Unit 5 - Short Answer Questions

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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

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

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