Michael Hills, PhD

1. PSYC313-04B Cross-Cultural StudiesThe Emic-Etic Dilemma:Measurement problems in cross-cultural research Michael Hills, PhD

2. THE EMIC-ETIC DILEMMAIntroduction • Psych research difficult to conduct validly anyway • C-C psych research even more difficult: • language • social norms of communication etc. • inappropriateness of : • theories • concepts • methods • instruments

3. THE EMIC-ETIC DILEMMAWhat to Measure? • A behaviour in one culture may reflect quite a different motive from the same behaviour in another. • Thus we have to find behaviours that are “functionally equivalent” • There are some universals in human behaviour. But behavioural manifestations of them vary. • However Research must decide whether to focus on the specific or the universal. • Specific = emic • Universal = etic. • (From phonetic and phonemic) • ie; study from inside (emic) or outside (etic) the system?

4. EMIC-ETIC DILEMMAWhat to Measure (Continued)? • If only emic viewpoint accepted, then no research could occur • Berry therefore says • Start with emic in own culture • Move to imposed etic • Learn about other culture • Compare own emic and other emic • Decide whether comparison possible • Where possible look for universals, and so DERIVE an etic • (See Figure on next slide)

5. Research Activity Culture A Culture B Research Activity 1. Begin research in own culture Emic A 2. Transport research to other culture Impose Etic Emic B 3. Discover other culture Emic A 4. Compare the two cultures Emic B 5-1. Comparison not possible Emic A Emic B Emic A Emic B Derived Etic 5-2. Comparison possible

6. EMIC-ETIC DILEMMAHow To Measure? • Measures developed in one culture inappropriate for another. • A test is a sample of behaviour • If behaviour resulting from Independent Variable varies between cultures, then sample appropriate for one culture may be inappropriate for another. • Concept of test itself is culture-specific - as is the motivation to achieve at them.

7. EMIC-ETIC DILEMMAHow to Measure (Continued) • Culture-free and culture-fair tests have not succeeded. • Culture-fair assumes that test is equally unfamiliar to all cultures - impossible. • Alternatively each culture develops its own form of a test (emic). Equivalence almost impossible to establish. • Thus test must be defined in terms of the behaviour in which we are interested • Motive and affect much more difficult to define equivalently.

8. EMIC-ETIC DILEMMASampling • A sample is a representative segment of the population • However populations differ culturally • Therefore samples must also differ. • So how can they be compared? • Only by controlling for extraneous variables. • Thus only by comparing THREE cultures, holding only the variable in which we are interested constant

9. EMIC-ETIC DILEMMASampling (Continued) • Volunteering biases samples • Differently in different cultures. • But truly random samples are almost impossible to obtain. • Therefore participants are commonly those more accessible who may not represent the population on the variable in which we are interested.

10. EMIC-ETIC DILEMMATest Administration • Misinterpretations by researcher and by participant • Therefore “lie” tests necessary to check validity of responses. • Thus C-C research is difficult - but not impossible.