Multicultural Psychology: Exam 1 Study Guide - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key concepts from the Multicultural Psychology lecture notes.

Culture

Shared beliefs, values, norms, practices, and artifacts passed across generations.

Values

what’s good/bad, right/wrong.

Norms

standards for expected behavior

Psychology historically universalist

overlooked culture; now recognizes behavior is
culturally embedded

Why Culture Matters in Psychology

Culture, Values, Norms

Subculture

smaller cultural group (e.g., teens, hip-hop, Italian-Americans)

Nationality

political citizenship (e.g., Canadian, Kenyan)

Ethnicity

Shared cultural traits and ancestry (e.g., Han Chinese, Navajo).

Race

socially constructed based on perceived physical traits

Racism

assigning value/power by race; systemic discrimination

Key Cultural Variables

subculture, nationality, ethnicity, race, and racism

Cultural Psychology

How culture shapes thought, emotion, and behavior.

Cross-Cultural Psychology

compares cultures (etic/universal vs. emic/culture-specific).

Multicultural Psychology

how multiple groups interact in same society; focuses on equity,
discrimination, acculturation, identity

Branches of Cultural Psychology

Cultural psychology, cross-cultural psychology, and multicultural psychology

Why is decolonizing psychology important?

Counters colonial legacy, challenges WEIRD dominance, includes local knowledge & marginalized voices.

WEIRD samples

Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic

Consequences of Colonial Legacy & Decolonizing Psychology

pathologizing cultural differences (e.g., biased intelligence tests)

Decolonizing Psychology Movement

Draws from postcolonial thinkers and advocates local knowledge, cultural humility, inclusion of marginalized voices

Indigenous Psychologies

Responses to cultural imperialism

Responses to cultural imperialism

Afrocentric psychology (communalism, spirituality), Māori psychology (holistic, spiritual + physical), Chicano/Latino (familismo, respeto, bicultural identity), Native American (storytelling, land, intergenerational healing), African American psychology (affirm identity, address trauma, promote resilience)

Afrocentric psychology

communalism + spirituality

Māori psychology

holistic, spiritual + physical

Chicano/Latino psychology

familismo, respeto, bicultural identity

Native American psychology

storytelling, land, intergenerational healing

African American psychology

Affirm identity, address trauma, promote resilience

Clinical Application

DSM-5 Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) → assesses role of identity,
community, religion

Social/Developmental Application

parenting, attachment, self, motivation, emotions shaped by culture

Applications

Clinical and Social/Developmental

Core Concepts of Multicultural Psychology

Cultural Relativism, Ethnocentrism, Emic vs. Etic

Cultural Relativism

judge within culture’s context

Ethnocentrism

viewing own culture as standard

Emic vs. Etic

culture-specific vs. universal

Traditional psychology

individual-focused, WEIRD samples

Ecological Model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979)

You cannot understand a child without their environment.

Microsystem

Immediate relationships (family, peers).

Mesosystem

links between microsystems (school ↔ home)

Exosystem

Indirect environments (parents’ job, media).

Macrosystem

Cultural values, laws, ideologies.

Chronosystem

historical time (e.g., Civil Rights era)

Key Point (Ecological Model)

individuals are nested in cultural, social, structural layers.

Intersectionality

Overlapping identities (race, gender, class, sexuality) create unique experiences; concept by Crenshaw (1989).

Who developed the concept of intersectionality?

Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989)

Intersectionality Example

Black women face racism + sexism simultaneously, not separately

Interlocking oppressions

Racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism

Principles of Intersectional Model

Multiplicity of identity, Interlocking oppressions (racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism), and Privilege and marginalization can coexist

Applications of Intersectional Model

Latina lesbian → unique discrimination in both cultural & LGBTQ spaces. African American trans women → experience racism + transphobia simultaneously; healthcare disparities, higher mental health risks.

Ecological vs Intersectional models

Ecological = structure/environment (“where”). Intersectional = overlapping identities/power (“who/how”).

Ecological and Intersectional models

comprehensive, multi-level + multi-identity framework

Why Multicultural Psychology Frameworks Matter

Prevents stereotyping and Pushes psychology toward fairness, accuracy, and justice.

Goals of Research

Describe, Predict, Understand, Apply (DPUA)

Description

define/classify

Prediction

find correlations

Understanding

identify causes

Application

create change, improve lives

Research Methods

Quantitative, Qualitative, Mixed Methods

Quantitative Methods

numbers/statistics (surveys, scales, experiments)

Examples of Quantitative Methods

Central tendency, Strength, Challenge

Central Tendency

mode, median, and mean.

Strength

generalizability

Qualitative Methods

lived experiences (interviews, focus groups, ethnographies)

What is Qualitative Methods good for?

Good for hard-to-measure concepts (e.g., trauma, stigma) + Captures cultural meanings that numbers miss.

Mixed Methods

combines both (qualitative and quantitative) → “gold standard.”

Topics in Multicultural Research

Acculturation, Prejudice & Discrimination, Identity Development, Biculturalism & Multiracial, Microaggressions, Mental Health Disparities

Acculturation

adapting to new culture (retain heritage vs. assimilate).

Prejudice & Discrimination

how bias impacts health, education, work

Identity Development

forming racial/ethnic identity

Biculturalism & Multiracial Identity

navigating multiple cultures

Microaggressions

everyday subtle slights (e.g., “Your English is so good!”)

Mental Health Disparities

unequal access, stigma in some cultures

Challenges in Multicultural Research

Ethnocentrism, Context Misunderstanding, Language/Translation Issues, Representation Bias

Ethnocentrism

Interpreting others behaviors through one's own cultural lens.

Context Misunderstanding

misreading cultural behaviors (e.g., eye contact norms differ)

Language/Translation Issues

back-translation needed to avoid distortion.

Representation Bias

minority voices underrepresented

Example of culturally sensitive adaptation?

Translate/back-translate surveys, validate tools for each group, use respectful labels (e.g., Inuit not “Eskimo”)

Translate/Back-Translate

Process to ensure linguistic equivalence of measures across cultures.

Validate tools

Confirm reliability and validity of instruments for each group.

Emerging/minority groups

Include groups like MENA, multiracial, LGBTQ+ in research samples.

Education applications

Inclusive teaching

Healthcare applications

Culturally adapted interventions

Mental Health applications

Culturally competent therapy

Policy applications

laws that support diversity & equity

Workplace applications

equity training, reduce bias