Chapter 1: Becoming Involved in International Psychology: Why and How

“How can psychology faculty and students become more involved in international psychology?” This has become a more common question inside and outside the USA, for at least five reasons. (a) Origins. From its very origins in Europe in 1879, our “scientific study of mental life and behavior” began as an international field. (b) Growth. Over 75% of the world’s psychologists became concentrated in one region (North America) during the years following World War II. However, this percentage has dropped sharply since 1990, to under 25% in 2017, as psychological science and practice grow much faster outside North America. (c) Diversity. Since the 1970s, we psychologists have increasingly recognized the importance of human diversity (including cultural diversity) in our teaching, research, and practice. (d) Barriers. There have been barriers separating the indigenous psychologies in the more than 200 nations and the various regions of the globe (i.e., Africa, Asia, Australia, Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and North America). (e) Resources. These barriers are now being reduced by new resources and technologies, such as the Internet and MOOCs (Massive Open On-line Courses).