American Psychology in Cross-Cultural Context

Abstract

The focus of this article is the concern that psychologists may be insensitive in applying their insights in cross-cultural settings, because of the implicit Western bias in their knowledge base. The writer assumes that knowledge is culture-specific. Given the context of modernity, mainstream American psychology reflects the ethos of American culture: It does so in its implicit commitment to science, secularity, technology, capitalism, rationality, pluralism, and individualism. The American psychologist who uses Western psychology in cross-cultural settings may serve to socialize members of the host culture into modernity. The article raises the logical implication of a sociology of psychological knowledge for a criterion against which the value of psychological insights can be evaluated.