Thesis Statement for the Integrative Literature Review

Thesis Statement for the Integrative Literature Review

The psychology of diversity is an area of study that is most relevant to the profession because of the effects of cultural, social, and ethnic differences on human interactions, experiences, and development of people. While psychologists continue to strive for the level of cultural competences that would enhance their capacity to meet the needs of different patients from various demographics of the population, the availability of evidence on the issues that young people face in multicultural societies during the different stages of their development into adulthood remains limited. As practitioners that are dependent on the use of outcomes from research studies on the effectiveness of interventions and therapies, psychologists are advocates of new approaches that are not just supported by evidence but could be beneficial to their patients. However, the existence of these studies in the literature is limited despite the importance of social diversity to the cognitive, behavioral, developmental, and the mental health domains of the profession. As Bergiel, Gainey, and Bergiel (2015) noted the understanding of the issues and experiences that young people encounter from childhood to adulthood in a diverse world is essential for identifying their causes and effects on their social development and future socioeconomic and political potentials of the society.

Thesis statement

An integrated review of the literature on the psychological perspectives of growing up in a diverse world is critical to the development of future directions in psychotherapy and practical application of the psychosocial model during the administration of therapies for some of the mental issues that young people face today. Also, this position that is not just supported by the findings of the various studies that would be used for this integrative review but one that would

result in the multidisciplinary perspectives that are needed by practitioners across the different fields of psychology.

A review of the theories and concepts of the psychology of diversity through the experiences and issued faced by young people are important because of its interconnectedness with ideas and frameworks that are used behavioral, developmental, cognitive and social psychologists in their

respective practices. Also, it is an area of study that would help practitioners understands the social categories that constitute diversity and the influences of the changes on social norms and rules to accommodate the extent of these different aspects of diversity. According to Leman and Cameron (2017), the social psychologist is concerned about the effective application of the theoretical frameworks to the development of interventions that can be used to improve the interpersonal interaction between people from different ethnic groups, religious affiliations, gender, and disability groups among others.

The primary objective of the developmental psychologist is the influence of changes in ethnic and racial identity on the attitudes and emotions of patients at various stages of their lifespan development. Furthermore, Mikes-Liu (2015) writes that psychology of diversity is not just relevant to practitioners across various disciplines but critical to the capacity of the behaviorist to understand the complexities of the factors that responsible for the behavioral issues that are displayed by children and adolescents from ethnic minority groups. In this regard, the application of the psychodynamic theories to the formulation of intervention plans and therapies for behavioral problems would be more effective when they are based on evidence from studies on the issues faced by young people in a diverse world. For example, discrimination, stereotype, and morality are some of the concepts that this investigation can provide insights into their resolution through the experiences of diverse people. Also, the

cognitive dimensions of growing up with diversity are equally essential derivatives from the proposed integrative literature review because of its role in the development of social-cognitive models that can help children and teenagers deal with the challenges of living in a dynamic multicultural world (Moore, 2013). Therefore, the limited availability of evidence-based research practices on the models that children and adolescents can use to deal with the continually evolving cultural environments of diverse societies should drive the investigation into the discipline. Finally, these imperatives are required for determining the overall psychological theories and processes that can be used to shape the experiences of young people during their learning and reaction to the diverse forms in their society.

In conclusion, the resolution of the issues that young people encounter in

their interpersonal interactions, identity formation, and socialization have several implications for the field of psychology. Aside from its role in the expansion of the current body of knowledge and perspectives on the developmental and cognitive theories and frameworks that would help children and adolescents transit to adulthood smoothly, the findings from the integrative review of the literature would provide directions for future research activities on the topic. Finally, the focus on evidence from the literature on the reactions of this demographic to diversity or multiculturalism in their society would provide the framework that practitioners can utilize for the development of intervention models for behavioral, developmental, social, and mental health issues that are peculiar to children and adolescents.

References

Bergiel, E. B., Gainey, T. W., & Bergiel, B. J. (2015). Understanding the relationship between mental models, conflict and conflict asymmetry. Team Performance Management, 21(7/8), 320-338. https://search-proquest-com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/docview/1718490134?accountid=32521

Leman, P. J., & Cameron, L. (2017). Growing up with diversity: Psychological perspectives. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 27(5), 339-346. http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/eds/ pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=18dc68f9-9c11-477a-b91c- f85759576df7%40pdc-v-sessmgr05

Mikes-Liu, K. (2015). Is it possible to be a bit dialogical? Exploring how a dialogical perspective might contribute to a psychiatrist's practice in a child and adolescent mental health setting. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 36(1), 122-139. http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?

vid=11&sid=825f0f18-0015-4e46-8432- 06c13d035299%40sessionmgr120

Moore, J. (2013). Tutorial: Cognitive psychology as a radical behaviorist views it. The Psychological Record, 63(3), 667-680. DOI:10.11133/ j.tpr.2013.63.3.019