{"id":112813,"date":"2021-03-25T10:40:14","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T15:40:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/?p=112813"},"modified":"2025-05-14T17:44:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T22:44:37","slug":"the-history-and-importance-of-diversity-in-psychology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/psychology\/the-history-and-importance-of-diversity-in-psychology\/","title":{"rendered":"The History and Importance of Diversity in Psychology"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the past few decades, psychology academia, research, and practice have expanded to include multiple diverse identities\u2014across areas such as gender, race, sexuality, and more.<\/p>\n

Why Does Representation Matter in Psychology?<\/h2>\n

At its core, psychology aims to understand human behavior. Without addressing the impact and importance of race and diversity, it can be argued that psychology is incomplete.<\/p>\n

According to psychologist Robert M. Sellers<\/a>, \u201cPsychological science must capture the full breadth of human experiences before it can truly say that it understands a particular psychological construct or phenomenon. If we are really trying to develop laws of human behavior, it\u2019s extremely important that those laws \u2026 be based on data that captures that variability.\u201d<\/p>\n

For this reason, it\u2019s crucial to include issues of diversity in psychological research and practice. Different identities in race and culture shape individuals\u2019 worldviews, and in turn, their psychology.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also beneficial for individuals within the field of psychology to be representative of the population as a whole. A diverse set of psychologists, counselors, and psychiatrists opens the door for a diverse set of clients who had otherwise not seen counseling as an option.<\/p>\nRequest info<\/a>\n

For example, the APA reported<\/a> that half of Asian Americans do not get treatment for mental health issues due to a language barrier. As it stands, a little over 2% of doctorate psychologists are Asian.<\/p>\n

The same barriers exist for Black people in U.S. struggling with mental illness. According to the APA<\/a>, only 2% of the total number of psychologists in America are Black. This disparity is happening alongside immense stigma within the Black community to seek mental health treatment. In addition, minority patients often seek clinicians of a similar racial background. In these cases, patients see more effective outcomes in their treatments.<\/p>\n

As it stands, there is not a truly representative set of psychologists in the workforce. Therefore, it\u2019s essential for existing psychologists to be trained in cultural competence and minority mental health issues. When psychologists understand the unique issues and history faced by people of color, they can provide better treatment and overall health outcomes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not considered essential that the clinician and client share the same ethnic background. Nor is it essential that a clinician has experienced a history of racial trauma to provide support for a client with symptoms of post-traumatic stress,\u201d Clive Kennedy, Ph.D., department faculty at the Los Angeles Campus, recently told INSIGHT magazine<\/a>. \u201cYet if a clinician has not learned about Jim Crow legislation or its impact across the South, the Zoot Suit Riots, or race massacres in Tulsa, Oklahoma, or Atlanta, perhaps that clinician is not the best therapist to assess for a history of racial trauma when evaluating a suicidal African American adolescent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The History of Diversity in Psychology<\/h2>\n

The history of psychology is rooted mainly in the ideas of white men (think Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, and more). Early concepts in psychology surrounded well-known subjects like nature vs. nurture, free will, and structuralism.<\/p>\n

While still foundational to psychology today, these early schools of thought have been expanded upon and studied at length\u2014opening the doors for other areas of study in the field.<\/p>\n

As psychological concepts expanded, so did the diversity of identities in the field. Gradually, more and more women entered (and began to lead<\/a>) the field of psychology, bringing with them new research that diversified the practice.<\/p>\n

However, it wasn\u2019t until the introduction of Social-Cultural Psychology in the 1930s<\/a> that cultural elements\u2014and differences\u2014made their way into behavioral research. This discipline <\/a>studies how social and cultural situations influence attitudes, thinking, and behavior.<\/p>\n

Today, both the principles of psychology and those who practice psychology have grown exceedingly more diverse.<\/p>\n

How Diverse is the Field of Psychology?<\/h2>\n

As of 2015, 86% of psychologists in the United States were white<\/a>. 5% of U.S. psychologists were Asian, another 5% were Hispanic, and only 4% of psychologists were Black.<\/p>\n

When compared to the total racial breakdown in the U.S. (62% white to 38% non-white), the disparity in the psychology field becomes clear. Early data shows the field may be becoming more diverse, with 34% of early career psychologists in 2015 identifying as racial minorities.<\/p>\n

Psychology Concentrations that Address Minority Issues<\/h2>\n

Beyond the racial makeup of individuals practicing psychology, it is also crucial to pursue and research diverse disciplines within the field.<\/p>\n

The number of concentrated areas of study dedicated to minority issues within psychology has grown in the past decade. Some diverse concentrations within psychology include:<\/p>\n