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Michael Sanderson
Prof. Warren Jones
Communications I
MLA Research Paper
6 April, 2010
The Cultural Imperatives of Psychologists
Most inhabitants of the Space Coast do not consider “snow birds”, people that live
somewhere else and come to the beach when their home becomes too cold, as residents. I have
always wondered what makes members of a group, such as Space Coast residents, disconnect
themselves from outsiders. Even psychologists use cultural imperatives to keep unwanted or
unqualified people out of the psychological community. The research in the psychological field
covers a vast array of disciplines and takes a post-graduate education. Psychologists use cultural
imperatives to vet the psychological community and outline the manner in which new research
becomes knowledge. I will begin by discussing the origin of psychology and psychology’s
growth over time.
The practice of researching human behavior, which dates back to most ancient
civilizations, has become better understood and more effective over time. This research led to
modern psychology and has become increasingly broad since the first notion that one person
could observe and measure the reasoning behind another person’s actions. Researchers in the
field can study psychology as a whole or one of the various sub-disciplines that psychology
breaks down into. These sub-disciplines range from the psychology of learning to fringe
theoretical psychology. The men and women who conduct studies in the psychological field,
referred to as psychologists, continue research in their sub-disciplines to add to the knowledge of
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the community. Psychologists focus on the study of the mind while clinicians treat individuals
that suffer from psychological disorders. Now that I have covered psychology’s growth, I will
move on to the ways that psychology currently impacts the world.
The psychological community tends to receive the progression of science into the field in
various different ways. In the article “The Next Big Questions in Psychology,” David Funder
discusses the ways research can evolve from historical practices. Perhaps that way of looking at
the established guidelines for psychological research prompted some clinicians to question the
integrity of new research. In an October 2009 publication of Newsweek Magazine, Sharon
Begley points out an apparent bias toward the old practices that may not work as well as new
treatments backed by scientific research. In the article “Hugo Münsterberg's Attack on the
Application of Scientific Psychology,” Ludy Benjamin illustrates that the argument between
psychological researchers and clinicians dates back to the study’s beginning. While some
psychologists attempt to hang on to the past, others have begun to look into the possible
applications of new theories.
In “Applying the Psychology of Science to the Science of Psychology,” Dean Simonton
provides examples of ways modern science, when applied to psychology, can change ancient
findings. Simonton, in “Evolutionary Psychology: Controversies, Questions, Prospects, and
Limitations,” seems to believe that the research ideas in his work will impact the research of
others in the future. Confer et. al discuss how evolutionary psychology has become more
mainstream in the psychological field since first mentioned. This new leap shows the way that
psychology broadens and that theoretical outskirts that still exist within the community. As in
most fields of study, not everyone agrees and not everyone meets the criteria for their opinion to
gain recognition, which brings me to my next point.
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Cultural imperatives aid in setting a standard for a person to become a member of any
group. Whether seeking acceptance into college or votes for a seat in the Senate, cultural
imperatives exist. Not to say that everyone must conform to a standard and forego individualism,
but dropouts do not tend to go to Harvard and corrupt politicians should not sit in Congress.
Cultural imperatives, in a way, separate the posers and wannabes from the group and form a
common ground for the group’s members. In the article “The Cultural Imperative for
Professional Military Education and Leader Development” Allison Abbe and Stanley M. Halpin
refer to Lieutenant General Peter Chiarelli’s idea concerning Iraqi culture and psyche:
“Understanding the effect of operations as seen through the lens of the Iraqi culture and psyche is
a foremost planning consideration for every operation” (20). With the understanding the cultural
imperatives and the effect that they have on a group, I will now show how cultural imperatives
apply to psychologists.
Psychologists have a fair share of cultural imperatives that set themselves apart from the
average citizen. Among the vast array of these cultural imperatives in psychology, the schooling
required to enter the field sets the bar above most college graduates. Psychologists begin
competing from high school by keeping their grade point averages up and taking as many
psychology classes as possible. In college the competition continues as placement test scores
help to decide who moves on to the best graduate school and who may need to search for new
options. On the website Guidetopsychology.com Raymond Lloyd Richmond breaks down each
phase of the education required to become a member of the psychological community, starting
with high school. According to Richmond, “the study of psychology is not for everyone; if it
were, it would be a video game, not a profession.” But, earning a degree in psychology just
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shows that someone has an understanding of the knowledge that has already emitted from the
psychological community.
As in most areas of research, the constant need for members to add to the knowledge in
the field creates a cultural imperative in the psychological community. Psychology breaks down
into sub-disciplines that focus on a specialized aspect of psychology. The members of these subdisciplines have their own cultural imperatives that set them apart from psychology as a whole.
But, even though psychology breaks down into these various sub-disciplines the research
practices remain relatively the same. Some researchers conduct studies that may cross into
multiple sub-disciplines and lead to new methods in those fields, as well as their own. In the
article “Aiming for Excellence as an Applied Psychologist” Narinder Kapur and Barbara A.
Wilson discuss Greener’s concept of progress and knowledge: “progress comes through the
development of new knowledge, new procedures and new treatments” (39), which further
illustrates the need for new psychologists to add to the knowledge bank and not just feed off of
the work that precedes them. However, if their work does not properly disseminate, new
knowledge will not come from their research.
Psychologists do not only use the schooling required to practice as a cultural imperative,
they also have their own standard for how knowledge disseminates through the community. In
the article “The Dissemination and Implementation of Evidence-based Psychological
Treatments: A Review of Current Efforts,” McHugh and Barlow discuss how “scientists and
clinicians must work together to meet this demand with the same sense of urgency expressed by
health care policymakers and the individuals we serve” (83). Logistical issues can keep a new
treatment in the research phase longer than needed and keep the treatment from moving into
application. McHugh and Barlow have shown that public health would benefit from a better
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process throughout the community. Failing to disseminate one’s findings properly could lead to
any research done by that person being viewed by others as unreliable and keep them from being
published in journals.
The American Psychological Association sets a cultural imperative by the manner in
which they vet articles published in journals. The American Psychological Association format
differs from the Modern Language Association format in many ways. From capitalization rules
to the manner in which authors reference the work of others in their own, the American
Psychological Association impresses a different standard. In the article “The Psychology of
Referencing in Psychology Journal Articles,” Martin A. Safer and Rong Tang stress that that
proper citing can take up less space in peer reviewed journals. Safer and Tang also noted
differences in styles of articles: “compared with psychology articles, we found that biology
articles had a smaller percentage of their references in the introduction, and they had roughly as
many cited references in the discussion as in the introduction” (52). I have shown how cultural
imperatives within the psychological community set psychologists apart from others; I will now
provide some possibilities for further research.
The psychological community has a vast array of sub-disciplines that range from brazen
theories to the treatment of psychological disorders. Cultural imperatives within the various
disciplines of psychological community have many different aspects that could lead to a plethora
of research ideas. I believe that an attempt to understand the psychology that eventually leads to
a group forming cultural imperatives could provide an interesting subject for further research.
Learning what makes a group feel the need to separate members from wannabes could provide
insight to foreign policy based around cultural imperatives that do not coincide. I believe that a
better understanding of other countries’ cultures could aid in peace talks and prevent war.
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Works Cited
Abbe, Allison and Stanley Halpin. “The Cultural Imperative for Professional Military Education
and Leader Development.” Parameters: US Army War College 39.4 (2009): 20-31.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Apr. 2010.
Kapur, Narinder and Barbara A. Wilson. “Aiming For Excellence as an Applied Psychologist.”
Psychologist 23.1 (2010): 36-39. Academic Search Complete. Web. 8 Mar. 2010.
McHugh, R. Kathryn and David H. Barlow. “The Dissemination and Implementation of
Evidence-based Psychological Treatments: A Review of Current Efforts.” American
Psychologist 65.2(2010): 73-84. PsycARTICLES. Web. 10 Mar. 2010.
Richmond, Raymond Lloyd. “How to Become a Psychologist.” Guidetopsychology.com. Web.
14 Feb. 10.
Safer, Martin A. and Rong Tang. “The Psychology of Referencing in Psychology Journal
Articles.” Perspectives on Psychological Science 4.1 (2009): 51-53. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.