ABSTRACT
Psychology as a discipline strives to identify and describe universal principles of behavior. However, most psychological research has focused on a very limited population from which to draw conclusions about humans in general. Unfortunately, many psychology textbooks discuss research findings as if they are universal, even in cases where cross-cultural studies indicate otherwise. The concepts of individualism and collectivism have received great attention in research on culture and psychology. Most of what is published in psychology journals and textbooks takes a Western perspective and ignores the psychologies that have been developed by scholars across the globe to address concerns relevant to their own cultures. The term culture has been used more broadly to refer to the common values, beliefs, and behaviors within groups who share a nationality, ethnic heritage, disability, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic class, as well as to those who share a corporate identity, occupation, sport, or college campus.
