Week 3 Exam Notes: Diverse Cultures, Indigenous, and Transgender Research PDF

**Week 3 Exam Notes: Diverse Cultures, Indigenous, and Transgender Research** **Psychological and Behavioral Variability** - **Psychological and behavioral variability** refers to the differences in: - **Intensity of response** to stimuli - **Whether we respond** to stimuli...

**Week 3 Exam Notes: Diverse Cultures, Indigenous, and Transgender Research** **Psychological and Behavioral Variability** - **Psychological and behavioral variability** refers to the differences in: - **Intensity of response** to stimuli - **Whether we respond** to stimuli - **Direction of response** to stimuli - **1980s**: Recognized the need to include **diverse participants** and cultures in research to understand these variabilities. **WEIRD Population (Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan, 2010)** - **WEIRD** stands for: - **W**estern - **E**ducated - **I**ndustrialized - **R**ich - **D**emocratic - **Statistics**: - 68% of participants in psychological studies are from the **USA**. - 96% of psychological studies are conducted in WEIRD countries. - WEIRD participants represent **only 12% of the world's population**. - 73% of psychology authors are from **USA universities**. - 99% of psychological research participants are from **Western countries**. - **WEIRD Problems & Limitations**: - - - - - - **Differences in Perception: Industrialized vs. Non-Industrialized Societies** - **Visual Illusions**: - **Non-industrialized** people are quicker to perceive equality in lines and are more willing to accept smaller amounts of money now. - **Industrialized** people need more significant differences in visual illusions and are more likely to delay gratification for larger amounts of money later. - **Cultural Differences**: - **Non-Western** (Industrialized): - **Holistic thinking** (viewing things as interconnected) - Moral reasoning includes a **wide range of principles**. - Focus on **relationships** and **interpersonal harmony**. - **Western** (Industrialized, especially USA): - **Analytical thinking** (detached from objects) - Focus on **attributes** of objects and **individual rights**. - **Justice-based moral reasoning** (principles of harm and fairness). - **Higher motivation for consistency** and more susceptible to social loafing. **Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender-Diverse Research** - **Cameron & Stinson (2019)**: - **Gender Binary**: The majority of studies measure gender through a binary male/female system. - **Problem**: This binary measurement erases the gender identities of **transgender** and **gender-diverse**people, leading to: 1. Psychological harm. 2. Invalid results due to misclassification. 3. Ethical issues, causing **reactance effects** and a lack of dignity for gender-diverse participants. - **Impact of Misclassification**: - - - **Indigenous Psychology** - **Definition**: Indigenous psychology refers to the study of psychology from the perspective of indigenous peoples, using culturally relevant methods and concepts. - **Key Features**: - Focus on **local, culturally defined perspectives**. - **Indigenous culture** is the source of psychological concepts, not imported Western theories. - Research should reflect **sociocultural values** and **community relevance**. **Types of Indigenous Psychology** 1. **Philippines, Taiwan, and India**: - Indigenous psychology involves all people in the country, irrespective of their origin. - Long history of psychological research since the **1970s**. 2. **Australia, New Zealand, and Canada**: - Focus on the **first inhabitants** (e.g., Aboriginal or Maori people). - Short or no history of indigenous psychology until recently. **Martinez Cobo (1986):** - Defines indigenous people as those who: 1. Have **historical continuity** with pre-colonial societies. 2. Are distinct from other sectors of society. 3. Are **non-dominant** in society. 4. Aim to preserve **cultural practices** for future generations. 5. Maintain **ethnic identity** and connection to ancestral lands. **Key Features of Indigenous Peoples (Martinez Cobo, 1995):** 1. Their way of life is impacted by **colonization**. 2. They adapt to or **assimilate** into the dominant society. 3. **Connectedness to the land** and traditional ways of life is important. **Colonization** - Colonization involves the **invasion** and **subjugation** of a people by an outside group, leading to the displacement and destruction of indigenous cultures. - Indigenous people in **Australia** were **controlled by government** policies from 1883 to 1967, gaining **citizenship in 1967**. **Indigenisation** - **Indigenisation** is the process of adapting psychology to local cultural contexts, recognizing that **Western theories may not apply** universally. - **Stages of Indigenisation**: 1. Acknowledging the limitations of **Western theories**. 2. Adapting **Western theories** to local cultures or replacing them with **native concepts**. 3. Developing an **independent** indigenous psychology. - **Enriquez (1993)**: - Two approaches to indigenisation: 4. **Etic (Outside)**: Adapting imported Western theories. 5. **Emic (Within)**: Creating entirely new, locally-derived theories based on indigenous culture. **Indigenous Cosmology** - Cosmology involves narratives that explain the **origin** of the universe and humanity's place within it, often incorporating values about the purpose of life. - Different indigenous cultures have distinct cosmologies: - **Filipino**: Developed from ethnic psychology. - **Taiwanese**: Influenced by Chinese traditions and Buddhism. - **Indian**: Rooted in **Hinduism** and **folklore**. **Indigenous Australian Facts** - **3.3% of the population**. - The **average age** is 22. - They live across diverse areas: **35% in cities**, **20% in regional areas**, and **22% in remote areas**. - At colonization, there were **260 distinct languages**. **Indigenous Australian Cosmology** - **Holistic**: Viewing everything (land, people, nature) as interconnected. - **Spiritual Connection**: Each person has a relationship with land, kin, and community, defining **roles and obligations**. - **Seminomadic**: Ties to specific lands are integral to wellbeing and spiritual health. **The Self and Self-Concept** - **Self-awareness**: The act of reflecting on **one\'s own thoughts**, emotions, and behaviors. - **Self-concept**: The **content** of the self (e.g., personality, gender, occupation, relationships). - **Chronicity**: Defining oneself in ways that highlight differences from others. **Self-Construal** - **Self-construal** refers to how we define the self **in relation to others**. - Two primary types: 1. **Independent self-construal**: Defining oneself through **stable traits**, valuing **independence** (common in Western cultures). 2. **Interdependent self-construal**: Defining oneself through **relationships** and **group memberships**(common in non-Western cultures). - **Subtypes of Interdependence**: 3. **Relational interdependence**: Defining oneself through close relationships (more common in women). 4. **Collective interdependence**: Defining oneself through group membership (more common in men). **Study on Self-Construal Theory** - **Singelis (1994)**: Study of Hawaii students supported the distinction between independent and interdependent self-construals. - **Hamilton & Biehal (2005)**: Found that **independent** individuals are more likely to make **risky financial choices**while **interdependent** individuals prioritize the **greater good**. **Self-Concept in Indigenous Australians** - Indigenous Australian self-concept is **holistic**, encompassing **family**, **community**, **land**, and **spiritual beliefs**. - Challenges Western self-concept models, which tend to focus on individual autonomy. **Cultural Definitions of the Self** - **Culture**: Encompasses beliefs, values, norms, and practices that shape human existence and set groups apart from one another.