What does Shweder argue about general psychology?

What does Shweder argue about general psychology?

• A. It assumes universal laws independent of context or culture.
• B. It treats cultural differences as irrelevant to any psychological process.
• C. It emphasizes genetic determinism while ignoring culture.
• D. It denies any universal aspects of mind.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that general psychology often assumes universal laws of the mind that work the same way in every culture, without considering cultural context. Shweder argues that this universalist stance overlooks how culture shapes thinking, emotion, and behavior, and that psychology should attend to cultural scripts and meanings rather than treating mind and behavior as culture-free. So the best choice captures the critique that general psychology presumes universal laws independent of context or culture. The other views imply culture doesn’t matter or overstate genetics or universals in a way that Shweder would not, since his point is about culture’s shaping role within psychological processes rather than denying universals altogether.

The main idea here is that general psychology often assumes universal laws of the mind that work the same way in every culture, without considering cultural context. Shweder argues that this universalist stance overlooks how culture shapes thinking, emotion, and behavior, and that psychology should attend to cultural scripts and meanings rather than treating mind and behavior as culture-free. So the best choice captures the critique that general psychology presumes universal laws independent of context or culture. The other views imply culture doesn’t matter or overstate genetics or universals in a way that Shweder would not, since his point is about culture’s shaping role within psychological processes rather than denying universals altogether.