Teaching & Learning Guide for: Beyond the Lab—Proposing an Indigenous Psychologies Research Paradigm

The field of social and personality psychology grapples with a global “replication crisis”—difficulties in the reproduction of comparable findings to original studies (Arnett 2008; Atherton et al. 2021; Power et al. 2023). This is attributed in part to a lack of diversity in sampling, with a majority of existing studies deriving findings from Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) populations (Henrich et al. 2010; Schiavone and Vazire 2022). This orientation toward mainstream Western frameworks is limiting in scope and creates barriers toward incorporating perspectives from the “culturally different other.” Incorporating different worldviews into the field of psychology requires an ontological turn (the shift toward recognizing and acknowledging different ways of being) of the researchers to engage with the perspectives of cultural insiders. Therefore, our original article advocates for an indigenous psychologies (IP)1 research paradigm drawing upon the existing literature of indigenous psychologies and applied IP research methods within two qualitative studies from Singapore and Malaysia. While critically examining the epistemological and methodological differences between the IP approach and mainstream approaches, research methods adopted by the scientific inquiries of dang-ki healing within certain Chinese communities and the experiences of suffering within the Temiar tribal group were extracted and discussed. The present teaching and learning guide aims to assist instructors in incorporating the indigenous psychologies paradigm to the current syllabi for courses including (but not limited to) cultural psychology/cross-cultural psychology, research methods, and social psychology. Misra, G., Sundararajan, L., Teo, T., Ting, R. S.-K., & Yang, J. (2024). Decolonial research practices from an indigenous psychologies perspective: Critical contributions to knowledge. American Psychologist. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001222 The article above discusses the intersection between indigenous psychologies (IP) and decolonial psychology, underlining the need to challenge Western-centric dominance in mainstream psychology. The authors advocate for an inclusive and equitable psychology grounded in learning outcomes drawn from illustrations of IP-informed research. Through the lens of strong-ties and weak-ties rationalities, in tandem with Bourdieu's critical sociology, this article highlights the impact of modern-day economic hegemony in relation to the ecological grief of an indigenous people group in Malaysia. An elaboration of the Chinese concept of xin (heart) is also provided to show how decolonization and IP are intertwined. The authors conclude with concrete suggestions for decolonizing psychology. Arnett, J. 2008. “The Neglected 95%: Why American Psychology Needs to Become Less American.” American Psychologist 63, no. 7: 602–614. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.63.7.602. This article discusses the issue of psychological research published in APA journals focusing too narrowly on Americans. Arguing against this “incomplete” psychology, it discusses the reasons perpetuating this and offers suggestions for broadening the scope of psychological research toward a more representative psychology. Ting, R. S. K., & Thong, J. A. (2020). Global psychology: Symphony or elephant. In L. Sundararajan, K. H. Yeh, & K. K. Huang (Eds.), Global psychology from Indigenous perspectives: Visions inspired by K. S. Yang (pp. 225–244). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35125-0_13 This chapter includes reflections on the author's cultural identity as Chinese diaspora in Malaysia, the complexity of developing IP in an ex-colonized country and proposes a more socially just methodology and epistemology for the vision of a more “global psychology” (GP). Ting, R. S. K., Ansloos, J., Lee, B.-O., Gone, J. P., & Kirmayer, L. (in press). Decolonizing mental health practice through traditional healing frameworks: Insights from Canada, China, Singapore, and the United States. American Psychologist. Special Issue: Indigenous Psychologies. This article advocates for increased inclusivity of the traditional healing systems practiced by Indigenous peoples all over the world. Through a consideration of indigenous healing methods from Canada, China, Singapore, and the United states, it invites readers to attend to the central inquiry of the insights and values gained from the unique traditions for mental health practice globally. Henrich, J., S. J. Heine, and A. Norenzayan. 2010. “The Weirdest People in the World?” Behavioral and Brain Sciences 33, no. 2–3: 61–83. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X0999152X This review article critiques the practice in behavioral sciences of generalizing findings based on samples drawn from WEIRD populations; assuming these findings are representative of all peoples. However, multiple research domains show significant variabilities across various populations. The paper argues the pitfalls of primarily relying on only a narrow portion of humanity in human psychology, proposing and emphasizing the need for reforms to address global diversity. Lee, B.-O., Kirmayer, L. J., & Groleau, D. (2010). Therapeutic processes and perceived helpfulness of dang-ki (Chinese shamanism) from the symbolic healing perspective. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 34(1), 56–105. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-009-9161-3 This study follows a group of devotees undergoing dang-ki healing over a period of time to explore their perceived helpfulness of the divine consultation. Lee, B.-O. (2023). Journeying through different mythic worlds: The healing story of Jing. International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation (Special Issue: Building an Equitable Global Psychology: Giving Voice to the Indigenous psychologies in Southeast Asia), 12(2), 96–111. https://doi.org/10.1027/2157-3891/a000072 This case study aims to explore the therapeutic aspects of indigenous healing systems relevant to mental health care. The case is about Jing, a Chinese woman who simultaneously consulted psychiatrists, a dang-ki (Chinese shaman/spirit medium), and a traditional Chinese medicine physician in Singapore. Lee, B.-O., & Kirmayer, L. J. (2023). Spirit mediumship and mental health: Therapeutic self-transformation among dang-kis in Singapore. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 47(2), 271–300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-021-09765-y Using a combination of ethnography, narrative interview, and standardized psychological questionnaires, this research explores how participation in dang-ki healing is therapeutic for the shamans/spirit mediums themselves. An excellent resource is the Southeast Asian Indigenous Psychologies (SEA-IP) network's (whose emphasis is on gathering and empowering local psychologists in SEA regions to conduct indigenous and culturally relevant research) website. The website has recordings from the SEA-IP 2024 conference which includes keynote and plenary speeches on pertinent topics including the future of indigenous psychologies, the collaborative relationship between the East and West in decentralizing psychology, the healing potential of indigenous psychologies toward marginalized communities in Southeast Asia and the identity of indigenous psychologies respectively. This online resource collection from the National History Center is an educational initiative curated for the support of educators and students in navigating the complex background and contextual legacies of decolonization. This collection offers a range of primary and secondary resources (organized according to region and theme), to facilitate educators integrating decolonization content into teaching and academia. This website hosts a comprehensive archive of resources centered on the rights, culture, and development of Malaysia's Orang Asli (OA) communities. Resources include book chapters and research articles pertaining topics such as the historical narratives, indigenous rights, traditions, and challenges of the OA. This webpage is an excellent resource for educators seeking to incorporate IP into their teaching. It includes a 10-lesson course exploring IP and mental, covering essential concepts, challenges and applications of IP. The various topics are laid out in downloadable handouts. Presented in this video are the rituals of dang-ki healing together with the narratives of dang-kis and their devotees. The video offers insight into the practitioners' initiation, their roles as a channel between the numina and sentient beings, and how they negotiate the challenges they face when practicing in a contemporary urban environment of Singapore. Introduce the “ontological turn” in its application to research– shifting from a method-focused approach to a worldview focused inquiry. Compare IP versus mainstream psychology in research by discussing relational epistemology and considering the fluid boundaries between researchers and subjects in IP studies. Present the two case studies–Dang-Ki healing and Temiar suffering–from the initial article (Ting et al. 2025) that accompanies this guide. Facilitate a Think-Pair-Share activity to facilitate deeper analysis of IP methodological approaches and the cultural contexts of these case studies. Facilitate a class discussion to collaboratively co-create a list of key concepts and guiding principles drawn from case studies within the indigenous psychologies research paradigm. What are assumptions that may be present within mainstream psychological theories and research methods? Do you think they are universal? What is the difference between indigenous psychologies, cultural psychology and cross-cultural psychology in terms of research focus and target population? What does the term “indigenous psychologies” (IP) mean to you in your cultural and professional context? What is your underlying position toward it? How did the two cases presented in this paper resonate with you? Did you find anything surprising or unusual compared to lab research? What do you think about the research compasses and blueprints listed in this paper? Are they applicable to your research context? What are the opportunities and challenges for you to in conducting indigenous psychologies research? This proposed assignment seeks to encourage students to engage a critical lens in viewing research approaches, particularly when working with non-WEIRD (Wester, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) populations. Students will be asked to design a research plan that is from the cultural insider (ontological) perspectives of a unique non-WEIRD group. Although not expected to conduct the actual research, they would be asked to discuss their thought processes and decisions that they would go through before, during, and after such a project. Students would also be asked to reflect on their own positionality, biases, and assumptions, giving thought to how these may influence their roles as a researcher and the study outcomes. Select a key topic/or issue that is important to a specific non-WEIRD community (e.g., deforestation for the OA). Gain a deep understanding of the socio-cultural contexts, cultural traditions and history of the selected community. Design a 4–6 pages research plan (including Research questions and Methods) grounded in the indigenous psychologies research paradigm following the compasses and blueprints in this paper. Include ethical and cultural justification through this study. Reflecting: Why do you choose this particular methodology (e.g., survey, interview) in your study? Positionality: What is the relationship between you the researcher and this community? How would this relationship impact your research agenda and outcome? Write a 1–2-page reflexive journal entry on: Challenges faced in designing the study, how personal biases or assumptions might come into play, your learning about ethical practices in IP research and finally, how these may differ from conventional research methodologies. Justine Jian-Ai Thong, Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting, and Boon-Ooi Lee collaboratively conceptualized and developed the teaching and learning guide. All authors contributed to writing, editing, and approving the final manuscript. Open access publishing facilitated by Monash University, as part of the Wiley - Monash University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians. This article is a teaching and learning guide and did not involve human participants, animal subjects, or the collection of sensitive data. As such, no ethical approval was required. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors have nothing to report.

Récupéré en direct depuis OpenAlex et désinversé. Les résumés ne sont pas conservés dans cette base de données : les index inversés représentent 8,6 Go des 9,3 Go de texte de la base, et le serveur dispose de 13 Go libres.