Explain how behaviour can be influenced by cultural norms. (9)
Cultural norms and culture are similar concepts but they are not the same thing. Culture is a
generic term given to the use of certain tools, practices and beliefs that groups use to survive
and thrive in their environment. Cultural norms are the unique set of attitudes, beliefs and
behaviours specific to a particular culture. Cultures are dynamic in that they change over time to
adjust to the changing demands of their environmental contexts, but they do remain largely
stable as generations come and go. This continuity is important for the survival of cultures. Their
survival relies on attitudes, behaviours and beliefs being passed from one generation to the
next. This process is referred to as cultural transmission. Enculturation is the process by which
people learn their culture. This could be via observation, formal instruction or direct personal
experience. Cultural transmission is accomplished through the process of enculturation and
social cognition. Culture and cultural norms are in a bidirectional relationship with the individuals
who make up particular cultural groups.
Kurt Lewin (1890-1947) developed gatekeeper theory - a psychology and communication theory
related to who controls access to information and ideas in a social group. Gatekeepers are
those people in society who decide what information is shared to groups and other individuals.
Examples of gatekeepers are politicians, religious or spiritual leaders. Through a filtering
process, these individuals decide what information is unwanted, controversial, corrupting or
otherwise harmful to society and remove that information from circulation.
Trainor et al (2012) studied the phenomenon of musical enculturation. The aim was to test the
idea that musical enculturation occurs through active learning. 38 western infants who were 6
months old were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions: six months of actively
participating in music class and six months of a class in which they experienced music passively
while playing with toys. DV 1 was sensitive to western tonality. It was measured by examining
infants’ preferences to the two versions of a sonatina by Thomas Atwood (1765-1838): the tonal
version and the atonal version. The tonal version was the original while the atonal version had
additional accidentals added. Infant preferences were measured in a head-turn preference
procedure in which a light was flashed, illuminating an interesting try, and once the infant looked
at the toy, the music started playing. The music stopped once the infant looked away. It was
assumed that the longer a child looks at the toy while the music is playing, the more the child
likes the music. DV 2 was social development of the infants. Making music with other people is
a cultural activity involving interpersonal interaction, so it was predicted that infants in the active
classes would show more social development than infants in the passive classes. Social
development of the infants was measured by a questionnaire given to their parents. Results
showed that children in the active class group demonstrated a preference to the tonal version of
the sonatina, while children in the passive group did not prefer one version to the other. The
questionnaires showed that infants in the active condition by the age of 12 months showed
significantly less distress to limitations, less distress when confronted with novel stimuli, more
smiling and laughter, and easier soothability.
Cultural norms and culture are similar concepts but they are not the same thing. Culture is a
generic term given to the use of certain tools, practices and beliefs that groups use to survive
and thrive in their environment. Cultural norms are the unique set of attitudes, beliefs and
behaviours specific to a particular culture. Cultures are dynamic in that they change over time to
adjust to the changing demands of their environmental contexts, but they do remain largely
stable as generations come and go. This continuity is important for the survival of cultures. Their
survival relies on attitudes, behaviours and beliefs being passed from one generation to the
next. This process is referred to as cultural transmission. Enculturation is the process by which
people learn their culture. This could be via observation, formal instruction or direct personal
experience. Cultural transmission is accomplished through the process of enculturation and
social cognition. Culture and cultural norms are in a bidirectional relationship with the individuals
who make up particular cultural groups.
Kurt Lewin (1890-1947) developed gatekeeper theory - a psychology and communication theory
related to who controls access to information and ideas in a social group. Gatekeepers are
those people in society who decide what information is shared to groups and other individuals.
Examples of gatekeepers are politicians, religious or spiritual leaders. Through a filtering
process, these individuals decide what information is unwanted, controversial, corrupting or
otherwise harmful to society and remove that information from circulation.
Trainor et al (2012) studied the phenomenon of musical enculturation. The aim was to test the
idea that musical enculturation occurs through active learning. 38 western infants who were 6
months old were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions: six months of actively
participating in music class and six months of a class in which they experienced music passively
while playing with toys. DV 1 was sensitive to western tonality. It was measured by examining
infants’ preferences to the two versions of a sonatina by Thomas Atwood (1765-1838): the tonal
version and the atonal version. The tonal version was the original while the atonal version had
additional accidentals added. Infant preferences were measured in a head-turn preference
procedure in which a light was flashed, illuminating an interesting try, and once the infant looked
at the toy, the music started playing. The music stopped once the infant looked away. It was
assumed that the longer a child looks at the toy while the music is playing, the more the child
likes the music. DV 2 was social development of the infants. Making music with other people is
a cultural activity involving interpersonal interaction, so it was predicted that infants in the active
classes would show more social development than infants in the passive classes. Social
development of the infants was measured by a questionnaire given to their parents. Results
showed that children in the active class group demonstrated a preference to the tonal version of
the sonatina, while children in the passive group did not prefer one version to the other. The
questionnaires showed that infants in the active condition by the age of 12 months showed
significantly less distress to limitations, less distress when confronted with novel stimuli, more
smiling and laughter, and easier soothability.
