Value of cultural pluralism to the generalizability of psychological theories: A reexamination.

Abstract

The limited generalizability of psychological theories and hypotheses may stem, in part, from a restricted sampling of psychological theorists and investigators and hence from the homogeneity of their background assumptions, biases, and values. A cultural pluralism approach is recommended for the recruitment and training of socioculturally diverse psychologists, capable of conducting research in a wider variety of settings with a wider range of subjects.

Training for professional psychology: Science, practice, and identity.

“…Clinical training programs have neglected the contents of cross-cultural and multicultural psychology and have been deficient in the recruitment of ethnic minority persons into training programs (Isaac, 1985; Wyatt & Parham, 1982). At present, over 20% of the U.S. population consists of ethnic minorities, unevenly distributed geographically, but represented by only 11% of the psychology graduate student population (Kagehiro, Mejia, & Garcia, 1985). There is sufficient content across all areas of psychology—particularly perception, cognition, motivation, interpersonal interaction, and group dynamics—to justify regular cross-cultural psychology courses even for undergraduates (Triandis & Brislin, 1984).…”

“…However, there are also other reasons that address a scientific basis of practice and the quality of service for all persons. Knowledge about human beings that is culture specific may be erroneous; hence generalizability across cultures becomes an essential validation of psychological theory (Kagehiro et al, 1985). Nor should one minimize the potential for augmented understanding of clinical process that is afforded by professional encounter with persons who have different values, world views, and styles of interpersonal relations.…”

Ethnic minorities in the teaching of psychology.

“…The legal imperative asserts that treatment of culturally diverse clients by a practitioner without certified crosscultural credentials would be a violation of the clients' civil rights. Kagehiro et al (1985) added another dimension: the inclusion of cultural pluralistic training curricula. The authors argued that generalizability may be sacrificed at different stages in the research process because one has not taken into consideration cultural variables.…”

“…Two pieces of information were thought to be important to minority student recruitment-the description of ethnic minority training opportunities and the use of special admission criteria for ethnic minorities. Kagehiro, Mejia, & Garcia (1985), in their advocacy to promote diversity, list seven short-and three long-term recruitment strategies. The short-term strategies include contacting universities with large ethnic minority undergraduate populations, contacting ethnic associations, having the departmental recruitment committee develop liaisons with other recruitment committees either on campus or with other universities, advertising in ethnic minority publications, using student locator services, using a multiple institution graduate application process, and contacting community agencies employing ethnic minorities in mental health or related occupations.…”

Making a case for training in ethnic and cultural diversity in increasing treatment efficacy.

“…Thus, traditional psychological theories that have limited application to those who differ from the prototype of European-American, middle-class men, and the research and practice models that have emerged from these theories, must be re-examined. According to Kagehiro, Mejia, and Garcia (1985), among others, external validity is seriously threatened in research in which the theory development and hypothesis formation primarily reflects the perspectives of majority culture. Furthermore, a science built on a body of knowledge that has not examined limitations in generalizability is “inherently flawed” and “necessarily limited” (Stricker, 1993, p. 89).…”