Multicultural Psychology – Exam # 2 Study Guide

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards for understanding key concepts in Multicultural Psychology, focusing on socialization, identity, perception, cognition, and emotion across cultures.

Socialization

The process by which individuals learn the norms, values, behaviors, roles, and social expectations of their culture.

Socialization is the mechanism that

transmits culture and shapes personality and identity

Example of socialization

A child learns “please” and “thank you.” In one culture this shows politeness; in another, respect is shown by bowing

Agents of Socialization

Major influences on individual socialization, including family, peers, schools, media, and community.

Key Agents of Socialization

Family, Peers, schools, media, community, and religion

Family (Agents of Socialization)

Most influential; transmits language, values, and traditions.

Examples of Family (Agents of Socialization)

Asian American families emphasize filial piety; Euro-American families emphasize individualism.

Peers (Agents of Socialization)

Reinforce or challenge norms, especially during adolescence.

Examples of Peers (Agents of Socialization)

Latino teens balance familismo (family loyalty) with peer culture.

Schools and Media (Agents of Socialization)

Teach dominant values through a hidden curriculum that often reflects mainstream (White, middle-class) perspectives.

Community and Religion (Agents of Socialization)

Provide moral frameworks and group identity.

Individualistic cultures

Stress autonomy and self-expression (U.S., Western Europe).

Collectivistic cultures

Emphasize interdependence and group harmony (East Asia, Latin America).

Socialization Across Cultures Example

A U.S. child is praised for being unique; in Japan, for fitting in well.

Self-Identity

The set of traits, roles, and affiliations that define who we are. It is not fixed; it develops through social interaction and cultural experience.

Dimensions of Identity

Personal Identity, Social Identity, Cultural Identity

Personal Identity

Individual traits and experiences.

Social Identity

Group memberships (race, gender, religion); based on Social Identity Theory.

Cultural Identity

Connection to cultural traditions, language, and heritage.

Example of Cultural Identity

African American identity shaped by resilience and cultural pride.

Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory Core Idea

People derive part of their self-esteem from group memberships.

Three Process Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory

1. Social Categorization – Classifying self and others into groups

2. Social Identification – Adopting group identity

3. Social Comparison – Comparing one’s group with others

Outcome of Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory

Group pride and positive self-concept; can also lead to prejudice.

Example of Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory

Pride in a cultural club or sports team rivalry.

Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Identity

Independent Self & Interdependent Self

Independent Self

Defined by personal traits and achievements (common in individualistic cultures).

Interdependent Self

Defined by roles and relationships (common in collectivistic cultures).

Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Identity Example

A U.S. student says “my success,” while a Chinese student says “our family’s success.”

What key socialization processes occur in childhood?

Learning language, respect, and gender roles

What key socialization processes occur in Adolescence?

Identity exploration (Erikson’s Identity vs. Role Confusion).

Minority youth often experience

dual socialization

How does identity typically change in adulthood?

Identity stabilizes but evolves through career, migration, and family life.

What is a key focus of socialization in later life?

Passing down traditions and maintaining cultural continuity.

Why do identity models and frameworks matter?

• Explain how culture and race shape identity.

• Help professionals understand clients’ identity development.

• Recognize that people navigate multiple cultural frameworks.

Acculturation

Cultural and psychological change from contact with another culture.

What two questions guide Berry’s Acculturation Model?

1. Should I keep my heritage culture?

2. Should I engage with the dominant culture?

four acculturation strategies

Assimilation, Separation, Integration, and Marginalization

Assimilation

Adopt dominant culture, drop heritage.

Separation

Maintain heritage, reject dominant.

Integration

Blend both (best outcomes).

Marginalization

Disconnect from both.

Example of integration strategy?

A Mexican American speaks Spanish at home, English at school (integration).

Cross’s Nigrescence Model (1971)

Describes the process of becoming Black — developing racial pride and resilience.

Five Stages of Cross’s Nigrescence Model

1. Pre-Encounter – Devaluing Black identity

2. Encounter – Experience of racism sparks change

3. Immersion/Emersion – Embracing Black identity, rejecting dominant culture

4. Internalization – Secure racial identity

5. Commitment – Advocacy and activism

Importance of Cross’s Nigrescence Model

Demonstrated that racial identity develops dynamically in response to racism.

Helms’s White Racial Identity Model (1990)

Explains how White individuals become aware of privilege and racism.

stages of Helms’s White Racial Identity Model

Contact → Disintegration → Reintegration → Pseudo-Independence → Immersion/Emersion → Autonomy

How is Helms’s White Racial Identity Model used?

Used in counseling and education to promote anti-racist awareness.

focus of Phinney’s Model of Ethnic Identity (1990–1992)

How youth develop ethnic identity.

Stages of Phinney’s Model of Ethnic Identity

1. Unexamined Identity →

2. Search/Moratorium →

3. Achieved Identity

Unexamined Identity

Little interest in ethnicity

Search/Moratorium

Active exploration (often triggered by bias)

Achieved Identity

Secure and confident sense of ethnicity

Example of ethnic identity exploration

Latino adolescents exploring both heritage and American identity.

Sue & Sue’s Racial/Cultural Identity Development (R/CID) Model

Describes how minorities navigate identity in a dominant White society.

Stages of Sue & Sue’s Racial/Cultural Identity Development (R/CID) Model

Conformity→Dissonance→ Resistance and immersion→ Introspection→ Integrative Awareness

Conformity

Devaluing own culture

Dissonance

Questioning beliefs

Resistance & Immersion

Rejecting dominant culture

Introspection

Seeking flexibility

Integrative Awareness

Balanced identity and social justice commitment

Kimberlé Crenshaw

Introduced Intersectionality Framework in 1989

Intersectionality Framework

Emphasizes that identity is shaped by the intersection of multiple social categories (e.g., race, gender, class).

Example of Intersectionality Framework

A Latina woman’s experiences cannot be understood by gender or ethnicity alone.

Identity Conflict in Multicultural Contexts

These experiences may cause stress but can also lead to stronger, integrated identities. (Identity conflict, Bicultural conflict, Code-switching, Stereotype threat)

Identity conflict

Tension when aspects of identity clash.

Bicultural conflict

Navigating between two cultural worlds.

Code-switching

Adjusting behavior or language by context.

Stereotype threat

Fear of confirming negative stereotypes; can harm performance.

Counseling and Therapy - Practical Applications

Use culturally informed approaches to address identity conflict and
bicultural stress.

Education - Practical Applications

Employ culturally relevant teaching to validate students’ identities.

Policy and Research - Practical Applications

Recognize how systemic inequality shapes identity and opportunity.

Immigrant Families

Children often act as cultural brokers, translating for parents (creates stress but builds resilience).

African American Racial socialization

Teaching pride in heritage (e.g., celebrating Black history).

African American Bias awareness

Preparing children for discrimination and coping strategies.

Socialization

transmits culture and shapes personality and identity

Identity is multidimensional

personal, social, and cultural

Cultural context

shapes how people define and express themselves

Multicultural psychology highlights

challenges (e.g., bias, stereotype threat) and strengths (e.g., bicultural competence)

Effective practice

requires cultural humility and recognition of diverse identity pathways

Culture

shared meanings, practices, and institutions that guide how people perceive, think, feel, and act

Culture is

dynamic (changes over time), multilayered (macro to micro), and intersectional (e.g., ethnicity × gender × class × immigration status)

Independent self-view

self as unique and autonomous (common in North America, Western Europe)

Interdependent self-view

self as connected and relational (common in East Asian, Latinx, African, and Indigenous contexts)

Independent & Interdependent self-view

These self-views influence attention, memory, and emotional goals.

Ecocultural and sociocultural factors

(ecology, institutions, shared practices) jointly shape perception, cognition, and emotion

Perception

interpreting sensory information—what we notice and how we make sense of it

Cognition

thinking, memory, reasoning, decision-making

Emotion

physiological, cognitive, and expressive responses shaped by cultural rules and goals

Perception is

influenced by cultural schemas and stereotypes

Stereotypes

generalized beliefs that bias perception

Examples of Stereotypes

Black men’s neutral expressions perceived as angry. Asian Americans perceived as “foreign.”

Implications of Stereotypes

misinterpretations by teachers, police, or clinicians

Analytic attention

focus on focal objects and details (field independent)

Holistic attention

focus on relationships and context (field dependent)

Example of Holistic and Analytic attention

Nisbett’s Fishtank Study: U.S. participants described the main fish (analytic). Japanese participants described the entire scene (holistic).

Implication of Attention

what “stands out” depends on cultural attention habits—affecting eyewitness and clinical judgments

Linguistic relativity

language influences habitual thought and perception

Example 1 – Color terms

English: one word for “blue.” Russian: separate words for light vs. dark blue → faster shade discrimination.

Example 2 – Spatial terms

English: egocentric (“left/right”).

Guugu Yimithirr (Australia): absolute (“north/south”).

Speakers maintain cardinal orientation constantly.