Linking Science to Culture: Challenge to Psychologists

Abstract

Issues about constructing scientific microworlds on the basis of lifeworlds for people of various cultures around the world had never been adequately dealt with since the establishment of the first laboratory of scientific psychology by William Wundt in 1879. Behaviorists eluded cultural issues; cognitive psychologists took Western cultures and assumed their universality for an etic approach in cross-cultural psychology. Taking the research paradigm of individualism–collectivism as an negative example, this article argues that constructing scientific microworlds for linking science to cultures of lifeworlds constitutes the problematic situation for not only indigenous psychologists in particular, but also psychologists in general. The problematic situation calls for a scientific revolution in psychology from the perspective of Western philosophy of science.

Keywords:

• Scientific Revolution
• Culture Issues
• Indigenous Psychologists
• Lifeworlds
• Scientific Microworlds

View correction statement:

Linking Science to Culture: Challenge to Psychologists