The Socio-cultural Level of
Analysis
Principles, Methods and Attributions
PRINCIPLES
• 1. HUMANS ARE SOCIAL ANIMALS: NEED TO
BELONG
• 2. INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP RELATIONSHIPS
ARE BI-DIRECTIONAL
• 3. CULTURE INFLUENCES BEHAVIOR
– a. “SOCIAL SELF”: COLLECTIVE ID
– b. WORLD VIEW SHAPED BY CULTURE AND
RESISTANT TO CHANGE
RESEARCH METHODS
• QUALITATIVE
– NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION
– PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION (see thru
participants’ eyes)
• IMMERSION IN CONTEXT OF SOCIAL/CULTURAL
GROUP
• OVERT: O’REILLY (2000)—BRITISH EX-PATS HAPPY TO
BE IN SPAIN
• COVERT: FESTINGER et al (1956)—“JOINED” CULT;
DOUBT, DEBATE, RATIONALIZATION WHEN PROPHESY
FAILED
ATTRIBUTION THEORY
• DEF: INTERPRETATION/EXPLANATION OF CAUSAL
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS (FRITZ HEIDER’S The
Psychology of Interpersonal Relationships)
– SITUATIONAL vs DISPOSITIONAL FACTORS
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T18b1Dw1ck
• ACTOR-OBSERVER EFFECT: ATTRIBUTION DIFFERS IF
YOU ARE ACTING OR WATCHING
– ACTING—OWN BEHAVIOR DUE TO SITUATIONAL FACTORS
– WATCHING—OTHERS BEHAVIOR DUE TO DISPOSITIONAL
FACTORS
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYWFGJ2aYRU
FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTION ERROR
• OVERESTIMATE DISPOSITIONAL, UNDERESTIMATE
SITUATIONAL FACTORS DUE TO LACK OF
KNOWLEDGE OF OTHERS AND OUR OWN
“FLEXIBILITY”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDhiyPAD6NQ
SELF SERVING BIAS
• SUCCESS DUE TO DISPOSITION, FAILURE DUE TO
SITUATION
• USED TO PROTECT POSITIVE SELF ESTEEM
• CONSISTENT IN WESTERN/INDIVIDUALISTIC CULTURE
• DEPRESSION IS EXCEPTION WHERE BLAME IS
INTERNALIZED
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhkNVUZ4fV
M
Research on Self Serving Bias
• LAU/RUSSELL (1980): US fb COACHES: WINS DUE TO PREP,
PRACTICE; LOSS DUE TO INJURIES, REFS, WEATHER
• KASHIMA/TRIANDIS, 1986: US KIDS: SUCCESS DUE TO
DISPOSITION; JAPAN KIDS: FAILURE DUE TO DISPOSITION
– EXAMPLE OF MODESTY BIAS; COLLECTIVISTIC ETHIC—SELF
ESTEEM COMES FROM GROUP ID
– BOND, LEUNG, WAN (1982): CHINESE KIDS w/MODESTY BIAS
WERE MOST POPULAR w/PEERS