Ethnopsychological Method and the Psychological Assessment of Mexican Americans

Abstract

This article reviews the theoretical and methodological development of ethnopsychology, which is founded on the principle that distinct cultural groups share basic common beliefs and values that differentiate them psychologically from other cultural groups. The distinctness of a cultural group is rooted in a series of historical, sociocultural experiences and perceptions of oneself and the group as a whole. The development of ethnopsychology is summarized through the contributions of Rogelio Diaz-Guerrero and his early exploration of the fundamental premises and tenets that guide ethnopsychological theory and method. The contributions of other theorists, focusing on the uniqueness of bicultural/bilingual groups such as Mexican Americans, are also summarized. The author supports the application of ethnopsychological theory and method to enhance psychologists' understanding of bilingual/bicultural groups in the United States. Specifically, she reviews current psychological assessment methods and their ethnopsychological adaptation for Mexican Americans.

Anthropological and Psychological Merge: Design of a Stress Measure for Mexican Farmworkers

“…While the techniques used for Spanish translation of the DSI and DASS-21 offer a sound approach for items to be used among various groups of Spanish-speaking people, sheer focus on translation and terminology may limit the ability of the scale to understand and measure deeply rooted causes of stress that are culturally defined among distinct groups (Hilton and Skrutkowski 2002). Ethnopsychology literature, which combines anthropological and psychological theory, emphasizes that humans acquire patterns of behavior regarding stress that are characteristic of the cultural contexts in which they live (Berry et al 2002;Gutierrez 2002). Behaviors regarding stress, then, must be measured not only with sensitivity to language, but also with concern for the behavioral and causal context in which one characterizes stress.…”

“…The difficult, uncertain lifestyle of Mexican immigrant farmworkers is further exacerbated by substandard, inadequate access to health care. This is particularly true in the area of mental health (Gutierrez 2002;Rogler 1996;Sue and Chu 2003). The deficiency in proper psychiatric treatment for this group is, perhaps, linked to a lack of a cultural understanding of stress in this population (Gutierrez 2002).…”

“…This is particularly true in the area of mental health (Gutierrez 2002;Rogler 1996;Sue and Chu 2003). The deficiency in proper psychiatric treatment for this group is, perhaps, linked to a lack of a cultural understanding of stress in this population (Gutierrez 2002). Considerable research has shown that there is a relationship among ethnicity, culture, and stress (Baer et al 2003;Berry et al 2002;Brown et al 2003;Cervantes and Lechuga 2004;Guarnaccia et al 2003;Gutierrez 2002;Perilla et al 2002;Rogler 1996;Sue and Chu 2003).…”

“…This is especially true among Mexican immigrant farmworkers. Gutierrez (2002) states that distinct cultural groups have basic common beliefs and values that differentiate them psychologically from other groups. Cultural values and beliefs, therefore, should play a crucial role in mental health assessment.…”