Deck 3: Culture and the Individual

Question 1

Why did 20th-century anthropologists become interested in psychology?

A) They did not believe that human nature was completely revealed in Western societies.
B) Psychology was just becoming popular as an academic discipline.
C) Greater contact with other cultures was showing a surprising variety of psychological patterns.
D) They were trying to distance themselves from sociologists by focusing more on the individual.

Answer 1

They did not believe that human nature was completely revealed in Western societies.

Question 2

Which societies tend to show more warmth and affection toward their children?

A) foraging
B) pastoral
C) horticultural
D) market economies

Answer 2

foraging

Question 3

The idea that an understanding of personality might help us explain connections between primary and secondary institutions is called __________.

A) personality integration of culture
B) personality and social integration
C) personal-cultural synchrony
D) personal-social connection

Answer 3

personality integration of culture

Question 4

What does Beatrice Whiting describe as one of the most powerful socializing influences on children?

A) their setting and the people within it
B) television, movies, and the Internet
C) diet, health, and activity levels
D) family structure and history

Question 5

One study of Guatemalan children found less anxiety and more involvement in play after the children were given __________.

A) nutritional supplements
B) extra toys
C) regular nap times
D) a lending library

Question 6

Humans are unusual among mammals in our __________.

A) long post-reproductive life span for females
B) close connections between mothers and their infants
C) high lifetime reproductive rates in males
D) tendency to live in social groups of unrelated adults

Question 7

In his research on psychological development in the Tiv, Douglass Price-Williams found that __________.

A) there was no difference between Tiv and European children in understanding of conservation of earth, nuts, and numbers
B) even with natively familiar test materials, Tiv children never reached an understanding of conservation to match the European children
C) the Tiv children had a stronger understanding of conservation than European children when tested with earth, nuts, and numbers
D) the Tiv children reached an understanding of conservation at an earlier age than European children, regardless of the testing method

Question 8

The traditional Inuit concept of inummarik, or "a genuine person," includes a lifelong process of __________.

A) ecological involvement
B) family commitment
C) educational achievement
D) financial security

Question 9

Ethnographers are focusing more explicitly now on the importance of the individual in bringing about change. This is called individual __________.

A) agency
B) variation
C) socialization
D) independence

Question 10

Which anthropological term may be used in place of socialization?

A) enculturation
B) assimilation
C) diffusion
D) education

Question 11

Cross-cultural studies have shown that both cognitive abilities among children and their ability to think abstractly are influenced by how much __________ they receive.

A) schooling
B) breast milk
C) nurturing
D) protein

Question 12

Cross-cultural studies of childrearing habits have shown that compared to non-Western societies, American parents __________.

A) are less likely to breast-feed on demand
B) spend more of the day carrying their babies with them
C) respond to babies' cries much more quickly
D) are more apt to co-sleep with their babies at night

Question 13

Culturally patterned ideas about what kind of children parents want to raise and how they should treat their children are called __________.

A) ethnotheories
B) hypotheses
C) ideologies
D) philosophies

Question 14

What is Piaget's first stage of development?

A) sensorimotor
B) formal operational
C) concrete operational
D) sensorioperational

Question 15

Which early-20th-century anthropologist studied Samoan adolescents, calling into question the assumption that adolescent psychological development was similar everywhere?

A) Margaret Mead
B) Bronislaw Malinowski
C) Claude Levi-Strauss
D) Louis Leakey

Question 16

In projective tests, subjects are given stimuli that are purposely __________.

A) ambiguous
B) incorrect
C) impossible
D) humorous

Question 17

What did a study of single mothers in California find about the consistency of parenting conventions?

A) So-called "unconventional" parents did not differ that much from the more "conventional" ones.
B) Single mothers were more likely to see themselves as "unconventional" parents.
C) Single mothers were more likely to follow traditional childrearing methods.
D) "Unconventional" parents used methods that were very divergent from the general cultural pattern.

Question 18

Why do anthropologists question results given by cross-cultural psychologists that indicate psychological development is delayed in many non-Western societies?

A) The tests used are developed in the West using testing materials often unfamiliar to other cultures.
B) Cross-cultural psychology is basically flawed in its ability to measure differences.
C) Concepts such as conservation and formal operational thinking are not known in other cultures.
D) Cross-cultural psychology is a new, and therefore untested, field.

Question 19

The Japanese concept of self is often described as __________.

A) relational
B) individualistic
C) neighborly
D) egocentric

Question 20

Anthropologists have explained the lack of parents' emotional interaction and playfulness with infants in some preindustrial societies as __________.

A) a need to create emotional distance due to high infant mortality rates in these societies
B) an indication that parents are too busy foraging for food to play with their kids
C) a sign of bad parenting by uneducated adults
D) a more adaptive alternative to beating their children

Question 21

Whatever the reason for parental rejection, it is evident that children who are rejected __________.

A) tend to reject their own children
B) are affectionate toward other people's children
C) are likely to remain childless as adults
D) become overprotective parents

Question 22

What is one possible factor in the observation that boys tend to be more aggressive than girls?

A) Girls are given more tasks, and therefore spend more time around adults.
B) Girls are usually given a better diet, which reduces frustration associated with malnutrition.
C) Girls are rarely supervised, which leads them to independent decision-making at a younger age.
D) Girls are as aggressive as boys, but are generally more skilled at hiding it from adults.

Question 23

What personality trait can be predicted by a person's level of schooling?

A) patience
B) charity
C) curiosity
D) assertiveness

Question 24

What is an adaptational explanation for the very quick responses of parents in preindustrial societies?

A) There are more threats to an infant's survival in preindustrial societies, so it is beneficial to respond to their needs immediately.
B) Mothers in preindustrial societies do not work outside the home, so it is easier for them to respond quickly to babies' cries.
C) Western mothers see quick responses as coddling and prefer to raise a self-reliant, independent child.
D) Fathers and elders in preindustrial societies expect babies to be kept quiet and under control at all times.

Question 25

In the United States, children whose parents are __________ are less likely to develop field independence than other children.

A) very strict
B) playful
C) highly educated
D) negligent

Question 26

Why are foraging societies more able than other groups to emphasize individual initiative in children?

A) Departure from routine cannot cause much damage to a food supply that has to be collected daily.
B) Foraging people choose their leaders from among individuals with a lot of individual initiative.
C) Only foraging societies allow for individuals to eat anything they want to eat.
D) Reliance on tradition is not particularly important for people with no wealth or material possessions.

Question 27

When considering cross-cultural concepts of self, Melford Spiro pointed out that __________.

A) the ideal in a culture may not reflect reality
B) many cultures have no real concept of self
C) the psychological tests are culturally biased
D) such studies are by nature highly subjective

Question 28

Which of the following is a strong cross-cultural predictor of field independence?

A) the degree of reliance on hunting
B) average family size
C) participation in a market economy
D) level of schooling

Question 29

Which types of games are most likely to be found in politically complex and socially stratified societies?

A) strategy
B) creativity
C) cooperative
D) dexterity

Question 30

How do parents differ in their wishes for what qualities they would like their children to possess?

A) Parents in more urban societies hope their children will have independence and self-reliance.
B) Parents in more rural societies hope their children will focus on the family and community.
C) Parents in more urban societies hope their children will focus on the family and community.
D) Parents in more rural societies hope their children will have independence and self-reliance.

Question 31

Parental encouragement of violence is associated cross-culturally with a society's involvement in __________.

A) war
B) market economy
C) organized religion
D) agriculture

Question 32

Which of the following would be of interest to a cross-cultural psychologist?

A) the psychological processes in two or more cultures
B) the psychology of a specific group of people
C) how culture influences a person's behavior
D) the differences in mental health across cultures

Question 33

Clifford Geertz's research in Bali showed that the Balinese describe a person as __________.

A) having many different roles, like an actor playing parts
B) having one of a limited set of possible personality types
C) a unique, distinctive whole
D) a complex character influenced by family

Question 34

Which of the following factors could affect the temperament of a newborn infant?

A) mother's diet during pregnancy
B) the baby's astrological sign
C) birth order of the baby
D) mother's age at delivery

Question 35

In the Applied Anthropology example, how did Chinese and American preschools instill cultural value lessons in the children?

A) The Chinese preschool emphasized group activities, while the American preschool emphasized individualized activities.
B) The Chinese preschool emphasized individualized activities, while the American preschool emphasized memorization of facts.
C) The Chinese preschool emphasized memorization of facts, while the American preschool emphasized group activities.
D) The Chinese preschool emphasized memorization of facts, while the American preschool emphasized individualized activities.

Question 36

Why do the Ifaluk maintain that parents should not play with their young children?

A) They believe that infants under the age of 2 have no thoughts or feelings.
B) Their ethnotheories state that "a quiet baby is a healthy baby."
C) It is seen as foolish for an adult to play children's games.
D) They encourage babies to sleep as much as possible and conserve energy.

Question 37

A comparative study of U.S. undergraduates and Liberian rice farmers found that the ability to classify items abstractly was influenced by __________.

A) the materials used in the test
B) what time of day people were tested
C) the language in which the test was given
D) the gender of the tester

Question 38

How have women been agents of change in a patriarchal Chinese society?

A) They have pushed for an early division of the extended family so that less time is spent in the husband's family's household.
B) They have lobbied for their rights to a university education before marriage.
C) Many young women refuse to get married, and focus their attention on their careers.
D) Many young women no longer take orders from their mothers-in-law, risking ostracism from the rest of the family.

Question 39

Which of the following is a probable human universal?

A) the ability to make binary contrasts
B) a belief in an afterlife
C) encouraging independence
D) a close relationship between siblings

Question 40

Which of the following factors is most likely to be associated with more nurturant children?

A) being tasked with babysitting
B) having a variety of chores
C) playing with dolls
D) having a large family

Question 41

What evidence suggests that genetic differences between populations predispose people for different personality types?

A) There are differences in temperament among newborn babies of different ethnic groups.
B) Other biological features, like birth weight, are correlated with ethnic group.
C) A baby's behavior affects the way its caregivers will interact with it.
D) Mothers of different ethnic groups responded differently to their babies' cries.

Question 42

What assumption of psychological development was called into question by Bronislaw Malinowski, based on his research with Trobriands?

A) the Oedipus complex
B) development of the id, ego, and superego
C) attachment theory
D) activation model of dreaming

Question 43

Cross-cultural research on parental acceptance and rejection found that children who are not treated affectionately by their parents tend to be __________.

A) hostile and aggressive
B) sullen and withdrawn
C) anxious and hyperactive
D) dull and lazy

Question 44

American parents __________.

A) stress independence but often reward dependent behaviors
B) stress independence and reward independent behaviors
C) stress dependency and reward dependent behaviors
D) stress dependency but often reward independent behaviors

Question 45

We often talk about personality types as either "individualist" or "collectivist." What objections have been raised against using this common dichotomy to explore cross-cultural differences in personality?

Question 46

How does being held or carried frequently by their mothers affect the temperament of young children?

A) They are more trusting and optimistic.
B) Compared to children who are held less frequently, they are clingy and dependent.
C) Unlike children who are held less frequently, they are bossy and demanding.
D) There is no clear effect of carrying a baby on the child's later temperament.

Question 47

Consider these two contemporary American parenting styles. In more traditional parenting, baby is put to sleep alone in her own room, encouraged to self-soothe, and fed on a schedule. In the attachment parenting style, baby is fed on demand, sleeps in the parents' bed, and her cries are attended to quickly. Based on your understanding of the anthropology of childhood, what behaviors or values do you believe these two groups of parents wish to instill in their children? Explain your answer.

Question 48

Is adolescent rebellion a cultural universal? Discuss the evidence supporting or refuting this idea.

Question 49

How does the period of development dependence for young humans differ from that of other primates?

A) Humans have a longer period of developmental dependence than other primates.
B) Humans have a shorter period of developmental dependence than other primates.
C) Humans have a more violent period of developmental dependence than other primates.
D) Humans have a less nurturing period of developmental dependence than other primates.

Question 50

How does difference in schooling style affect the study of cross-cultural cognitive development? Give at least three examples of ways in which the style of schooling (not the subject) affect a child's temperament, cognitive ability, or psychological development.

Question 51

Most studies of __________ thinking have found __________ evidence of such thinking in non-Western populations.

A) formal-operational; little
B) formal-operational; strong
C) concrete-operational; strong
D) concrete-operation; little

Question 52

Cross-culturally, how do pastoralists compare with farmers in terms of adult behavior?

A) Pastoralists are more likely than farmers to express aggression.
B) Farmers are more likely than pastoralists to express aggression.
C) Pastoralists are more likely than farmers to value independence.
D) Farmers are more likely than pastoralists to value independence.

Question 53

In what way do unconventional parenting styles bring about cultural change?

A) Parenting styles do shift, but only relatively slowly.
B) Unconventional methods cannot change parenting styles, because the other methods work well.
C) Parenting styles swing back and forth from one generation to the next.
D) Parenting styles change rapidly and without reverting to previous methods.

Question 54

__________, such as family organization and subsistence techniques, give rise to certain personality characteristics, while __________, such as art and religion, reflect the motives, conflicts, and anxieties of a society.

A) Primary institutions; secondary institutions
B) Secondary institutions; primary institutions
C) Cultural characteristics; psychotic characteristics
D) Formal institutions; informal institutions

Question 55

How can individual people act as agents of cultural change? Choose any counter-culture movement and explain what impact this small group of people had on its wider culture.