Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

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picks them up and moves away from thewhowith them. They display neutral facialmotherand the level of the stress hormoneexpressions,(as indicated in the saliva) declines …cortisollike these clearly indicate that assessmentResultsrelying on Western values andproceduresof behavior are inappropriate outsidestandardscultural territory.theira source of counterclaims to Keller, considerAsarguments put forth by Mesman et altheThe authors start with the point that it(2008).in 1950s Uganda, not one of the WEIRDwasthat developmental-psychologistcountries,Ainsworth “laid the foundations” forMaryIn how many countries and cultures1.a pattern of behaviour andmustoccur before we can callinterrelationshipuniversal?itIn some research, the aim is to interpret2.of behaviour in differentpatterns(a) Is it possible for researchers to achieve(b) What would qualify researchers to3. Consider assessing humans.Is it easier to assume human(a)or sameness?differenceWhich of these approaches is safer,(b)in what contexts?andconcerns arise in the context of theSimilaraccepted claim, and cliché, that teenagerswidelyprone to risky behaviour. The linked article isareof many that attributes this to a combinationoneauthors review a range of childbearingThein ethnographic evidence spanningpractices!Kung San of Botswana, Efé of the Iturithein Zambia, Hadza of Tanzania, Bofiforestthe Central African Republic and HausainNigeria. They also offer standardizedinof attachment and sensitivity inobservationsof Kenya, Dogon subsistence farmersGusiiMali, and mothers in South Africa, China,inNew Guinea, Taiwan, Japan, SouthPapuaIndonesia, Chile, Colombia, Peru,Korea,and Israel. Clearly this is not aMexicolist of the world’s countries,comprehensivecould we conclude it is not enough? Whatbutinformation or expertise would youadditionalto form a judgment about the issue? Ifneedremain, which assumptions are saferdoubtsmake? tociting neuroscientific studies using fMRIcontrol,scans that support the claim.brainterms: PsychologySearchbrains risk-takingTeenwidely-cited 2006 study boldly asserts thatAbehaviour “is biologically driven … andsuchto be remedied through educationalunlikelydesigned to change adolescents’interventionsappraisal, or understanding ofperception,and that our understanding and policyrisk”,“should begin from the premiseinterventionsadolescents are inherently more likely thanthatare deeply assertive claims aboutThesebehaviour and biology. Similar studiesteenagepointed towards a higher incidence ofhaveemotional challenges and irresponsibleanxiety,among teens because of biologicalbehaviourSuch claims verge on biologicalreasons.and biological reductionism. Theydeterminismalso rarely if ever accompanied with theare“American teenagers …” evenqualificationthe cited literature almost exclusivelythoughIII. Methods and toolsIII. Methods and tools(Keller 2018)important contributions to attachment theory.For ref lectionBehavioural research across culturescultures, in a way that reveals the truth.this?do this?adults to take risks” (Steinberg 2006).of reward-seeking and less-developed impulsestudies this group. Earlier in this chapter we227

III. Methods and toolsMargaret Mead’s anthropologicalencounteredthat Samoan adolescents’ experienceargumentpuberty was markedly different from theirofcounterparts’. Next we encounter newAmericanEpstein, former editor-in-chief ofRobertToday, wrote the following inPsychologyassuming that the brain“Automaticallybehavior is problematic becausecausesknow that an individual’s genes andwehistory—and even hisenvironmentalher own behavior—mold the brainortime. There is clear evidence thatoverunique features that may exist inanybrains of teens—to the limited extentthesuch features exist—are the result ofthatinfluences rather than the cause ofsocialargument confronts us withEpstein’sclassic problem of establishingthewhether it is brain biology or thecausation:that determines behaviour.environmentthere is disagreement among theWhenTOK helps us to evaluate the claimsexperts,counterclaims. Consider the followingandthen discuss your answers with aquestions,What would constitute sufficient and1.evidence that the source orcompellingof the set of “teenage” behaviourscausebiological? What would convince youisHow would this evidence need to be2.in order to be reliable?produced3. On what grounds can such evidence beshould examine whether the idea ofWeis more of a social construct“teenagehood”idea in II.2 in the context of the Mead-thiscontroversy. Epstein argues thatFreemanidea of teenagehood stems from the 1904theAdolescence by psychologist G. Stanleybookwritten in the context of the industrialHall,mass immigration and rapidrevolution,of US cities. Hall paid much lessurbanizationto teenagers from other contexts butattentionideas have nonetheless become entrenchedhisa popular imagination of teenagers. Ainreview of research on teens in 186 lessindustrialized1991societies found that:percent had no word for ‘adolescence’, that60spent almost all their time with adults, thatteensshowed almost no signs of psychopathology,theythat antisocial behavior in young males wasandabsent in more than half these culturescompletelyextremely mild in cultures in which it did occur.andon Epstein’s comments, you mightBasedthat teenagehood is a WEIRD construct.concludewould such a far-reaching conclusion beButThere is an important differencejustified?questioning ideas and casting thembetweenoutentirely.more signicant, a series of long-term studiesEvenin motion in the 1980s by anthropologistssetWhiting and John Whiting of HarvardBeatricesuggest that teen trouble begins toUniversityin other cultures soon after the introductionappearcertain Western inuences, especially Western-ofschooling, television programs and movies …stylewith these modern observations, manyConsistentnote that through most of recorded humanhistoriansthe teen years were a relatively peaceful timehistorytransition to adulthood. Teens were not trying toofaway from adults; rather they were learningbreakbecome adults. Some historians … suggest thattotumultuous period we call adolescence is a verythephenomenon—not much more than arecentold. century8perspectives on this theme.For reflectionProblems of causation in teenagerisk-seeking behaviourScientific Americanteen turmoil.” (Epstein 2007)(Epstein 2007)peer, in a small group or as a class.of Epstein’s argument?challenged?(Epstein 2007)than a fact of human biology. We explored228

picks them up and moves away from the

who

with them. They display neutral facial

mother

and the level of the stress hormone

expressions,

(as indicated in the saliva) declines …

cortisol

like these clearly indicate that assessment

Results

relying on Western values and

procedures

of behavior are inappropriate outside

standards

cultural territory.

their

a source of counterclaims to Keller, consider

As

arguments put forth by Mesman et al

the

The authors start with the point that it

(2008).

in 1950s Uganda, not one of the WEIRD

was

that developmental-psychologist

countries,

Ainsworth “laid the foundations” for

Mary

In how many countries and cultures

1.

a pattern of behaviour and

must

occur before we can call

interrelationship

universal?

it

In some research, the aim is to interpret

2.

of behaviour in different

patterns

(a) Is it possible for researchers to achieve

(b) What would qualify researchers to

3. Consider assessing humans.

Is it easier to assume human

(a)

or sameness?

difference

Which of these approaches is safer,

(b)

in what contexts?

and

concerns arise in the context of the

Similar

accepted claim, and cliché, that teenagers

widely

prone to risky behaviour. The linked article is

are

of many that attributes this to a combination

one

authors review a range of childbearing

The

in ethnographic evidence spanning

practices

!Kung San of Botswana, Efé of the Ituri

the

in Zambia, Hadza of Tanzania, Bofi

forest

the Central African Republic and Hausa

in

Nigeria. They also offer standardized

in

of attachment and sensitivity in

observations

of Kenya, Dogon subsistence farmers

Gusii

Mali, and mothers in South Africa, China,

in

New Guinea, Taiwan, Japan, South

Papua

Indonesia, Chile, Colombia, Peru,

Korea,

and Israel. Clearly this is not a

Mexico

list of the world’s countries,

comprehensive

could we conclude it is not enough? What

but

information or expertise would you

additional

to form a judgment about the issue? If

need

remain, which assumptions are safer

doubts

make? to

citing neuroscientific studies using fMRI

control,

scans that support the claim.

brain

terms: Psychology

Search

brains risk-taking

Teen

widely-cited 2006 study boldly asserts that

A

behaviour “is biologically driven … and

such

to be remedied through educational

unlikely

designed to change adolescents’

interventions

appraisal, or understanding of

perception,

and that our understanding and policy

risk”,

“should begin from the premise

interventions

adolescents are inherently more likely than

that

are deeply assertive claims about

These

behaviour and biology. Similar studies

teenage

pointed towards a higher incidence of

have

emotional challenges and irresponsible

anxiety,

among teens because of biological

behaviour

Such claims verge on biological

reasons.

and biological reductionism. They

determinism

also rarely if ever accompanied with the

are

“American teenagers …” even

qualification

the cited literature almost exclusively

though

III. Methods and tools

III. Methods and tools

(Keller 2018)

important contributions to attachment theory.

For ref lection

Behavioural research across cultures

cultures, in a way that reveals the truth.

this?

do this?

adults to take risks” (Steinberg 2006).

of reward-seeking and less-developed impulse

studies this group. Earlier in this chapter we

227

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