multicultural psychology

n. Multicultural psychology concerns all aspects of human behavior as it occurs where people from two or more cultural backgrounds encounter each other. Research in multicultural psychology is diverse, covering at least five broad areas of inquiry: (1) intergroup relations: what are the social antecedents and psychological consequences of cultural stereotyping (e.g., stereotype threat, race-based rejection sensitivity, culturally motivated prejudice, and discrimination), (2) acculturation and adjustment: how do individuals from a minority culture respond to the majority culture, and what are the health implications of the different response patterns? (3) mental representations of cultures: how are cultural and racial differences constructed and negotiated, and what are the implications of cultural/racial essentialism for intercultural relations? (4) multicultural identity: how do individuals with extensive exposure to two or more cultures negotiate their multicultural identities? and (5) intercultural competence: what is intercultural competence and how can it be developed? – CYC