How do clinicians define cultural sensitivity?: A mixed methods study

Abstract

The aim of the study was to derive an empirically based definition of cultural sensitivity (CS) using psychologists as participants. In Study 1, nine psychologists were interviewed and asked how they conceptualized CS. Based on the results from Study 1, a survey was created for Study 2 and completed by psychologists (n= 142). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine if the conceptualizations of CS derived from Study 1 were a good fit. In Study 1, three emergent themes were identified regarding how psychologists conceptualized CS: awareness, cultural case conceptualization, and idiographic sensitivity. Results from Study 2 supported CS as a three-dimensional construct. Findings did not suggest that psychologists conceptualized CS as discrete group categorization. Shifts in immigration patterns, legislation, and societal trends indicate that a shift is needed whereby clients are viewed as individuals as opposed to as members of the cultural group to which they belong.

Keywords:

• Cultural sensitivity
• diversity
• cultural considerations

Disclosure statement

No potential conflicts of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [LTB], upon reasonable request.