Psychology Chapter on WEIRD Populations

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Questions and Answers

What is colonization primarily characterized by?

Promotion of local knowledge

Invasion and subjugation of existing peoples (correct)

Development of new theories

Integration of indigenous cultures

Which stage is NOT part of the indigenisation process?

Adapting theories to local realities

Developing purely western theories (correct)

Acknowledgment of western theories

Discovering indigenous methods

What does the term 'EMIC' refer to in the context of indigenisation?

The development of new theories from local knowledge (correct)

Creating indigenous versions of imported materials

Adapting western theories to local cultures

Utilizing only western concepts

How can cosmology be defined?

An origin narrative explaining human purpose and existence Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of the hybrid approach to indigenisation?

Merging indigenous concepts with western theories Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant characteristic of individuals in industrial Westernized cultures, according to the content?

Focus on autonomy Signup and view all the answers

What ethical concern arises from misclassifying participants in gender-related studies?

Inaccurate data interpretation Signup and view all the answers

What does indigenous psychology emphasize as a key feature?

Culturally defined perspectives Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is NOT considered a common feature of indigenous people, as outlined by Martinez Cobo?

Dominant sector of society Signup and view all the answers

Which region is associated with a long history of psychology dating back to the 1970s?

Philippines, Taiwan and India Signup and view all the answers

What can reaction effects in a study potentially lead to?

Increased psychological harm Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements reflects a misconception about autonomous behavior in industrial Western cultures?

Individuals are more likely to conform. Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of indigenous psychology contrast with?

Imported Western theories and methods Signup and view all the answers

What does the acronym WEIRD stand for in the context of psychology research?

Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of psychology study participants are from the USA?

68% Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a problem associated with WEIRD research?

Misses important dimensions of variation Signup and view all the answers

How do industrialized societies typically perceive visual illusions in comparison to non-industrialized societies?

They need extreme differences to identify dissimilarities Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic is commonly associated with non-Western industrialized societies?

Holistic perspective Signup and view all the answers

Which term best describes the emphasis on object attributes found in industrialized Western reasoning?

Analytical Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best captures a moral reasoning style in Western industrialized societies?

Principles of justice and harm Signup and view all the answers

What proportion of psychology study authors are affiliated with universities in the USA?

73% Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of the Indigenous Australian population lives in cities?

35% Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the concept of self-concept?

The knowledge about who we are and our social identities. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about Indigenous Australians' cosmology is true?

They understand the world as spiritually interconnected. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of chronic self-construal?

Creating a fixed identity based on stable traits. Signup and view all the answers

What form of interdependence is characterized by an emphasis on close relationships?

Relational interdependence. Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant historical fact regarding Indigenous Australians post-colonization?

They were under government control from 1883 to 1967. Signup and view all the answers

How is independent self-construal typically characterized?

By emphasizing stable personality traits and uniqueness. Signup and view all the answers

What is the average age of Indigenous Australians?

22 years Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes collective interdependence according to the content?

Self view is incorporated into membership of a large group. Signup and view all the answers

What does self-construal theory aim to explain?

The way individuals define themselves in relation to others. Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant finding in the study by Hamilton & Biehal (2005)?

Participants' decision-making varied based on self-construal. Signup and view all the answers

What does Mandel's 2003 study reveal about social behavior in the context of self-construal?

Independent individuals are less likely to take social risks. Signup and view all the answers

How is the self-concept of Indigenous Australians distinct from Western ideas?

It emphasizes a holistic view encompassing community and ancestry. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of culture is highlighted in the content provided?

Culture involves shared beliefs and practices that unite groups. Signup and view all the answers

According to the findings mentioned, how do risk preferences differ between independent and interdependent participants?

Independent participants are more willing to risk for personal gain. Signup and view all the answers

What was a methodology used in Mandel's study to prime participants for independence or interdependence?

Reading the Sumerian Warrior Story. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Psychological and Behavioral Variability

Considerable variability exists among humans in how intensely they respond to stimuli, whether they respond, and the direction of their response.

WEIRD Population

1980s: Research started including diverse participants and cultures.
2010: Henrich, Heine, and Norenzayan introduced the WEIRD construct.
- WEIRD: Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic.
- 68% of psychology participants from the USA.
- 96% of psychology participants were WEIRD.
- Participants represent only 12% of the world's population.
- 73% of authors were from USA universities.
- 99% of authors were at universities in Western countries.
Research on this construct lacking diversity.

WEIRD Problems

Missing important dimensions of variation: Failing to consider the complete spectrum of human behavior and responses.
Undue attention to unusual global behavior tendencies: Focusing too heavily on behaviors uncommon in most of the world.
Uneven and incomplete understanding: Resulting in inaccurate or incomplete conclusions.

Non-industrial vs Industrial Societies

Studies comparing perceptions in visual illusions between industrial and non-industrial societies found differences.
Non-industrial societies more easily determine equal lines.
Industrial societies required larger differences to be perceived as equal.

Industrial vs Non-Western Categories

Industrial-Non-Western: Holistic viewpoint, relationships between objects, moral reasoning (with wider principles), interpersonal relationships, divinity, and beliefs about food, sex, and relationships.
Industrial-Western: Analytical viewpoint, detached from object/context, focusing on object attributes.

Industrial Westernised USA

More individualistic.
Prefer more choices.
Analytic reasoning skills.
4000 times more likely to participate in research.

Gender Diverse Research

Studies have failed to account for the 6800 people (Gender, Sex, and Gender Identity) within the research. Research doesn't consider these differences in sex or gender. Research erases gender identity.

Indigenous Psychology

Key features:
- Primacy of indigenous or culturally defined perspectives.
- Relevance to native cultures, peoples, and their sociocultural values..
- Indigenous culture as the source of concepts and theories. Researcher concepts, theories, methods, tools, and results adequately represent the phenomenon being studied in the proper context.

Two Types of Indigenous Psychology

Contrasting imported Western theories and methods;
Type 1 (Philippines, Taiwan, India): Encompasses people residing in the country, with a long history of psychology beginning in the 1970s.
Type 2 (Australia, NZ, Canada): Focuses on first inhabitants of the land and short/non-existent indigenous psychology histories.

3 Common features of Indigenous People

Historical continuity with pre-colonial societies.
Distinct from other sectors of society.
Aim to preserve, develop, and transmit culture for future generations.
- Ethnic identity and ancestral territories.
- Live with their own cultural patterns, social institutions, and legal systems.

Colonization

Invasion, subjugation, and displacement of existing peoples.

Indigenization

The process of developing indigenous psychology. Local cultural and regional developments of their own knowledge and practices.

Stages of Indigenization

Acknowledgement of the limitation of Western theories.
Correcting and adapting Western theories to local realities and discovering indigenous concepts/methods.
Self-perpetuating discipline independent of Western psychology.

Two Types of Indigenization (Enriquez 1993)

ETIC (Without): Create indigenous adaptations of existing imported materials by incorporating the local context using cultural language.
EMIC (Within): Indigenous concepts and cultural knowledge are the basis of new theories and knowledge, recognizing what foreigners miss.

Indigenous Cosmologies

Filipinos: Developed from Ethnic Psychology.
Taiwanese: Rooted in Chinese historical, cultural, and social traditions, sometimes including Buddhist traditions.
Indian: Entwined with Hinduism and folklore practices.

Indigenous Australians Facts

3.3% of the population.
Average age of 22.
Live in 35% cities; 20% regional; 22% outer regional; 22% remote areas.
260 distinct languages before colonization.

Indigenous Australians Cosmology

Understanding the world (waters, earth, flora, fauna, and other people) as interconnected.
Seminomadic lifestyle.
Focus on social, religious, and spiritual activities related to belonging to the land.

Colonization (Indigenous Australians)

Intentional destruction of indigenous culture.
Control by the government from 1883-1967
Citizenship granted in 1967.

The Self

Self-awareness, Introspection.
Self-concept: Knowledge about oneself (gender, sex, location, occupation, personality, likes, dislikes, physical attributes).

Self-Construal

Chronicity: Defining oneself based on differences from others.
Two types of self-construal:
- Independent: Defining self in terms of stable personality traits, valuing uniqueness compared to others, and prominent in Western cultures
- Interdependent: Defining self in terms of relationships with others, valuing harmony, and prominent in non-Western cultures (two types)

Self-Construal Studies:

Singelis 1994, Hawaii uni students, Self-construal Scale, Results support the self-construal theory.
Hamilton & Biehal 2005 - Advertising study. Independent participants make riskier financial choices; Interdependent participants are more risk-averse to protect others.
Mandel 2003, Priming for independence/interdependence by reading the Sumerian Warrior Story, and making financial and social choices. Riskier financial decisions are made by people primed as interdependent, because they expect family support; and the opposite for independent people.
Han & Humphreys 2016 Diagram explaining the cognitive, affective, and motivational consequences of independent and interdependent self-consturals.
Cross et al. (2011)- Diagrams explaining cognitive and affective consequences of relational and collective interdependence self-consturals.

The Self-Concept of Indigenous Australians

Holistic definition of Aboriginal health and wellbeing.
Acknowledging the interconnectedness of self, family, community, traditional lands, ancestors, and spiritual existence
Challenging Western ideas of self-concept.

Culture

Culture encompassing all of what humans have and do, in order to create, relate, and adapt to the physical environment, with their agreed upon principles of human existence, techniques of survival (technology), and beliefs/ attitudes, often to produce harmony and shared understanding.

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Description

This quiz explores the concept of WEIRD populations in psychological research, highlighting the significant variability in human responses to stimuli. It discusses the implications of relying heavily on a population that constitutes only a minor fraction of the global demographic. Test your understanding of how this affects the study of psychology and behavioral variability.