Bulletin Number Two 1982

Physiological measures are used to assess psychological states. A Challenging Mission for the University Q. Is it true that Psychology requires of its students certain cultural adaptations? A. Yes. In fact the University is facing the challenge of developing Psychology as a discipline relevant to the Chinese. As this professional discipline originated in the West, we need to consider the extent of cultural differences in the basic processes. While many concepts are universal, some are definitely culture-bound. Furthermore, by studying concepts indigenous to our culture, we can derive basic knowledge which may in turn be extended to general psychological concepts. Psychology has a longer history in the West, but nowadays issues of cross-cultural applications and relevancy have been raised. Q. Since you mentioned “developing Psychology as a discipline relevant to the Chinese", may I ask what has become of Psychology as a discipline in China at present? A. In China, Psychology is listed under the Science Faculty. The Psychology Department has been restored in four universities. In addition, the Institute of Psychology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences is carrying out a number of diversified research projects on child development, perception and cognition, physiology, medical psychology, and industrial psychology, etc. During the Cultural Revolution, progress at the various university Psychology Departments and the Institute of Psychology came practically standstill. Until recently, the emphasis was on basic processes and the universal aspects of behaviour. However, recent research in applied Psychology reflects practical problems w i th which China is concerned, for example, the effect of population planning on child development, the integration of Eastern and Western medicine in psychotherapy, etc. Diversified Research Interests Q. We offer a balanced programme to our students, but what about our staffs research projects? Are there any particular emphases? A. Yes, as our specialties differ, we have different research interests. The research that I myself have been doing is mostly related to personality and clinical concerns, for example, anxiety among secondary school students, and symptom presentation and help-seeking behaviour among Chinese mental patients. Besides local studies, we are also involved in comparative cross-cultural studies. For example, I am working in conjunction with the East-West Center on a project on cultural adaptation and health. We study how Chinese and American students in different locations adapt to their cultural environment, and what effect the adaptation has on their health. In another applied cross-cultural researc h project, Dr. T. Ting and I have translated, adapted and analysed the cultural equivalence of the MMPI, a personality test widely used in the West, so as to make it relevant to Hong Kong in personality assessment. 10 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS