Finding Universals and Appreciating Differences: Philosophy and Method in Cross-Cultural Psychological Science

Abstract

Despite the advances brought to psychology by multiculturalism and cultural diversity as a framework for social justice and improving human lives, there is a risk for what Bakan (1966) called "unmitigated agency" if multicultural and cultural diversity are reified as competencies that are then mandated in professional psychology training programs. A corrective alternative would be an integrative cross-cultural psychological science that would identify universals and appreciate differences across both individual personality and cultural contexts. Some of the principles for such an integrative applied cultural science are then generated, with examples, and a conceptual developmental model integrating biological factors (temperaments, endophenotypes), affect dynamics, attachment, and psychological type theory is offered.