Learning Across Cultures (DP IB Psychology): Revision Note

Here is an example of a Paper 3 source and 15-mark ERQ using culture (HL extension) in the Learning & Cognition context:

Source 5:

Here is a classic study of cross-cultural differences in learning, conducted by Cole & Scribner (1974)

Aim: To investigate the memory strategies used by American children and Liberian children.

Participants:

• Children from the Kpelle tribe in Liberia (some attended school and some had never attended school)

• Children from the USA who attended school

Procedure:

• The unschooled Kpelle children were shown a list of everyday items that would be culturally familiar to them (e.g., coconut, calabash)

• The schooled Kpelle children and the US children were shown a list of words

• Each participant was asked to free-recall what they had been shown

Results:

• The schooled Kpelle children performed equally as well as the US children

• The US and Liberian children both used 'chunking' as a memory strategy

• The unschooled Kpelle children did not perform as well on free recall of items but when they were asked to weave the items they had seen into a narrative/story, they performed to the same level as the other two groups

Conclusion: Strategies used to cue memory recall may vary across cultures.

Q4: To what extent can we conclude that learning is culture-dependent? In your answer, use your own knowledge and at least three of sources 2–5.

[15 marks]

Model answer:

(Here are two paragraphs which could appear as part of a longer response to this question).

Memory recall may be culture-dependent, as outlined in the source. When children are schooled, the research found that both Kpelle and American children performed equally. This may be a result of standardised methods of recall used in formal educational settings, e.g., chunking. The finding that the unschooled Kpelle children only performed well on free recall when they were asked to weave the items into a narrative offers evidence that recall may be culture-dependent outside of formal school settings (as also seen in Bartlett's War of the Ghosts study, where a culturally unfamiliar story showed flawed recall by English participants).

To properly understand and appreciate the cultural dimension of memory, it would be advisable to take an emic approach to research so that the findings do not suffer from an imposed etic. Attempting to apply a single cultural perspective when comparing cultures misses the point of such research, which is to highlight differences that demonstrate truths about specific cultures rather than the assumption that all behaviour is universal.

Guidance

• The command term “To what extent” requires you to express a view/judgement on the merit, validity, or success of an argument or concept, supported by relevant evidence

• Weigh up the relative merits of the claim

  • What is there in this (and other) source(s) that could be used to back up this argument?

  • Do you know of any research or examples which could be used to validate the idea that culture is key to recall?

  • Consider the difficulties facing researchers who are not familiar with different cultures

    • What are the implications for educating and training researchers to understand and appreciate different cultural perspectives?

  • Make sure that your argument is informed by the sources and that it draws from the relevant topics featured in this context

  • Include concepts (e.g., causality, bias) to inform your critical thinking and discussion of the source(s) as well as any real-world or anecdotal examples you are aware of