practices and customs encouraging individuals to prioritize their own personal goals ahead of collective goals, and to emphasize the ways in which they are distinct from others.
Collectivistic Culture
A culture with many practices, institutions, and customs encouraging individuals to place relatively more emphasis on collective goals than individual ones.
Pluralistic Ignorance
the tendency for people to collectively misinterpret the thoughts that underlie other people's behaviors
