emic

1. adj. Of or relating to an approach to studying or understanding human functioning from within the perspective of the culture being examined. Thus all published psychology studies by U.S. researchers using subjects from the United States and whose results are interpreted using mainstream psychological theories could be regarded as emic studies, as could the narrative description of an Australian Tiwi (bushman) of his understanding of the creation of the universe.

2. n. A culture-specific psychological process or construct, that is, one that is valid or applicable in only one culture.