Culture and Psychopathology : A relationship

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Culture is defined as the group of similar values, goals, outlooks, ideas and traditions that a shared by a certain group of people. The human race is diverse and varied, filled with many cultures. There are many differences in these cultures and because of these differences; the definition of normal differs from culture to culture. It only makes sense that diagnoses of psychopathologic disorders vary from culture to culture. However certain things will not change because fundamentally, we all still belong to the same species.

Take the typical division of the east and the west. Research has shown that people from western cultures think differently from people in the eastern cultures. Westerners tend to see themselves as individuals. In comparison, people from East Asian cultures tend to see themselves as part of a whole and as interdependent person in the community. This translates itself into their world view, while the westerner tends to see the main point in great detail; the easterner is more likely to see the full dynamics of the full picture (Goldberg, 2008). It can be said that they think differently because of the culture in which they are immersed in. An experiment was carried out to determine how were 8-year-olds were at puzzle solving. This experiment was carried out with American and Asian children. The Americans did better at puzzles they had chosen while the Asians did better at puzzles their mothers had chosen. This reflects on the varying though processes between the two cultures. The Americans were more independent and comfortable to choose their own puzzles while the Asians were comfortable in the belief that their mothers knew what the best was for them (Goldberg, 2008).

The point of the experiment was to...

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...izations in the many cultures in the world.

References

Psychological Medicine. (n.d.). Changi General Hospital. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from www.cgh.com.sg/Medical_Specialities/Medical_Services/Pages/psychological.aspxhttp://

Goldberg, C. (n.d.). Differences Between East and West Discovered in People’s Brain Activity - The Tech. The Tech - MIT's Oldest and Largest Newspaper. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from http://tech.mit.edu/V128/N9/culture.html

Juris G. Draguns (1986): Culture and psychopathology: What is known about their relationship?, Australian Journal of Psychology, 38:3, 329-338

Braun, F. K., Fine, E. S., Greif, D. C., & Devenny, J. M. (2010). Guidelines for multicultural assessment: An asian indian american case study. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 38(3), 130-141. http://search.proquest.com/docview/610013358?accountid=16285

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