An Etic Approach in Psychology
IB Psychology Sociocultural Approach

Travis DixonSocial and Cultural Psychology

This post explains the etic approach to research in simple, bite-sized chunks.

In this post you’ll learn:

  • What is an etic approach?
  • How is it used in psychology?
  • Why is it used in psychology?
  • Practice Questions
  • Exam Tips

What is an etic approach?

An etic approach to research is when psychologists study cross-cultural similarities (and differences) in behaviour. They are interested in what’s true for all humans around the world, not just in specific cultures. This involves gathering cross-cultural data and making comparisons.

IB Definition: “Etic perspective/approach: Research that studies cultures or groups from an outsider’s perspective, often using universal criteria that apply across cultures. It aims to identify common behaviours and make comparisons.” (IB Guide pg. 64). 

For example, one famous cross-cultural study on mate preference gathered data from over 10,000 people across 30 countries. The researchers were using an etic approach to see if there were similarities in male and female mate preferences across cultures (Read More).

How is an etic approach used? 

An etic approach uses methods that can be applied consistently across different cultures. The following three considerations allow them to do this:

  • Quantitative questionnaires
  • Back translation 
  • Large sample size

Quantitative Questionnaires

When using an etic approach, the researchers need quantitative data to make comparisons across cultures. This is because the data can be calculated and analysed numerically (in numbers), which allows for a direct comparison. An example would be using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure stress. This questionnaire gives a score out of 40. The higher the score the more stressed someone is. By calculating average scores of two (or more) different cultures, researchers can make direct comparisons.

Back Translation 

It’s important the questionnaire is standardised and consistent across cultures. If not, the validity of the data is weakened. However, this becomes a problem when the same questionnaire is being used in different languages. This is where translation and back translation are useful. The first step is for the questionnaire to be translated. For example, the PSS might be translated from English to Swahili. The questionnaire is then given to a second translator who back-translates it – they take it from Swahili and translate back to English. The researchers compare the back-translated questionnaire to their original to see if they’re the same. If they are, they can trust the translation. If not, they can repeat the process until they get consistency.

Large Sample Size 

One final consideration is sample size – how many people are in the study. The goal of an etic approach is to identify similarities and differences in behaviours across cultures. This means we’re making conclusions about large groups of people. In order to do this, we need a large sample size. This will increase the chances that the sample is representative of the entire culture being studied.

Exam Tip: The rule of three is an excellent guideline for SAQs and ASAQs in Paper 1. If you’re asked to describe or explain an etic approach in an exam answer, aim to include these three points.

 

Back translation is an important process in etic studies that span different languages.

Why is an etic approach used?

Etic approaches are used to identify universal human behaviours. This is important because historically most psychological research has been done in Western countries (like America, England and Germany). Just because patterns of behaviour have been identified in these cultures, it doesn’t mean they’re universal. Conducting cross-cultural research allows psychologists to assess the generalisability of their discoveries.

An etic approach can also help uncover potential causes of human behaviour. More specifically, they help compare the effects of biology and culture on behaviour. For example, if behaviour is similar across cultures, it suggests a biological influence. For instance, in Buss’s cross-cultural study on mate preference, they found that men around the world have similar preferences. In particular, they preferred younger women and good looks were important. Because this was similar across cultures, it supports an evolutionary explanation for this behaviour.

If cross-cultural differences are discovered using an etic approach it suggests that culture might be the stronger influence. In Buss’s same study, there was a difference in the importance of chastity when comparing men from collectivistic cultures and those from individualistic cultures. This difference suggests it might be their different cultural values that are influencing this behaviour.

NB: IB Psychology students do not need to evaluate the use of an etic (or emic) approach. The learning objective for “Etic approach” is now “The use of the etic approach in researching human behaviour.” This has changed from the original outcome which was “The limitations of etic approaches to researching human behaviour.”

 

The study of mate preference works well for exam questions on etic and emic approaches. See our unit on “Couples” for more on this.

Practice Questions for IB Psychology Exams

The topic “Etic approach” is in the sociocultural approach to understand human behaviour. This means it could be asked as a short answer question (SAQ) in Paper 1.

Section A SAQS

  • Explain the use of an etic approach to researching human behaviour.*

*Remember you need to explain the topic and an example.

Section B ASAQ

Topics from the three approaches will be the basis of the applied SAQs in Section B. These require you to use your knowledge of the approach topics and apply it to a new problem or scenario. The problem or scenario will be relevant to one of the four contexts (Health, Relationships, Cognition or Development).

Here’s a brief version of the types of exam questions you could be asked on this topic:

  • Explain how an etic approach could be used to study…
    • …cultural differences in the prevalence rates of one health problem.
    • …the role of stress in one or more health problems.
    • …theory of mind.
    • …enculturation of social norms.
    • …the role of communication/language in interpersonal relationships.
    • …cultural factors in cognitive processes.

Note that the exam question will (hopefully) have a more detailed summary of the scenario or problem. This will give you some more guidance and ideas on how to use your knowledge of the etic approach.

Exam Tips

  1. SAQ: Review three key content points to explain for the etic approach in research (see above- How is an etic approach used?)
  2. SAQ Example: Buss’s cross-cultural study is a good real study to use for this topic (Link). Alternatively, you could choose a favourite topic of yours from the course and devise your own hypothetical etic research study that could investigate that topic.
  3. ASAQs: The etic and emic approach topics are highly relevant to Section B ASAQs (not all topics are). They are good to use as practice for this question.

 

References

APA Dictionary of Psychology: etic (source)

Dixon, T. (2025). IB Psychology: A student’s guide (2nd ed.). Themantic Education (source)

Etics. (n.d.). In ScienceDirect Topics. Elsevier. Retrieved February 3, 2026, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/etics

Helfrich, H.. (1999). Beyond the Dilemma of Cross-Cultural Psychology: Resolving the Tension between Etic and Emic Approaches. Culture & Psychology, 5(2), 131–153. doi:10.1177/1354067×9952002