etic

adj.

1. denoting an approach to the study of human cultures based on concepts or constructs that are held to be universal and applicable cross-culturally. Such an approach would generally be of the kind associated with ethnology rather than ethnography. The term is sometimes used critically of studies or perspectives that aspire to objectivity but succeed only in defining social behaviors in terms of the researcher’s own cultural values. Compare emic. [introduced by U.S. linguist Kenneth Pike (1912–2000); first used in anthropology by U.S. cultural anthropologist Marvin Harris (1927–2001)]

2. in linguistics, see emic–etic distinction.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

December 22nd 2024

regret theory

a model of decision making that states that people’s fear of, and previous experience with, regretting poor choices plays a large role in motivating or deterring their behavior in situations involving uncertainty. For example, a person who regrets buying, on the advice of a good friend, a used car that subsequently requires expensive repairs likely will disregard the friend’s advice in the future in order to avoid the potential for similar regret. Within this framework, regret is considered to have two distinct components—the wish that one had chosen differently and the self-recrimination involved in believing one made an error in judgment. Associated with behavioral economics, regret theory is a parallel to prospect theory. See also anticipatory regret. [originally proposed in 1982 by British economists Graham C. Loomes (1950– ) and Robert Sugden (1949– )]