Unit 5 - Short Answer Questions

docx

School

University of South Florida *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

Subject

Anthropology

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by vahmpyrre

1. Describe how individualism/collectivism affects the behaviour of attribution with reference to ONE research study. - Individualistic cultures stress that their identity is tied to their personal characteristics and achievements, plus self-sufficiency. While collectivist culture strives to have group harmony, their personal identity is linked to a social group, with the group's characteristics impacting personal identification. Both individualism & collectivism cultures affect a person’s behaviours of attributions. Individuals who come from individualistic backgrounds tend to subject themselves to self-serving bias (SSB)— when the individual experiences a favourable outcome, the person takes credit, whereas when a negative incidence occurs, they blame other factors. Compared to collectivist culture, individuals experience the opposite: modesty bias, in which individuals blame internal factors for failure and external factors for success. In the study of Kashima and Triandis, they aimed to look at cross-cultural attribution disparities and the occurrence of self-serving bias in both individualist and collectivist cultures. The participants were shown 15 slides about life in Israel, Greece, and Iran, and asked to remember them. They were then given a 5- minute recognition exam about what they had seen. After that, five slides about life in India were shown, followed by a three-minute test. The success or failure condition is assigned at random. There were 17 Japanese and 102 Americans in the failure situation, and they were told they received 5/15. There were 16 Japanese and 100 Americans in the success condition, and they were told they got 12/15. In the results of the research, SSB can be seen in American students'

tendency to attribute their achievement to their talent or abilities. Japanese students tended to blame their failure on a lack of ability, demonstrating a modesty bias. In this study, it demonstrated how individualism/collectivism backgrounds may affect a culture’s behaviour. As shown, the individualistic culture (American) demonstrated SSB where they attributed their success to their abilities. While the collectivist culture (Japanese) exhibited modesty bias by ascribing their failures to their incapability. 2. Describe how individualism/collectivism affects the behaviour of conformity with reference to ONE research study. - Collectivism countries display higher conformity rates since collectivist cultures value group unity. In collectivism, conformity fosters a sense of belonging and harmony, placing a greater emphasis on the group's goals than on individual preferences. Because collectivist culture values the group, they may also conform to avoid conflict or embarrassment. Whereas individualism will exhibit lower conformity rates due to being taught that personal independence is prized. Individuals, from individualistic cultures, are not discouraged from opposing and standing out because they place a high value on their own aspirations, beliefs, and perspectives. This way, they might not feel social pressure to conform or to adhere to the group’s aims.

An example of conformity rates in individualism/collectivism is Bond’s and Smith’s study. They aimed to investigate how cultural values impact conformity. The researchers analysed conformity studies from 1952 to 1954 to conduct a meta-analysis of 133 replications of Asch's experiment from 17 nations. They compared a variety of variables such as the effect of individualism and collectivism on conformity rates, the participants' relationship to the group, and so on. The researchers found that in collectivist countries, conformity was more significant. The countries with the greatest conformance rates were Fiji and Hong Kong. Individualist countries, on the other hand, had the lowest levels of conformity, with France topping the list. Also during the 1950s, the rate of conformity in the United States has decreased. This study illustrates how conformity may be influenced by whether individuals were raised in an individualist or collectivist culture. The meta-analysis establishes a correlation across different cultures with conformity levels. The research study also supported that individualistic cultures have less conform rates than collectivist cultures, vice versa. 3. Describe ONE cultural dimension other than individualism/collectivism with reference to ONE behaviour and ONE research study. - Long-term orientation focuses on cultivating pragmatic values that are geared toward future needs while short-term orientation is when individuals are preoccupied with the present or the past, placing a higher value on them than the

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

future. Long-term orientation cultures often try to form permanent relationships, this can be seen through Asian culture in which teachers are invited to their students’ homes to share dinner or so, attempting to make a long lasting relationship with the student and their family. While in short-term cultures, teacher-student relationships are only seen as a short-term gain. Students from short-term cultures only perceive their teachers as a transient affiliation, often for one year and they move on to new teachers. An example of this is Basset’s study in which the researcher aimed to assess the variations in long-term versus short-term time orientation between Australian and Chinese conflict resolution techniques. Participants were asked to consider a hypothetical dispute between a Japanese supervisor and a foreign Canadian assistant teacher. The participants were told to "consider how this problem might be addressed in Australia (or China)," depending on where they originated from. The Chinese students were far more concerned regarding face saving the interpersonal relationships, hence more focused on long-term orientation. The Australians considered that legal provisions, rather than customs and tradition, should govern how organizations operate. The results of the study demonstrate how long-term and short-term orientations affect one’s beliefs on how they should behave and how it may sway one’s cultural jurisdiction. The Chinese students are oriented in saving the relationship, showing how it differs from the Australian students, believing that laws and procedures should dictate how organizations should function. The Chinese

students favoured anticipation of future needs. While the Australian students look to the past for guidance. 4. Describe acculturation with reference to ONE research study. - Acculturation is the process through which people acclimatize to a new culture. As a result of cultural contact and interaction, a process of psychological and cultural change occurs. Acculturation is commonly referred to as a process that occurs between dominant and non-dominant cultures. Not only the non-dominant culture but all (or both) cultures might be affected. Globalisation is a driving factor to why acculturation occurs. An example of acculturation research is by Gunewardene, Huon, & Zheng (2001), where they wanted to see whether Westernization has an influence on diet behaviour than BMI and social factors. The participants were evaluated on a variety of factors. The extent to which they had been exposed to Westernization was determined by taking into account their country of residency, country of birth, parents' country of birth, and the language is spoken at home. They were also given the Dieting Status Measure (DiSM), as well as other questionnaires and their BMI was measured. Dieting status was strongly correlated with exposure to Westernization. To their surprise, the Chinese Australian females dieted the least, perhaps due to lower societal pressure. This study illustrates how migration may affect one’s behaviour to fit the new culture when resulting in contact with other cultures. And exhibited an effect of

acculturation, the healthy migrant effect in which the recent migrants tend to be healthier than their native counterparts. The research shows that the exposure to westernization index is an effective technique for evaluating significant factors on adolescent female diets. Acculturating to Westernization demonstrates that it is associated with an increased likelihood of dieting. 5. Describe enculturation with reference to ONE research study. - Enculturation is the process of how one “becomes” part of their heritage culture, or known as a member. It entails becoming familiar with the values, beliefs, customs, and expectations of the culture in which one grew up in. In order to be a successful member of society, one must understand (and abide by) cultural norms, which is why enculturation is important. Enculturation can occur through a number of processes such as observation, formal instructions, or direct personal experience/interaction. Odden & Rochat (2004), in Samoa, researchers looked into the role of observational learning (based on social cognitive theory) in enculturation. The study was a longitudinal, observational study, lasting for 25 months. The study consisted of 28 kids from a single Samoan village. In Samoan culture, adults are known for taking a non-interventionist approach to raising their children; parents spend very little time with their children. The children’s behaviours were observed and at the end of this study, they took a multiple-choice test to assess their awareness of Samoan society's values, including the Chief system. Due to a limitation of fishing equipment, children were not taught how to fish.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Nonetheless, children spent a lot of time watching adults fish. By the age of ten, they were borrowing fishing equipment (without adult supervision), and by the age of twelve, the majority of them were competent in fishing. The multiple- choice test revealed that the majority of children had a rudimentary comprehension of their society's principles and customs, including the Chief system. Despite never having been directly taught, children appear to possess educational and home task ideals. This study demonstrated how observing others allows individuals to become a member of their heritage culture. Even though the children of the single Samoan village were never explicitly taught to fish, they were still able to. This shows how the children will learn to become part of their society, by taking the duty of fishing for their family needs. Children were able to pick up on cultural standards just by listening in on other people's talks. Once again, this displays how the children are actively engaged to become a member of their community/culture. 6. Describe ONE biological factor that impacts attraction with reference to ONE research study. - Body shape appears to be an important indicator of attractiveness for women, as it signifies the most transparent predictors of reproductive capability. Men in food- scarce cultures express a preference for plumper women. Evidence has been shown that men tend to have a preference in fat distribution measured by waist-to- hip ratio (WHR), it is correlated to youthfulness, good health, & fertility success. The waist-to hip ratio is a physical trait that is often used to Men show more

interest towards women who have a 0.7 ratio, thus a thinner woman and a plumper woman can both be rated as beautiful if they appear to have the treasured ratio. Singh (1995) aimed to determine how certain physical characteristics influence the judgment of a female’s age, attractiveness, and suitability for romantic partnerships. Eight silhouettes were presented to the participants, each with different body weight, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and breast size. On a scale of 0 to 20, they were asked to score each silhouette for attractiveness, healthiness, feminine appearance, and friendliness and understanding. They also had to rate their intention to have a casual short-term romantic fling with each silhouette as well as a committed long-term romantic partnership. Slender female figures with low waist-to-hip ratios and large breasts were rated as the most feminine-looking, desirable, healthy, and ideal for casual and long-term romantic partnerships. WHR with a ratio of 0.7 was found ideal. The findings of the study show evidence that a certain body figure affects men’s perception of attractiveness. Men prefer women who have slender figures with a low WHR. This ratio is correlated with how it impacts attractiveness since women are more prized if they have the holy grail ratio. Implying that this certain body shape is more desirable than other body shapes. 7. Describe ONE socio-cultural factor that impacts attraction with reference to ONE research study.

- One socio-cultural factor that impacts attraction is the mere exposure effect. The mere exposure effect is the finding that after repeated exposure to a stimulus, people develop a stronger preference (or liking) for that stimulus. Being in the presence of someone or being exposed to them on a regular basis enhances our chances of being attracted to them. Not only that, people also tend to feel safer among people they know since they know what to expect from them. The attraction between people increases as the number of encounters between them increases. The idea is supported by Mita et al. (1977). In the study, the researchers wanted to test if the mere exposure effects holds truth. In doing so, each subject had a single frontal facial photograph printed in such a way that one print corresponded to her true image and the other to her mirror image. The images were then to be rated by both the subject and her friend. The results showed that the subjects consistently chose their mirror image, although the subjects' friends preferred the true image. The study shows that when we see the mirror image of our own and other people's faces, we find them less appealing. As a result, spending more time in front of the mirror should lead to more self-acceptance, but potentially more intense aversion when viewing oneself in photographs. This study holds true that the mere exposure effect does occur since that the difference between the mirror and true facial images is largely indistinguishable and that the fundamental criterion for differentiation is the frequency of exposure.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

8. Describe ONE aetiology of aggression with reference to ONE research study. - Aggression may be linked biologically with a certain hormone known as testosterone. This can also be seen as a primitive and social evolutionary trait to the homo sapien species. Evidence has demonstrated that testosterone promotes anti-social behaviour by enhancing social status. Aggression is often associated with increased levels of testosterone and linked with low levels of serotonin, thus suggesting that testosterone may influence high-status people's socially domineering behaviour. In McDermott et al. (2007) study, researchers looked into the effects of testosterone on aggression during a crisis simulation game. The participants were asked to engage in a simulation in which they acted as the leader of a country at odds with a neighbor over freshly discovered diamond mines on disputed land. The game was designed in such a way that it could be won either by negotiation or by going to war. Participants were asked to self-report aggression and a sample of their saliva was obtained. Aggressiveness in the game (i.e. unprovoked attacks) was linked to greater testosterone levels. The study illustrates how testosterone is correlated with aggression. Subjects who had higher levels of testosterone were more likely to engage in antisocial behaviours such as unprovoked attacks. With subjects engaging in aggressive behaviors, it can be speculated that increased levels of testosterone is linked with aggression. This shows how aggression can be biologically stimulated due to high levels of testosterone.

Sources: Bassett, P. (2004). Chinese and Australian students' cultural perceptions: a comparative study (Doctoral dissertation, Victoria University). Bond, R., & Smith, P. B. (1996). Culture and conformity: A meta-analysis of studies using Asch's (1952b, 1956) line judgment task. Psychological Bulletin, 119(1), 111. Dunlop, J. (2018). SL - Cultural Psych [PowerPoint Slides]. Gunewardene, A., Huon, G. F., & Zheng, R. (2001). Exposure to westernization and dieting: A cross‐cultural study. International Journal of Eating Disorders , 29(3), 289-293. Kashima, Y., & Triandis, H. C. (1986). The self-serving bias in attributions as a coping strategy: A cross-cultural study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 17(1), 83-97. Law, A., Halkiopoulos, C., & Bryan-Zaykov, C. (2010). Psychology: for the IB Diploma. Edinburgh: Pearson, 2010. Mita, T. H., Dermer, M., & Knight, J. (1977). Reversed facial images and the mere-exposure hypothesis. Journal of personality and social psychology , 35(8), 597. McDermott, R., Johnson, D., Cowden, J., & Rosen, S. (2007). Testosterone and aggression in a simulated crisis game. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science , 614(1), 15-33. Odden, H., & Rochat, P. (2004). Observational learning and enculturation. Educational and Child Psychology , 21(2), 39. Popov, A., Parker, L., & Seath, D. (2017). Psychology. Oxford University Press.

Singh, D. (1993). Adaptive significance of female physical attractiveness: role of waist-to-hip ratio. Journal of personality and social psychology , 65(2), 293.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Unit 5 - Short Answer Questions

Related Documents