Abstract

Cultural psychological studies are not to replace the experimental psychology, but to compensate for what has been poorly dealt with in psychology. Because of misconception about the role of cultural psychology(CP), many psychologists are shy away from it. In order to rectify this anomaly, we tried to clarify the role and the research epistemology of CP in relation to other psychological studies. Along with the discussion, we identified three distinctive traditions of research in CP; the Vygotskian socio-cultural approach, the discursive approach, and the culture & cognition approach. We discussed four research methods applicable in CP: experimental approach, social representational approach, discursive approach, and socio-cultural approach. Although experimental approach is legitimate in CP, some transformationary work is necessary. We emphasized that stimuli and response should be contextualized and culturally meaningful and that indigeneous conceptualizations should take place. For the purpose of comparing cultures, we proposed the comparative cultural psychology to replace the cross-cultural psychology to minimize ethnocentrism.