Effect of Exposure to an American Indian Mascot on the Tendency to Stereotype a Different Minority Group

Numerous findings have documented the adverse effects of stereotypes on those negatively portrayed by the stereotypes. Less is known about the ramifications of stereotype exposure on those who are not the objects of the stereotypic depictions. Two studies examined the effect of exposure to an American Indian sports mascot on the stereotype endorsement of a different minority group. Study 1 used an unobtrusive prime, while Study 2 used a more engaged prime. Study 2 also investigated the effect among those unfamiliar with the controversy regarding American Indian sports mascots. Results from both studies show that participants primed with an American Indian sports mascot increased their stereotyping of a different ethnic minority group.     

Metamotivational states displayed using differential digital photoplethysmograms while listening to music and noise

The theory of psychological reversal postulates that individuals switch between paratelic and telic metamotivational states. To observe the paratelic state as an actual phenomenon using a physiological index, a correlation between changes in P-wave amplitudes of differential digital photoplethysmograms (deltaDPG) of 24 undergraduate students while listening to music and changes in mood pre- to postlistening was investigated. Elevation in arousal of the sympathetic nervous system, as indicated by deltaDPG. was related to improvement in mood. It was assumed that the subjects who were aroused more while listening to music enjoyed the high arousal more and were more susceptible to a pleasant state. This was interpreted as a paratelic state. In listening to a noise condition using another 24 undergraduate students, however, the correlation was inverse of that for the music condition. It was assumed that the subjects who spent more effort in identifying stimuli showed more elevation in arousal of the sympathetic nervous system and more aggravation in mood. This was interpreted as a telic state.     

Methodological challenges in treatment outcome research with ethnic minorities

Treatment outcome research focused on ethnic minorities is critically needed to eliminate mental health disparities. Because the conduct of treatment outcome research with ethnic minorities is difficult and complex, we discuss key challenges and present some methodological options suited to provide answers to specific types of questions. We focus first on the randomized clinical trial (RCT) paradigm, reviewing specific challenges facing investigators conducting ethnically inclusive trials. We then highlight the promise of other methods of inquiry to expand the science on mental health treatment with ethnic minorities.     

Colonialism and Psychology of Culture

There has long been a criticism that scholarship devoted to the study of cultural variation in psychology has too easily ascribed the observed differences between different societies to essentialized notions of ‘culture’ while paying less attention to historical forces that shape these differences. In this paper, we argue that the conceptual frameworks of cross‐cultural and cultural psychology should allow for analysis of how major geopolitical events and historical processes bear on people's lives. Specifically, we point to colonialism, a discussion that has been less attended to in psychology, and argue that colonialism and its legacies exert a powerful influence on many worldwide populations. Analysis of colonialism and its legacies necessarily calls for attention to its prominent ideological cornerstones: race and ‘culture’, which are also central concepts in psychology as a global discipline. In psychology, colonialism has primarily been engaged in two ways: the study of the colonial impact on individuals; and the consideration of the colonial impact on the discipline and practice of psychology in formerly colonized nation states. We review this engagement and introduce examples of scholarship from each. This paper challenges the field to pay greater attention to sociopolitical discourses and historical contexts and, in turn, to theorize culture in ways that are responsive to the fluidity and complexity of social lives.     

Reliability and validity of japanese children's trait and state worry and emotionality scales

There is a belief in both Japan and the U.S. that high levels of test anxiety interfere with performance. However, there are no measures of anxiety (i.e., worry or emotionality) for Japanese children. In this study, since the consequences of testing are even more salient in Japan than the U.S., it was expected that levels of anxiety, both trait and state, would be higher in Japan than the U.S. Further, we expected that the two-factor structure (worry and emotionality) of both trait and state anxiety scales would be verified and that females would exhibit more anxiety than males. In general, the results for the state worry and emotionality scale were consistent with expectations. On the trait scales, anxiety was less than the United States version. Further, there was not a two-factor structure. There was no effect of sex on any of the anxiety measures.     

The Quest for Multicultural Competence: Challenges and Lessons Learned from Clinical and Organizational Research

Multicultural competence refers to the ability to appreciate diversity and to work effectively in multicultural settings. In this increasingly diverse and globalized world, being culturally competent has become more important than ever. Integrating research in counseling and organizational studies, the authors examine the conceptualization of cultural competence across disciplinary boundaries. The authors review pertinent research to dissect the major challenges posted to the quest for cultural competence and conclude that training programs that overemphasize knowing the different ‘Others’ may promote a false sense of competence, and even fuel intergroup hostility and reactance. To enhance cultural competence, we recommend shifting the emphasis in competence trainings from knowing the different ‘Others’ to enhancing critical self‐awareness.