[Week 3] Worksheet: Origin Stories of Indigenous Psychologies

Name: Ma. Ellah P. Mora Date: April 11, 2023

In this worksheet, you should be able to: Explain the role of socio-historical contexts in creating different
realities for people and relevant theories and methods employed in investigating those realities.

After reading your assigned IP origin story, answer the following questions below.

1. What events, factors, and/or insights led to the development of a country’s indigenous psychology
(IP)? [When did the IP pioneers become WOKE AF?]

-There are several sources of influence on the development of global indigenous psychologies:
(1) changes in developing countries in the 1970s stimulated endogenous and indigenous
rethinking about their social and economic conditions by social and behavioural
scientists; (2) their dissatisfaction with what they had learned from Western disciplines
for solving problems of their homelands; (3) their growing dissatisfaction with the
unquestioned, imitative, and replicative nature of psychological research that is deeply
rooted in Western psychology; (4) self-reflection on their own social and cultural
characteristics that were beyond Western psychological construction; (5) the awareness
by some Western psychologists that the nature of psychology was ‘‘monocultural,’’
‘‘Euro-American,’’ and ‘‘indigenous psychology of the West’’; and (6) the parochial and
insular stands of Western psychology, which disregarded the interests and research done
in other countries and languages.

2. What topics, themes, or concepts do IPs usually focus on? [What topics are relevant AF?]
- Studied the changes in the personality of Chinese people under societal modernization.
- He found that the themes were very similar to those of the debates that have occurred
between mainstream and indigenous psychologists in other non-Western countries of the
world. He also suggested that three levels of breakthroughs must be made in order to ensure
progress in indigenous psychology: philosophical reflection; theoretical construction; and
empirical research. In order to establish a solid philosophical ground for the future progress
of indigenous psychology, he modified the philosophy of constructive realism (Hwang, in
press-a), and proposed a conceptual framework to distinguish two types of knowledge, i.e., the
scientific knowledge of a microworld constructed by a scientist, and the knowledge used by
people in their lifeworlds, which is developed by cultural groups. He then used this framework
to explain the modernization of non-Western countries, the emergence of the indigenization
movement, the epistemological goal of indigenous psychologies, and the strategy to attain that
goal (Hwang, in press-b).
3. In the development of IPs, what research methods do they prescribe? [What research methods are
considered lit AF?]
- A theoretical model of Face and Favor on the philosophical basis of scientific realism
(Hwang, 1987), intending it to be a formal model that is applicable to various cultures.
- Personality Assessment Inventory
-Theoretical Construction and Cultural Analysis

4. Based on your reading, what were new things you discovered, conceptual changes that occurred
(dati akala ko... yun pala...), and/or questions that arose and might need further clarification? [What
did you learn today that got you shookt AF?]

-Cultural Connectedness and Well-being: Indigenous psychology emphasizes the importance of

cultural connectedness and its impact on individual and community well-being.
- Indigenous peoples' sense of identity, spirituality, and connection to their culture positively
influence their mental health outcomes. This perspective highlights the significance of preserving
and revitalizing indigenous cultural practices and promoting culturally appropriate interventions.