WHAT CONSTITUTES AN ‘APPROPRIATE PSYCHOLOGY’ FOR THE DEVELOPING WORLD?

Abstract

The impact of psychology on the developing world has begun to receive some attention, but there is a need for theoretical concepts in order to provide a framework for critical discussion. Using the concepts ‘dual perception’ and ‘parallel growth’ (Moghaddam and Taylor 1985) as a framework, the concept of ‘appropriate psychology’ is introduced to assess the transfer of psychology from the developed to the developing world. Six criteria for evaluating appropriateness are discussed: self‐reliance, needs responsiveness, cultural compatability, institutional feasibility, economic suitability and political practicality.