Foundations of Multicultural Psychology
Psychology studies behavior, thoughts, and emotions. What are two ways culture can influence these areas?
Culture can shape emotional expression (e.g., suppressing or openly showing emotions) and influence thinking patterns (e.g., holistic vs. analytical reasoning)
Who was the first African American to earn a PhD in psychology?
Francis Sumner
What is the difference between race and ethnicity?
Race is based on physical traits, while ethnicity includes culture, language, and traditions
What are the three components of emotion?
Physiological response (body reaction), behavioral expression (facial/body cues), and cognitive appraisal (interpretation)
What is ethnocentrism, and why is it a problem in psychology?
Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own culture is superior, leading to biased psychological research and misunderstandings
What is multicultural psychology, and why is it important?
Multicultural psychology is the systematic study of behavior, cognition, and affect across various cultures (intersecting cultures!)
What did the Clark Doll Study reveal about racism’s impact on children?
Black children often preferred White dolls, showing the effects of racism on self-esteem and internalized bias
How does individualism vs. collectivism shape identity and behavior?
Individualism prioritizes independence and personal achievement, while collectivism values group harmony and shared responsibilities.
What is the difference between locus of control vs locus of responsibility?
Locus of control: the focus of control over outcomes of one’s life, be it internal or external control.
Locus of responsibility: the focus of responsibility for one’s position in life, be it internal feelings of responsibility or external, societal responsibility.
What is the difference between an independent self-construal and an interdependent self-construal?
Independent self emphasizes autonomy and personal goals; interdependent self prioritizes relationships and social harmony
How is multicultural psychology different from cross-cultural psychology?
Multicultural psychology examines how culture influences individuals within diverse societies, focusing on issues like identity, discrimination, and mental health disparities. Cross-cultural psychology, on the other hand, compares psychological processes across different cultures to identify similarities and differences.
What is eugenics, and how was it misused in psychology?
Eugenics falsely claimed that some races were genetically superior and was used to justify discrimination and exclusion
What is relational mobility, and how does it vary across cultures?
It refers to how easily people form and leave relationships—higher in individualistic cultures, lower in collectivistic cultures.
What is emotion regulation, and how does it differ across cultures?
Emotion regulation is how people manage emotions—Western cultures focus on personal coping (e.g., reappraisal), while Eastern cultures emphasize emotional suppression for social balance
What is a hybrid identity, and how does it develop?
A hybrid identity blends multiple cultural influences, often shaped by migration, globalization, or bicultural experiences
What is the difference between etic and emic approaches in cultural psychology?
Etic looks for universal psychological processes across cultures; emic focuses on cultural-specific behaviors and experiences.
How did psychologists of color challenge racism and bias in early psychology?
They challenged racial biases in intelligence testing, studied cultural identity, and developed theories that better reflected diverse experiences.
What does Hofstede’s cultural value framework help explain?
It describes how cultures differ in values like individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity/femininity
What are the Vertical and Horizontal Dimensions?
Horizontal Dimension: Features minimal power distance; individuals are at or near the same level.
Vertical Dimension: Involves significant power distance and hierarchical structures.
Explain what is the, Sociocentric, Ecocentric, and Cosmocentric Self
Sociocentric Self: Rooted in community, relational roles, and ancestry.
Ecocentric Self: Strong connection to nature and the environment.
Cosmocentric Self: Embedded in spiritual and cosmic orders.
What does the Multicultural Counseling and Therapy (MCT) theory emphasize?
Multicultural Counseling and Therapy (MCT) emphasizes that an individual’s identity is shaped by multiple cultural influences and that psychological treatment must be adapted to these cultural contexts.
What are some key contributions from psychologists of color, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ psychologists to multicultural psychology?
Many scholars helped make psychology more inclusive:
Explain the basic concepts of the Life Course Perspective
Cohort – A group of people born around the same time who experience historical and social events together (e.g., Millennials, Baby Boomers).
Transition – A change in social roles or status, such as starting school, getting a job, or becoming a parent.
Trajectory – A long-term pattern of stability and change in life, shaped by multiple transitions (e.g., a career path or family life).
Life Event – A significant occurrence that can impact someone’s life, such as a divorce, migration, or the death of a loved one.
Turning Point – A specific life event or experience that causes a major shift in a person’s trajectory, such as surviving a serious illness or moving to a new country.
Explain the differences between idiocentrism and allocentrism, and what are countercultural individuals
Idiocentrism – individualistic tendencies that reside within an individual. Individualism refers to the society, whereas idiocentrism refers to an individual.
Allocentrism – collectivistic tendencies that reside within an individual. Collectivism refers to the society, whereas allocentrism refers to an individual.
Countercultural individuals – idiocentric individuals residing in a collectivistic culture, or allocentric individuals residing in an individualistic culture.
What does "double consciousness" mean, and who introduced it?
W.E.B. Du Bois’ concept that Black individuals in the U.S. must balance their cultural identity with how society perceives them.