Development of Indigenized Psychology in Taiwan - A Historical Timeline

Dr. Kuo-Shu Yang (楊國樞) (2005) made distinction between indigenous psychology, westernized psychology, and indigenized psychology in non-western countries.  He argued that the American or Western psychology actually represents a true form of an indigenous psychology for Americans or Westerners.  It is rooted in Western/American intellectual tradition and is compatible and relevant to the people it intends to serve.  It is a succeessful and flourishing academic discipline, a comprehensive system of great breath and depth and has overriding worldwide influence.

One consequence of the dominant influence of American/Western psychology in the world, though, is that the non-Western countries then has less of an opportunity to develop their own indigenous psychologies "from within" due to American influence.  Many non-Western countries simply transplanted the American/Western psychology to their country.  This is known as the Westernized or Americanized psychology.  The Westernized or Americanized psychology has been found to lack compatibility to the people in the non-Western countries.  In order to make psychology more relevant and compatible to the non-Western countries, an indigenization process is required.  The psychology thus developed is called indigenized psychology.  Yang (2005) proposed that the study of the phenomena or issues unique to local cultural and historical contexts can facilitate the indigenization process.  To address the culturally unique issues, researchers will be forced to develop indigenous concepts and methods, rather than relying on or being influenced by the existing concepts and methods from American or Western psychology.

The indigenization of psychology in non-Western regions of the world is essential to the development of a valid global psychology.  The development of indigenized psychology in Taiwan provides an excellent example of how a non-Western region may "indigenize" American/Western influenced psychology to make it more compatible and relevant for the people in the region.

According to Dr. Kuo-Shu Yang (楊國樞) (2005), the development of indigenized psychology in Taiwan went through four phases:

1.  Phase one (1950-1972):  Americanized psychology dominated in Taiwan

a.  Taiwan was under the military and political protection of the United States.

b.  Very few universities in Taiwan had Psychology Departments.

c.  American (or translated) textbooks were used.

d.  Psychology scholars researched on the topics already studied in the United States.

e.  When conducting research, theories, concepts, methodology, and research instructments were borrowed directly from the United States.

2.   Phase two (1973-1981): The compatibility and relevance of the Americanized psychological research was questioned.

a.  Americanized psychological research continued to dominate.

b.  Some scholars began to question the compatibility and relevance of the Americanized Chinese psychology in Taiwan.

c.   Few psychology scholars in Taiwan began to seriously discuss the need for Sinicization ("to change or modify by Chinese influence") of psychological research.

d.  Academia Sinica, Institute of Ethnology (中央研究院民族學研究所) organized a conference on "Sinicization of Social and Behavioral Sciences" in Taipei, Taiwan in 1980.  More than 60 Chinese scholars from Taiwan, Hong kong, and Singapore attended the conference.

3.   Phase three (1982-1988): Sinicization (or indigenization) of psychological research started taking roots in Taiwan.

a.  Yang (1982) proposed four directions for sinicization of psychological research:

- to reexamine the major research findings of American psychology

- the psychological phenomena or issues that are unique to the local society to be given priority in conducting research.

- to modify theories and concepts of American psychology, and to create new psychological theories and concepts that are more compatible and relevant to Chinese people.

-  to improve "imported" research methods and instruments, to develop new research methods and instruments.

b.  Conducted research on unique issues and phenomena such as "Yuan" (緣), "face", familial piety, "ren qing" (人情), "guan Xi" (關係), <relationism>, Chinese personality and perception, modernity vs. traditionality, etc.

c.  The name for the academic movement was changed from "sinicization" to "indigenization" to join hands with the globalization movement in psychology.

4.   Phase four (1989-Present): Growing indigenization of psychology in Taiwan.

a.  Indigenized psychology scholars in Taiwan and Hong Kong increased publications in international and American journals and books, increasing dialogues and exchange of ideas with scholars in the West.

b.   Indigenized psychology scholars in Taiwan and Hong Kong developed clearer vision (purpose, blueprint, action plan) for the Indigenized Psychology Movement.

c.  To systematically strengthen the research and education of the Indigenized Psychology in Taiwan, the following strategies have been implemented:

- Since 1988, Dr. Yang has organized Indigenized Psychology Research Consortisum that consisted of professors/researchers from various Taiwanese universities to promote research and teaching of indigenized psychology.

- Since 1991, National Taiwan University (NTU) has established Indigenized Psychology Research Center for resources collection and discussion.

- Members of the Indigenized Psychology Consortisum have applied and received significant fundings from Taiwan Government to conduct research.

- Taiwan Indigenized Psychology Consortisum has organized a number of major conferences, inviting scholars from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China to discuss the development of indigenized Chinese psychology.

- Members of Indigenized psychology scholars from Taiwan and Hong Kong taught indigenized, personality, and social psychology at the Personality and Social Psychology Seminars organized by the Social Sciences Academy in Mainland China (PRC) from 1992 to 1997.

-  Since 1993, the academic journal "Indigenous Psychological Research in Chinese Societies" has been published semi-annually.

-  At least nine universities in Taiwan offer Chinese Indigenized Psychology course at upper-undergraduate or graduate level.

-  Research scope has covered issues in Personality, Social Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Developmental, Clinical, Counseling Psychology, and Psychopathology, etc.

 

**  A comprehensive list of Dr. Kuo-Shu Yang's publications (including some of his papers in PDF files) can be found at:

http://www.sinica.edu.tw/ioe/chinese/staff/Yang-Kuo-shu.html

 

 

Notes are based on the following article:

Yang, K. S. (2005). Meaning and development of indigenized psychology.  In K. S. Yang, K. K. Hwang & C. F. Yang (Eds.), Chinese indigenized psychology (pp. 3-54). Taipei, Taiwan: Yuan-Liou Publishing  (in Chinese)