NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ871379
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Jan
Pages: 2
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0003-066X
EISSN: N/A
Rediscovering Differential Psychology?
Takooshian, Harold
American Psychologist, v65 n1 p57-58 Jan 2010
Comments on the original article, "Many forms of culture," by A. B. Cohen. Cohen offered an eye-opening review of how culture means much more than ethnicity within a nation or differences between nations. After developing a much-expanded definition of culture, he concluded, "I have lamented the fact that psychology has focused on some important cultural differences, but not others" (Cohen, 2009, p. 202), and he went on to explain how deeply this expanded definition can impact our psychological research. Without naming it, Cohen (2009) apparently rediscovered the now-forgotten concept of "differential psychology," which actually surpasses his own expanded definition of culture. Anastasi (1937) defined differential psychology simply as "the scientific study of differences between groups" (p. 59). One look at her book's table of contents shows that this definition goes far beyond race and ethnicity, to include all sorts of group differences based on gender, social class, education, religion, age, and family. These all qualify as cultural differences under Cohen's (2009) expanded definition.
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org/publications
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A