Deck 4: The Role of Culture in Developing Strengths and Living Well

Question 1

Which of these groups have been pathologized due to comparisons to majority groups?

A) members of the upper class
B) White Christians
C) members of the low or working class
D) people of Western-European descent

Answer 1

members of the low or working class

Question 2

Based on the report Mental Health: Culture, Race, Ethnicity, which of the following options best exemplifies how professionals can adhere to its message?

A) Modifying therapy sessions based on the client's background information.
B) Reading books about other cultures and applying the material during sessions.
C) Collaborating with other professionals who may know about other cultures.
D) Providing more information about their own culture so the client can acclimate.

Answer 2

Modifying therapy sessions based on the client's background information.

Question 3

What was the purpose of the report Mental Health: Culture, Race, Ethnicity, published in 2001?

A) To outline the historical understanding why minority groups were racially inferior.
B) To further analyze how culture influences mental health.
C) For the medical community to argue that culture has no legitimate impact on physical or mental health.
D) To precisely outline the proven universal nature of cultural traits.

Answer 3

To further analyze how culture influences mental health.

Question 4

Before the shift to exploration of individual differences, what did psychologists and anthropologists in the late 1800s and early 1900s use to examine behaviors and characteristics?

A) intelligence test scores
B) racial and cultural differences
C) information from family members
D) astrological signs

Question 5

What is a culture bound syndrome?

A) A set of symptoms that has arisen because of faulty or incomplete socialization.
B) A set of symptoms that is much more common in some societies than in others.
C) The tendency for people from immigrant cultures to avoid seeking help from mainstream health-care professionals.
D) A set of symptoms that has arisen because of the clash between an immigrant's culture of origin and mainstream American culture.

Question 6

Which of the following best describes a reason that it is important to consider all facets of culture, such as race, gender, or religion?

A) Each cultural facet can influence what is seen as a positive behavior or trait.
B) Facets can be compared to similar facets in other cultures to ultimately decide the dominant facet.
C) Cultural facets can determine if that culture holds any value.
D) Desired facets of cultures are useful for eliminating behaviors and creating a mainstream culture.

Question 7

What do Western health-care practitioners base their treatment decisions on?

A)universal truths discovered by their fields through the scientific method
B) how much similarity there is between the health-care providers in the patient
C) the approach that is favored by the client or patient
D) the views of lobbying groups that provide funding to the practitioners

Question 8

Regarding culture, barriers to effective treatment of clients by professionals can stem from ______.

A) the client having a low income
B) the desire to treat clients only from a similar background
C) unwillingness to learn about inferior cultures
D) divergence in viewpoints because of dissimilar cultural backgrounds

Question 9

Despite the claim that positive psychology is balanced, what did Martin Seligman indicate was lacking in positive psychology?

A) interest in continuing to use empirical measures and research
B) discussions of the importance of culture when distinguishing strengths and weaknesses
C) an understanding of how to properly balance information from other fields
D) the ability to rule out cultural factors in diagnosing mental illness

Question 10

Which of the following is a difference that exists between the genetically and culturally deficient perspectives on diversity, and the culturally different perspective on diversity?

A) The culturally different perspective emphasizes cultural superiority
B) The genetic and culturally deficient perspectives aim for fair treatment of those deemed inferior
C) The genetic and culturally deficient perspectives focus on inferiority
D) The culturally different perspective highlights differences within mainstream culture

Question 11

Satcher stated that culture needed to be viewed in a broad sense. Which of these is a facet of culture that he mentioned?

A) prosocial activities
B) personality
C) socioeconomic status
D) knowledge

Question 12

Which of these is an example of a method of pseudoscience used to uphold the views of European and European-American superiority?

A) craniometry
B) astrology
C) numerology
D) reflexology

Question 13

What issue that plagued the field of psychology did scholars hope that positive psychology would fix?

A) the expenses of therapeutic services
B) the low number of professionals belonging to minority groups
C) the growing number of inpatient clients
D) the over-pathologization of underprivileged groups

Question 14

How did the Mental Health: Culture, Race, Ethnicity report define culture?

A) The behaviors of a group of people belonging to a genetic race.
B) The unique traits of a group that are not shared by any other group in the world.
C) The report did not specifically define culture and frustrated many because of its overly vague nature.
D) The common heritage or set of beliefs, norms, and values of a group.

Question 15

What is the genetically and culturally deficient perspective on human diversity?

A) Genetically deficient groups compensated by developing positive cultural characteristics and behaviors.
B) All groups have genetic and cultural deficiencies, so racial and cultural mixing is logical to share strengths and eliminate deficiencies.
C) The majority group had the greatest weaknesses and deficiencies and only compensated through large population and oppression of minority groups.
D) Biological characteristics explained the differences in the gaps of intelligence between racial groups, and inferior groups could not benefit from growth.

Question 16

Which Surgeon General of the United States oversaw the development of the report titled Mental Health: Culture, Race, Ethnicity?

A) Jocelyn Elders
B) Everett Coop
C) David Satcher
D) Tom Frieden

Question 17

Which of the following best describes a way that a group of professionals exemplify culture?

A) the use of jargon in work settings
B) training to understand work procedures
C) using technology for work tasks
D) interactions with clients or customers

Question 18

Which of the following best summarizes the message from Dr. Satcher's report?

A) Culture should be considered separately outside of the realm of psychology because it is a sensitive subject.
B) Professionals must choose between incorporating culture into psychology or establishing one overlying culture.
C) Culture must be considered and incorporated into investigating the causes, effects, and treatment of educational and psychological problems.
D) There should be a separate branch of psychology that solely consists of culture that professionals can draw information from when necessary.

Question 19

In regard to race and culture, what was the conclusion of research done by anthropologists and psychologists during the late 1800s and early 1900s?

A) Cultures gave unique positive and negative features but that none were altogether better or worse.
B) Minority cultural groups had positive features that were recognized, appreciated, and incorporated by majority cultural groups, which is what kept the majority group in power.
C) The dominant racial or cultural group, those of European ancestry, was superior to all ethnic or cultural minorities.
D) Minority racial or cultural groups had more positive features than the majority group and were only kept out of power because of insufficient population numbers.

Question 20

How would a researcher oriented toward the genetically deficient model view someone with below average intelligence?

A) They would suggest the use community resources to assist the person in growth.
B) They would argue that the person has no chance to grow and improve their intelligence.
C) They would assume that the deficiency is due to the person's home environment.
D) They would hypothesize that the person has not received adequate nutrition and schooling.

Question 21

What is the culturally embedded perspective on science and practice?

A) holding a neutral stance while examining universal traits and behaviors
B) acknowledgement of the influence of cultural values in examining strength and positive functioning
C) recognition that culture has no impact on either science or practice because of the insignificant variance between cultures
D) being unable to see through one's own cultural perspective to understand people of other cultures

Question 22

Of the following options, which best describes what researchers viewed as being culturally deficient?

A) converting to a sect of Christianity
B) attending schools alongside middle-class students
C) eating foods that are considered to be part of a balanced diet
D) a heavy use of slang while speaking with others

Question 23

Which of the following describes a way in which the culturally deficient model differed from the genetically deficient model?

A) The culturally deficient model favored Whites.
B) The culturally deficient model focused on external factors, such as environment.
C) The culturally deficient model attended to cognitive abilities.
D) The culturally deficient model came after mass migration to the United States.

Question 24

Sandage, Hill, and Vang examined the trait of forgiveness among Hmong Americans. What difference did they notice exists between Hmong and other conceptualizations of forgiveness?

A) Spiritual components and third-party mediation of forgiveness are more prevalent among the Hmong.
B) The Hmong forgive others more easily than people from other cultures.
C) Other cultures emphasize cognitive and spiritual elements of forgiveness.
D) Hmong Americans undergo a shorter process of forgiveness when compared to other cultures.

Question 25

Eugenics is defined as the study of methods to reduce ______.

A) differences in intelligence
B) the number of minorities with high intellect
C) the influence of race on all life areas
D) genetic inferiority by selective breeding

Question 26

Which of the following best describes the culturally different perspective currently held by psychologists and anthropologists?

A) All cultures are different, but some are better depending on what they produce.
B) Most cultures are very similar, but ones with extreme differences are usually ostracized and oppressed.
C) Each culture has the full potential to grow due to the unique strengths produced within that culture.
D) Analyzing a culture is nearly impossible because of great individual differences held by people within the population.

Question 27

When asked about their own happiness, what are individuals from Western cultures are most likely to mention?

A) individual factors or achievements
B) their sense of self
C) harmonious relations with others
D) their individual well-being

Question 28

Which term is described as interpreting behaviors within the context of the culture?

A) cultural assimilation
B) cultural pluralism
C) cultural relativism
D) multiculturalism

Question 29

The factors that guide the focus of research and guides the efforts taken to help clients function positively are educational specialties, theoretical orientations to counseling, and ______.

A) racial characteristics
B) understanding weaknesses
C) client-initiated treatments
D) cultural facets

Question 30

When there is recognition of a distinct cultural entity and adoption of some values from the majority group, this phenomenon is referred to as ______.

A) a cultural melting pot
B) cultural assimilation
C) multiculturalism
D) cultural pluralism

Question 31

How would someone who did not follow mainstream, White American culture have previously been treated by psychologists?

A) They would be referred to as deficient.
B) Their cultural background would be further explored.
C) They would be instructed to live around the mainstream culture.
D) Their needs would be prioritized because of the cultural difference.

Question 32

Which of the following is something that psychologists examined under the culturally deficient model?

A) racial characteristics
B) intelligence test scores
C) interpersonal factors
D) life satisfaction across cultures

Question 33

What does it mean to assume that some strengths are universal?

A) People everywhere experience the same strengths.
B) Certain characteristics and virtues emerge as positive across cultures.
C) Core virtues that are taught through religion are the same across the world.
D) Strengths are manifested similarly no matter the culture.

Question 34

What is similar about the genetically deficient and culturally deficient perspectives?

A) Both place higher value on certain characteristics that belong to dominant groups.
B) Both allow for the improvement of those who are considered deficient.
C) Both are focused on the environmental factors that create differences between people.
D) Both used unbiased empirical methods to demonstrate their merits.

Question 35

After decades of focus on deficiency, many psychologists focused on a culturally different model which emphasized what aspect?

A) That one cannot and should not attempt to label cultural attributes as either positive or negative.
B) That each culture has its own unique strengths and has positive features to offer to greater society.
C) That individual differences within cultures are much more important than group differences across cultures.
D) That the study of cultural and racial deficiencies revealed enough information about cultures to support the different, and occasionally oppressive, treatment of various groups.

Question 36

Culturally embedded psychologists believe that research and practice is conducted at the intersection of what aspect of both the professional and client?

A) intelligence
B) personality
C) culture
D) worldview

Question 37

Which of the following exemplifies the belief by most professionals that strengths and traits exist across cultures but are manifested differently?

A) One person pursues happiness by avoiding negative consequences, and another tries to remain balanced by taking on positive and negative consequences.
B) Two people use wisdom as guidance despite being in different countries.
C) Someone used hope to ease the symptoms of depression, and another person eased the symptoms of depression but did not use hope as it does not exist in their culture.
D) One person is satisfied by basic necessities in life, and another person is rich but also satisfied by basic necessities.

Question 38

What was Henry Goddard's role in the application of eugenics research?

A) He worked as an advocate for all immigrants to ensure that all who wanted to enter America could find a way to fit into society.
B) He established intelligence screening procedures to increase deportation rates of "feebleminded" immigrants.
C) He studied the importance of respect for cultural diversity by finding strengths in all immigrants.
D) He worked to record and monitor the reasons that immigrants held for coming to America so that the government could discern which aspects of American culture are most important.

Question 39

When individuals from Western cultures are asked about their own happiness, what they are most likely to mention?

A) individual factors or achievements
B) harmonious relations with others
C) their relationship with the family
D) contributions to their family and society

Question 40

What are positive psychology scientists and practitioners are committed to studying and promoting?

A) The advancement of an agenda favoring minority groups.
B) Certainty that some individuals will be more capable than others.
C) Methods that advanced groups used to attain power over naturally weaker groups.
D) Optimal human functioning, especially client strengths.

Question 41

Ponterotto defines the multicultural personality as a strengths-based cluster of personality traits that predicts ______.

A) whether an individual is aware of strengths from other cultures
B) a person's ability to integrate into the larger world culture
C) cultural adjustment and quality of life outcomes
D) how someone values a public policy of multiculturalism

Question 42

Which of the following methods do the authors describe as being used to better understand the connection between culture and the development and manifestation of strengths?

A) qualitative research
B) case studies
C) laboratory research
D) interviews

Question 43

Which of these traits is most likely to be a central theme in Western articles about positive psychology and happiness?

A) wisdom
B) hope
C) altruism
D) self-compassion

Question 44

What did Chang's study reveal about the utility of optimism and pessimism when comparing Asian Americans and White Americans?

A) White and Asian Americans had similar levels of optimism and pessimism.
B) Asian Americans were significantly more pessimistic, but there was no significant difference in optimism.
C) White Americans exhibited a negative correlation between problem-solving and optimism.
D) Asian Americans show significantly higher levels of optimism than White Americans.

Question 45

To understand how a strength or process becomes valued within a culture, how should studies should be conducted?

A) cross culturally and between nations
B) in nations that are high in homogeneity
C) in nations that have high rates of immigration
D) across nations and within diverse nations

Question 46

Which of these options best describes the definition of worldview?

A) a natural outcome of biological urges
B) our way of describing the universe and life
C) the view of our own culture through which we place it above others
D) perceptions of the world through a political standpoint

Question 47

The authors of this text have agreed upon recognition of ideas and issues that pertain to culture's influence on human life. Which of the following best describes one of these ideas?

A) There are no universal strengths because they are manifested on an individual and cultural basis.
B) The values and goals that an individual has are not the result of cultural settings.
C) There is not enough evidence to support that psychological strengths are universal, because of cultural context.
D) There is a split among cultures between the pursuit of a better life and adapting to life's circumstances.

Question 48

Which of the following is something that marginalized groups can contribute to the study of culture within positive psychology?

A) more competent researchers and practitioners
B) monetary resources that can help fund research on culture
C) views on how to develop similarly to those in the majority culture
D) wisdom and experiences that pertains to developing resilience

Question 49

For Asian Americans, optimism was found to be negatively correlated with ______.

A) depression and anxiety
B) joyfulness
C) general psychological and physical symptoms
D) life satisfaction

Question 50

Which of the following best describes the underlying reason for the idea that positive psychology needs to be more attentive to specific interpretations of strengths?

A) Knowing specific interpretations helps researchers understand which interpretation is superior.
B) The definitions of strengths and virtues can be passed on to all citizens to increase multicultural competence.
C) An understanding of virtues allows researchers to know which society is lacking in the development of psychological strengths.
D) The meanings of strengths and virtues can be drastically different between cultures, and these differences are typically unexplored.

Question 51

The story of The Wise Man of the Gulf illustrates which principle?

A) relaxing at work as much as possible
B) becoming a respected member of the community
C) achieving financial security
D) having a full and happy life

Question 52

Which of the following is the best example of using a facet of culture to enhance personal strengths?

A) Attending church activities that emphasize the theme of resilience.
B) Using technology to make life tasks easier.
C) Completing puzzles and similar activities to foster relaxation.
D) Going out with friends to a bar to unwind from a long day.

Question 53

Satcher's report identified culture as a facet of life that needed to be accounted for in positive psychology.

Question 54

Which of the following statements is true regarding how cultures view the construct of wisdom?

A) Americans from the majority culture tend to view wisdom as both as affective and cognitive in nature.
B) People from Eastern cultures tend to view wisdom only as subjective in nature.
C) People from all over the world overview the construct of wisdom as affective in nature.
D) Americans from the majority culture tend to view wisdom only as cognitive in nature.

Question 55

What idea was supported by the study on the use of coping strategies across cultures?

A) Coping strategies are not useful for understanding life outcomes.
B) The use of coping strategies largely depends on someone's income.
C) People who use coping strategies more often are likely to recommend them to people from other cultures.
D) There needs to be caution when assuming there are universal benefits to using similar coping strategies.

Question 56

What is a moral vision, as described by John Chambers Christopher in his article Situating Positive Psychology?

A) The sense of morality that one envisions themselves abiding by over their lifetime.
B) A set of assumptions about a person's nature or self, and a set of moral or ethical assumptions about what the person should become.
C) Someone's guiding principle for how they view their own actions while comparing their behavior to the actions of others.
D) A person's perception about acceptable behaviors based on whether they understand right or wrong.

Question 57

What are the five factors of the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ)?

A) cultural empathy, open-mindedness, emotional stability, initiative, and flexibility
B) cultural acceptance, open-mindedness, emotional stability, initiative, and flexibility
C) cultural empathy, mindfulness, emotional stability, cooperation, and flexibility
D) cultural acceptance, open-mindedness, social economic stability, initiative, and flexibility

Question 58

The four coping strategies that seem to be valued equally by health caregivers in most cultures are identified as taking action, utilizing social support, cognitively reappraising life situations, and ______.

A) the use of substances such as alcohol
B) denying the health problem and demands or avoiding thinking about it
C) prolonged prayer sessions
D) seeking out therapeutic services within one's community

Question 59

In regard to understanding the self and promoting subjective well-being, why is there be a risk of pathologizing non-Western individuals?

A) Non-Western individuals have little understanding of well-being.
B) Researchers have found that non-Western individuals do not adequately promote understanding of the self.
C) Non-Western individuals may be viewed through the Western perspective of the self.
D) Those from non-Western cultures have strengths that are viewed as weaknesses.

Question 60

Researches examine a group of people who are satisfied by meeting basic needs, such as having food and shelter. Which of the following concepts are these researchers trying to understand?

A) The connection between people's livelihood and the resources they can afford.
B) The relationship between obtaining necessities and intelligence test scores.
C) The cultural factors that influence individual views on what represents the good life.
D) The influence of the hierarchy of needs on people's ability to grow.

Question 61

A study on African-American well-being showed that there is no relationship between racial pride and well-being.

Question 62

Those who adhered to the genetically deficient perspective believed that people who were deemed inferior were unable to benefit from growth opportunities.

Question 63

Positive psychology has been shown to have had a bias toward individualistic cultural values.

Question 64

What have studies on the cultural differences between constructs demonstrated about understanding the context of culture on research and practice?

Question 65

People's views of the good life begin to develop during late adulthood.

Question 66

Researchers and practitioners currently hold the culturally pluralistic view, which emphasizes interpreting behaviors within the context of culture.

Question 67

Chang's study on pessimism in White and Asian American cultures exemplifies the importance of studying construct equivalence.

Question 68

Multicultural personality allows for predictions of cultural adjustment and life outcomes.

Question 69

Describe how the research and treatment of non-privileged individuals resulted in the implication by several critics that positive psychology had failed to account for culture both in research and practice.

Question 70

Explain how researchers have begun to understand how strengths are manifested across cultures and within cultures, using examples such as studies on optimism or the factors that contribute to well-being.

Question 71

Explain the differences in the definition and application of the genetically deficient and culturally deficient views.

Question 72

Individuals in Western cultures view harmony as an important component of happiness.

Question 73

The culturally different perspective proposes that differences among people was due to the degree to which people were exposed to White American culture.

Question 74

Cultural traits can be universal, but research shows that traits manifest themselves differently across cultures.

Question 75

Constructs such as hope can predict various traits or outcomes, and the predictors are consistent across cultures.

Question 76

Discuss how worldviews contribute to individual perspectives on the "good life."

Question 77

Persons in majority groups are more likely to be pathologized than those in minority groups because the majority group is the one that has been studied by psychologists.

Question 78

Researchers can use both qualitative and quantitative studies to understand the development and manifestation of constructs in various cultures.

Question 79

The authors note that although constructs are valued differently across cultures they are utilized and manifested similarly.