Essay
IB psych SAQ – cultural dimensions
- Module
- Psychology
- Institution
- Derby College
A full paper 1 SAQ for the topic cultural dimensions that scored a 7 in IB psychology HL.
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
Outline/Describe/Explain one or more cultural dimensions.Describe one study into one or more cultural dimensions.
Cultural dimensions are aspects of a culture that allows it to be measured relative to other
cultures. An example is individualism vs collectivism – the degree to which individuals are
integrated into primary groups – can be measured by observing characteristic behavior. For
example, individualistic cultures view importance in expressing individual opinion, while
collectivistic cultures place importance in maintaining harmony. In collectivist cultures people
find ways to contribute to society that benefit the group. The focus is on societal harmony, with
value on interrelationships. In such cultures, individual’s are tied to their social group throughout
their entire lifetime and value loyalty over individual gain. In contrast, individualistic cultures
value the interests of an individual opposed to the group. People focus on their own
achievements and place less emphasis on interrelationships with other people. Depending on
culture, levels of conformity – the tendency to adjust one's thoughts/feelings/behaviors to align
with a group’s norms – can differ. Norms influence our behavior; norms are the patterns of
appropriate behavior for a specific context, which influences an individual's tendency to
conform.
Berry 1967 is a study that studied the cultural dimension of individualism/collectivism on
conformity. Individualism/collectivism was manipulated via using participants belonging to three
distinctly different cultures, Temne (collectivistic), Inuit (individualistic), and Scots as controls.
Individuals were placed in rooms and were asked to choose a line out of a set of lines of
different lengths that was most similar in length to a given line. In a following trial, researchers
told individuals the most common answer that other people of their same culture gave.
Researchers observed if the participants conformed to the (incorrect) answers of their peers,
and the level of individualism/collectivism was measured through the number of lines they were
away from the correct line.
Results showed that the Temne had high conformity levels, shown by how they gave the
incorrect answer (but consistent with the “answer” that they were told most Temne people gave).
Meanwhile, the Inuit had the lowest conformity rates, shown by how they gave their own
answers despite being told that most people from their group gave another answer,
demonstrating how they valued individual opinion over the opinions of their community. The high
conformity among Temne can be explained by their agricultural economy and dependence on
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller cleelee. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £6.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
60434 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now