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Integrating Multiculturalism into the Teaching of Psychology: Why and How?

Annette S. KluckTexas Tech University

(This essay originally appeared as the monthly "E-xcellence in Teaching" e-column in the PsychTeacher Electronic Discussion List for December 2005.)

There is growing movement, as exemplified by the American Psychological Association's (APA; 2003) guidelines on the matter, to recognize and attend to issues of diversity within the field of psychology. These guidelines include a recommendation to incorporate multiculturalism and diversity into psychology curricula. In part, the need for psychology to attend to multiculturalism is a reflection of our increasingly diverse population (Trimble, Stevenson, & Worell, 2003). Moreover, a science grounded in the study of human behavior cannot afford to ignore the influence that culture has on shaping, interpreting, and guiding behavior (Trimble et al., 2003). Indeed, psychology's historical omission of issues of diversity contributed to the marginalization of individuals who differed from the majority group (e.g., intelligence testing; for a review of race and intelligence testing, see Blanton, 2000). Thus, the simple omission of multiculturalism from psychology curricula can be harmful and may send a message, intentional or not, that psychologists do not value diversity issues.Many introductory psychology textbooks (e.g., Coon, 2001; Myers, 2004; Sternberg, 2004) include sections on stereotypes, prejudice, gender differences, late adulthood development, sexual orientation, and the relationship between culture and emotions; and some textbooks provide anecdotal and empirical findings that extend the coverage of diversity issues beyond the aforementioned topics. Furthermore, courses on multicultural psychology are increasingly prevalent in university course catalogs. However, it is unclear whether minimal coverage during a semester-long course, or even offering an entire course on multiculturalism, gives sufficient attention to this important topic.Considerable research suggests that maximum learning, transfer of concepts, and development of critical thinking are most likely to occur when students actively engage the course material (e.g., Burbach, Matkin, & Fritz, 2004; Hake, 1998; Moreno & Mayer, 2000; Yoder & Hochevar, 2005). Thus, if we want our students to understand that culture affects numerous psychological phenomena, multiculturalism should be reflected throughout the curriculum. A curriculum that infuses coverage of diversity within and across courses is congruent with an understanding of human behavior that includes constant consideration of culture. Similarly, because students live in a diverse world, we should provide them with relevant opportunities to apply psychology in their daily lives.We should also recognize that culture affects the way we teach. Therefore, we cannot engage in bias-free teaching (APA, 2003). Rather, we constantly convey our values to students by how we talk-or do not talk-about individuals with different cultural backgrounds. For example, we may illustrate concepts using names that are representative of certain ethnic backgrounds or of a specific gender, or our comments may reflect assumptions we make about our students' sexual orientations. We may differentially attend to students who are like us or who hold ideas similar to ours. For these reasons, we must remain mindful of our values and seek to identify and address ways in which our biases interfere with our ability to engage in culturally competent teaching (Davis, 1993).

Preparing the Class

The integration of multiculturalism into the classroom requires that we be aware of our own values. We should express these values to our students as well, because this information allows them to understand the context in which we teach. The explicit expression of our values is especially important considering that students will be exposed to our values whether or not we actually verbalize them. Modeling awareness of our culture and its influence on how we approach the world of psychology allows students to explore their own culture. Students can then begin to question how their own values influence how they interact with and think about individuals who differ from themselves. We should also inform students that they do not have to agree with us or accept our values. They do, however, have to think about the material from a psychological perspective.Effective integration of multiculturalism into our teaching also requires us to establish classroom guidelines in order to create a classroom in which students feel comfortable and safe. Given that students can learn a great deal from other students' life experiences, encouraging students to share is important. Students need to know that we appreciate their input and value their experiences. This type of sharing and self-examination opens the door to new ways of thinking about others and can provide a bridge between those characteristics that separate us from, or unite us with, others. At the same time, we must send a clear message that negative remarks about other students will not be tolerated (Davis, 1993). In addition, sharing should be voluntary, and students should not be asked to act as experts for their cultures (Davis, 1993). By establishing guidelines, stating our expectations clearly, and treating students fairly, we can create an environment that fosters the examination and appreciation of diversity, as well as the application of multiculturalism to psychological principles and research.

Integrating Multiculturalism throughout the Psychology Curriculum

When integrating multiculturalism into teaching, we must consider various aspects of culture, including gender, ethnicity, national origin, language, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, body size, physical and mental abilities, and religious/spiritual perspective. Each of these aspects influences who we are and how we interact with the world. In other words, each of us is affected by these diverse sources of cultural influence. This comprehensive definition of culture allows us to understand and appreciate more fully the variability within human behavior.Integrating multiculturalism throughout psychology curricula can be accomplished in a number of ways. In addition to sharing personal stories, we can discuss current research that considers the influence of culture upon specific domains of psychology. In addition, we must also make conscious efforts to use examples that represent a variety of cultural backgrounds. Using activities can provide students with opportunities to apply more general psychological concepts to a variety of cultural contexts, subsequently increasing their understanding of the connection between culture and behavior. Exercises in the classroom that focus on culture can make the issues more salient to students and can facilitate critical thinking about diversity. Colleagues, as well as other resources (e.g., Goldstein, 2000; Trimble et al., 2003; Whittlesey, 2001), can provide a wealth of information on developing and implementing such activities.

Sample Activities

A few sample activities follow. Each of these activities cuts across a range of content areas in psychology (e.g., development, cognition, social, learning). One activity that can be used to integrate multiculturalism into various courses involves the use of the Implicit Attitudes Test (IAT). The IAT measures associations of which participants may not be aware. Specifically, the IAT measures implicit beliefs that participants may have about others but might not admit. Students can choose from a variety of "isms" (e.g., racism, sexism) they wish to examine by going to http://www.tolerence.org. Given the nature of the test, the results may reveal biases that when exposed may cause some discomfort for students. Thus, instructors wishing to use this activity should first complete several of the tests on their own to become familiar with what students might experience. In addition, instructors should be ready to explain why individuals' IAT results may show biases despite the individuals' desires to rid themselves of biases and be accepting of diversity. Students' experiences with the IAT can be used as a segue to discuss topics in psychology, such as stereotypes and prejudice, that oftentimes form through associative learning. Furthermore, a discussion of cognitions and schemas, many of which also form through associative learning, can stimulate students' understanding of culture's role in psychology.In a more broad application, the IAT can be used to introduce discussions about culture in research methods and statistics courses. For example, face validity and construct validity are important considerations when constructing a measure of bias because many individuals will censor how they present themselves to others. Alternatively, anonymous data can be gathered using students' responses on the IAT. Although this is a less direct integration of multiculturalism into psychology, it communicates through example the importance of culture throughout the psychology curriculum and demonstrates that instructors are committed to increasing students' understanding of diversity issues.Another activity that facilitates awareness and appreciation of multiculturalism involves students examining how their values influence the way they think about human development. Either alone or in groups, students can construct a model of developmental stages and milestones. After examining the important experiences they identified, students can look for developmental milestones that are missing or culture bound. For example, does the model include late adulthood? Why or why not? Does the model specify ages for various developmental tasks such as walking or weaning? Could these ages differ by culture? Does the model specify developmental milestones that are not universal, such as going to school or getting married? This activity can facilitate student thinking regarding age differences, stress and coping with life transitions from diverse perspectives, the implications of longitudinal and cross sectional research in understanding individual development, and development outlined in stage theories. Examining the way in which psychology has historically studied individuals who differed from the majority group is another way to integrate culture into the curriculum. For example, psychologists interpreted non-Anglo American individuals' higher scores on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory as being indicative of higher rates of pathology. Similarly, psychologists failed to recognize that lower intelligence scores among immigrant adults were a function of the language and cultural identity of testing instruments. These types of culturally-focused, spurious correlations can serve as introductions to various content areas, including psychological disorders, intelligence, treatment-seeking differences across groups, testing and measurement, and statistics and research methods, to name a few. In addition, discussion can then focus on how each of these topics relates to culture. For example, students can discuss how different cultural groups define concepts like intelligence (e.g., Does intelligence involve thoughtful deliberation or rapid responding?).ConclusionAPA has directed educators to address multicultural issues in the teaching of psychology. Although the general inclusion of issues of diversity is important, the way that culture and behavior are intertwined suggests that we must integrate multiculturalism throughout the psychology curriculum. This essay has provided some initial steps that can be taken to sensitize students to diversity issues. Applied experiences and discussions can augment lectures and assist students in identifying the significant influence culture has on shaping behavior. Course planning, collaboration with colleagues, and familiarizing oneself with how well one's research area has addressed the influence of culture can assist instructors in developing a culturally integrative and comprehensive curriculum.

References

American Psychological Association. (2003). Guidelines on multicultural education, training, research, practice, and organizational change for psychologists. American Psychologist, 58, 377-402.

Blanton, C. K. (2000). "They cannot master abstractions but they can often be made efficient workers": Race and class in the intelligence testing of Mexican Americans and African Americans in Texas during the 1920s. Social Science Quarterly, 81, 1014-1026.

Burbach, M. E., Matkin, G. S., & Fritz, S. M. (2004). Teaching critical thinking in an introductory leadership course utilizing active learning strategies: A confirmatory study. College Student Journal, 38, 482-493.

Coon, D. (2001). Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behavior (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Davis, B. G. (1993). Tools for teaching. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.

Goldstein, S. B. (2000). Cross-cultural explorations: Activities in culture and psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Hake, R. R. (1998). Interactive engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses. American Journal of Physics, 66, 64-74.

Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. E. (2000). Engaging students in active learning: The case for personalized multimedia messages. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 724-733.

Myers, D. G. (2004). Psychology (7th ed.). New York: Worth.

Sternberg, R. J. (2004). Psychology (4th ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Trimble, J.E., Stevenson, M. R., & Worell, J. P. The APA Commission on Ethnic Minority Recruitment, Retention, and Training Task Force (CEMRRAT2 TF) Textbook Initiative Work Group. (2003). Toward an inclusive psychology: Infusing the introductory psychology textbook with diversity content. Retrieved November 14, 2005, from http://www.apa.org/pi/oema/inclusivepsychology.pdf.

Whittlesey, V. (2001). Diversity activities for psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Yoder, J. D., & Hochevar, C. M. (2005). Encouraging active learning can improve students' performance on examinations. Teaching of Psychology, 32, 91-95.

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