Multicultural Psychology: Culture, Communication, Research & Acculturation

Multicultural psychology

Systematic study of behavior where people from different backgrounds encounter one another; behavior is understood in cultural context.

Culture

Learned and shared values, beliefs, practices, meanings, and ways of interpreting the world.

Race

A racial category shaped by social and historical processes; not a simple fixed biological explanation for behavior.

Ethnicity

Group identity linked to shared ancestry, history, language, culture, or traditions.

Diversity

Differences among people and groups, including language, gender, religion, ability, culture, and socioeconomic position.

Worldview

Assumptions and perspectives through which a person interprets the world.

Surface structure

Visible cultural features such as food, clothing, holidays, and outward practices.

Deep structure

Underlying cultural meanings, values, beliefs, and assumptions.

Scientific racism

Using purported scientific evidence to assert or justify biological hierarchies among human groups.

Eugenics

Efforts to influence reproduction based on supposedly desirable hereditary traits; historically used for coercive and discriminatory policies.

Biopsychosocial model

Explains behavior through interacting biological, psychological, and social influences.

Biological factors

Health, physiology, and other bodily processes that may affect an experience.

Psychological factors

Thoughts, emotions, beliefs, learning, and coping.

Social factors

Family, relationships, institutions, discrimination, resources, culture, and community.

Intersectionality

Interacting identities and systems of power can produce distinctive experiences not explained by examining identities separately.

Equality

Providing the same resources or treatment.

Equity

Addressing different needs and barriers to create a fair opportunity.

Cross-cultural psychology

Often compares cultures to study similarities, differences, and possible universals; use the precise course definition.

Cultural psychology

Examines how psychological processes are shaped by a particular culture's meanings and practices.

Multicultural psychology vs. cultural psychology

Multicultural psychology emphasizes behavior and interaction in settings where people from different backgrounds encounter one another; cultural psychology emphasizes culture-specific shaping of psychological processes.

Quantitative research

Numerical measurement and statistical analysis used to estimate patterns or test relationships.

Qualitative research

Interviews, observations, open-ended responses, and interpretation used to understand meaning and experience.

Logical positivism

Emphasis on observable evidence, measurement, and testable claims.

WEIRD

Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic.

Why is WEIRD sampling a concern?

Findings from a narrow sample may be treated as universal without evidence that they generalize.

Representative sample

A sample that adequately reflects the population relevant to the research question.

Generalizability

How reasonably findings can be applied beyond the studied sample and setting.

Linguistic equivalence

The wording and language meaning of a measure are comparable.

Conceptual equivalence

The underlying concept has comparable meaning across cultures.

Functional equivalence

A behavior or measure serves a comparable purpose or function in each cultural context.

Metric equivalence

Measurement properties and score interpretations are comparable across groups.

Four equivalence memory cue

Linguistic = language; conceptual = concept/meaning; functional = function/purpose; metric = measurement/score comparability.

Does correct translation prove all equivalence types?

No. Correct wording does not establish conceptual, functional, or metric equivalence.

Bias in test usage

A problem in test selection, administration, application, or appropriateness for the population/purpose.

Bias of the test user

A problem in how the administrator or interpreter understands results or makes decisions from them.

Culturally responsive research

Checks whether the question, methods, sampling, language, interpretation, and participation fit the people and context.

Why are translators alone not enough for equitable research?

Translation alone does not ensure relevant concepts, fair sampling, appropriate methods, participation, or valid interpretation.

Emic approach

Studies a culture from within and investigates meanings important to its members.

Etic approach

Uses an outside or comparative perspective to identify patterns across cultures.

Imposed etic

Applies an outside concept or framework to another culture without checking whether it fits.

Individualism

Broad cultural orientation emphasizing personal autonomy and individual goals.

Collectivism

Broad cultural orientation emphasizing group relationships, obligations, and harmony.

Idiocentric

Individual-level tendency toward personal goals and independence.

Allocentric

Individual-level tendency toward group relationships and collective goals.

Collectivism vs. allocentrism

Collectivism is a broad cultural pattern; allocentrism is an individual-level tendency.

Time focus in Kluckhohn-Strodtbeck

Past, present, or future emphasis.

Human activity orientations

Being, being-and-becoming, and doing.

Social relation orientations

Lineal, collateral, and individualistic.

People-nature orientations

Subjugation to nature, harmony with nature, and mastery over nature.

Past orientation

Traditions and historical precedent strongly guide decisions.

Present orientation

Immediate circumstances and current needs receive priority.

Future orientation

Planning and anticipated outcomes guide behavior.

Being

Emphasis on one's state of being or expression of self.

Being-and-becoming

Emphasis on personal growth and developing potential.

Doing

Emphasis on action, accomplishment, and productivity.

Lineal orientation

Emphasis on hierarchy and ordered relationships.

Collateral orientation

Emphasis on consultation and relationships with family or peers.

Subjugation to nature

External or natural forces are regarded as dominant over people.

Harmony with nature

People seek balance with natural forces.

Mastery over nature

People seek to control or overcome natural forces.

Locus of control

Who or what controls outcomes?

Locus of responsibility

Who or what is responsible for a person's position in life?

IC-IR

Internal control and internal responsibility.

EC-IR

External control and internal responsibility.

EC-ER

External control and external responsibility.

IC-ER

Internal control and external responsibility.

IC-ER scenario cue

I have abilities, but external barriers limit what I can achieve.

EC-IR scenario cue

I have limited control, but I am responsible for my position.

Guilt

Often focuses on a specific action: 'I did something wrong.'

Shame

Often involves negative evaluation of the self or social standing.

Saving face

Maintaining dignity, respect, or social standing.

Losing face

Experiencing damage to dignity or social standing.

Face giving

Helping another person preserve or enhance social standing.

Direct communication

The message is stated explicitly in words.

Indirect communication

The message is conveyed through implication, context, subtle wording, or nonverbal cues.

High-context communication

Meaning depends substantially on shared knowledge, relationships, and circumstances.

Low-context communication

Meaning is conveyed more explicitly in the words themselves.

Direct vs. high-context

Direct/indirect describes how a message is expressed; high-/low-context describes how much meaning relies on context.

Kinesics

Body movement, gestures, and facial expressions.

Oculesics

Eye behavior and eye contact.

Haptics

Communication through touch.

Proxemics

Interpersonal distance and use of physical space.

Paralanguage

Vocal features beyond literal words, including pitch, tone, volume, rate, and silence.

Grice: Quantity

Provide an appropriate amount of information; too much or too little can violate the maxim.

Grice: Quality

Be truthful and use adequate evidence.

Grice: Relation

Be relevant to the conversation.

Grice: Manner

Be clear and orderly; avoid unnecessary obscurity.

Grice maxims memory cue

Quantity = amount; Quality = truth; Relation = relevance; Manner = clarity.

Native bilingualism

Bilingual development beginning early in life, according to course terminology.

Additive bilingualism

Learning another language while maintaining the first language.

Subtractive bilingualism

Learning another language while the first language weakens or is displaced.

Code switching

Alternating between languages or language varieties based on audience or context.

Code switching vs. subtractive bilingualism

Code switching is a language-use behavior; subtractive bilingualism is a language-development pattern where the first language weakens.

Choosing a group label

Use a person's preferred term when known; be specific, respectful, relevant, and avoid assuming one label fits everyone.

Immigrant

A person who moves to another country to live there; circumstances and ability to plan vary.

Refugee

A person who meets applicable refugee-protection criteria, generally involving persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution.

Asylum seeker

A person requesting protection whose asylum claim awaits determination.

Acculturation

Changes through contact with a different or dominant culture.

Enculturation

Learning and internalizing the norms, values, practices, and expectations of one's own cultural community.

Integrationist / bicultural

Maintains meaningful heritage-culture elements while participating in the receiving culture.