Psychology is a science that requires a multifactorial approach to research. Diversity is a crucial concept to achieve relevance for most studies, as the analysis of causality in mental difficulties and conditions requires extensive profiling. “The Neglected 95%” by Jeffrey Arnett, published in American Psychologist in 2018, challenges the quality of the modern system of psychological investigations. The main argument is that current resources are biased and do not provide universal results for all of humanity. On the other hand, the authors focus their efforts on a sample of U.S. residents, who are only 5% of the world’s population. Thus, the other neglected 95% face inequalities in analysis where scholars neglect their cultural and social determinants.
Each individual is a unique combination of personal traits, acquired characteristics according to the environment, and cultural values. Therefore, the study of specific communities must occur through personal interaction between agents and representatives to consider any irrational characteristics. In turn, psychology is one of the sciences that must recognize cultural and social differences as predictors of mental states in the long term. Jeffrey Arnett explores this relationship in the article “The Neglected 95%,” which criticizes the investigations’ current methodological model. The author argues that “American psychology has so far been largely oblivious to international contributions and remains an insular enterprise, with unfortunate consequences for the science of psychology” (Arnett, 2008, p. 603). Hence, scholars’ initial position regarding their publications’ universality and significance in a global perspective are erroneous and disrespectful for non-US residents.
The author analyzes APA publications through the prism of information relevance for residents of any country. The central paradox is that American scientists strive to provide universal results through a narrow sample of local residents. In particular, the participants in the studied articles’ experiments were US citizens, who did not represent the necessary variation. Cultural and social determinants that exist in any community need to be considered because they “show how different the majority of the world’s population is from the Americans” (Arnett, 2008, p. 603). Nevertheless, the APA authors focus on the local sample, while the information is presented as academically correct and complete. It is only relevant for 5% of the world’s population, making these articles biased and misleading.
Another argument of the author is the inexpediency of considering US researchers as the most qualified and represented in the global community. Local scientists can have the same level of expertise since they equally study psychoanalysis, behavioral patterns, neurobiology, and cognitive studies, and their findings are perceived to be appropriate for any user. However, it is a misjudgment because the target 5% of citizens do not show cultural and social diversification.
Psychology and researches in this area are necessary to understand mental characteristics, deviations, and behavioral patterns. This information indicates which types of conditions are natural, while others require pharmacological or therapeutic intervention. “The Neglected 95%” sheds light on cultural variations as predictors of certain psychological disorders. The author clarifies that American articles are not necessarily universal and valid for anyone outside the country. Moreover, definite differences in philosophical, social, religious, economic, and demographic indicators make most of the research in APA journals narrowly focused and applicable only to the American community. An essential thought before delving into the author’s arguments is that no publication can fully cover the world’s cultural differences. For example, the people of the highlands of Tibet and Silicon Valley in California have fundamentally different values, worldviews, and future goals. Therefore, the provision of practical information covering every person’s interests on the planet is deliberately false and contradictory.
Providing a global and diversified perspective for modern psychology is a critical vector in the development of science. People around the world need practical advice for dealing with mental difficulties and treating conditions. Nevertheless, American scientists’ dominance and the orientation towards their communities leave fewer chances for residents of other countries to receive the same detailed manuals. On the other hand, non-US medical professionals also have a narrower methodology, as the results from American journals are generally not applicable to their target clients. Even though researchers from Europe and Asia are cited in APA publications and their works are available to users worldwide, their digital and print platforms are not as sought-after and accredited. Inclusiveness in the scientific community, which involves inviting foreign experts to American research and creating collaborative studies in other regions, is essential for future investigations. Thus, achieving the relevance of the information for the global society is possible only by focusing attention on people’s cultural characteristics in community settings.
“The Neglected 95%” by Jeffrey Arnett examines publications in the APA journals and makes the argument that they are all relevant only to US residents. It is essential to understand that despite the cultural diversity of American citizens, it still does not represent variability from a global perspective. The author argues that empirical experiments that sample only that country’s citizens are biased and not applicable to individuals abroad. A potential solution to this dilemma is a scientific committee with representatives from other countries who can direct the research vector towards recognizing their cultural background.
Reference
Arnett, J. (2008). The neglected 95%: Why American psychology needs to become less American. American Psychologist, 63(7), 602-614. Web.