Integrative Literature Review

Running head: INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 1

Integrative Literature Review

Name

Institution

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 2

Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................................... 3

Organization of the Review......................................................................................................... 5

Identification, Analysis, and Synthesis of the Literature ............................................................ 7

Method of Selection .................................................................................................................... 8

Thesis Statement ......................................................................................................................... 8

Discussion ....................................................................................................................................... 9

Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 9

Critique ......................................................................................................................................... 14

Synthesis.................................................................................................................................... 18

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 21

Recommendations for Future Research Studies........................................................................ 23

References ..................................................................................................................................... 25

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 3

Integrative Literature Review

Introduction

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 (Shadi, Peyman, Taghipour, & Tehrani, 2017). 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 (Wiggins-Romesburg &

Githens, 2018). As most of the scholars noted in their respective research studies, 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.

Conceptual Framework

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

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 4

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 (Jordan, Amir, & Bloom, 2016). 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 (Elmer, MacDonald, &

Friedman, 2003).

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

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 5

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. Bergiel, Gainey, and Bergiel (2015) claimed that 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.

Finally, the resolution of the issues that young people encounter in their interpersonal

interactions, identity formation, and socialization has 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 (Macaulay,

2008). The focus on evidence from the writing 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.

Organization of the Review

The organization of this integrative literature review will be based on the guiding theories

within the behavioral, developmental, cognitive, and social domains of psychology with the goal

of identifying the relationships between them. Also, the structure of the literature review is

defined by the need to understand the factors that determine the participation of children and

adolescent from minority ethnic, gender, and religious groups in their multicultural societies

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 6

(Labouvie-Vief, Chiodo, Goguen, & Diehl, 1995). In this context, the psychodynamic theory

would be the fundamental one that would provide the general framework for determining the

various dimensions of the issues and challenges that contribute to the psychology of diversity,

especially when the perspective is one that is shared by practitioners in the four domains that

would be examined in this review (Newman, 2017). Therefore, the identification of the

relationships between social, developmental, behavioral, and cognitive psychology is designed to

illustrate the theories and principles that connect them, which is a rationale for the utilization of

the psychodynamic theory.

In the second part of this integrative literature review, the focus of our examination

would be the determination of the competing perspective across the four content domains

regarding the psychology of diversity. It is an aspect of the study that would present the views of

each of the disciplines and the use of the information to highlight their divergence and

convergence both theoretically and practically. According to Pettit (2004), the issues that are

related to the experiences of young people from the population demography that would be

examined in this study have social, developmental, behavioral, and cognitive implications. As

Wilkowski and Robinson (2008) noted, it should serve as the premise that informs the emphasize

on the evaluation of the principles of the theories for each domains and the elements that can be

used to provide a comprehensive intervention models to help these children and teenagers

overcome the behavioral and social problems that exist in diverse societies.

The final part of this integrative literature review would focus on the determination of the

significance of the integration of the four domains that are associated with the psychology of

diversity for young people. As Leman et al. (2017) stated in their publication, psychologists

require an understanding of the various factors that drive the behavior of young people in our

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 7

society because of the significance of this level of knowledge in the development of intervention

models and therapies for the intergroup and acculturation issues that could adversely impact their

transition into adulthood and their contributions to the growth of their respective societies. This

section of the literature will also discuss the history and evolution of the theoretical frameworks

of these domains since this activity would provide relevant insights into the growth of the

relationships between them. Aside from this imperative for the inclusion of the historical

perspectives of the domains in our study, our aim is to use this content to identify and present the

theories and findings that would contribute to the expansion of the body of knowledge on the

psychology of diversity for the contemporary psychologists (Maxwell & Beaulac, 2013).

Overall, the organizational structure of the findings that would be presented in this study is based

on the need to determine the guiding theories in social, behavioral, developmental, and cognitive

psychology and use the information to shape discussions on the critical issues that are associated

with the psychology of diversity.

Identification, Analysis, and Synthesis of the Literature

An integrative review in psychology is designed for the examination of the findings in the

literature on concepts and theories in the psychology or any other discipline. In the present study,

the primary goal is the integration of the ideas from social, behavioral, developmental, and

cognitive psychology into a framework that can be applied to the resolution of the issues that

children and adolescents from diverse backgrounds face in multicultural societies where they are

the minority. It is the premise that informed the identification of the publications that were

selected for this literature review on the psychology of diversity. Aside for using the

organizational structure of the research to determine the guiding theories and other core elements

of the study, we used it to determine the research findings that investigated some of the concepts

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and ideas that were related to the conduct of the study. An additional aspect of this part of the

project is the application of the insights from the research structure for the search of relevant

peer-reviewed articles from the Ashford University Database. Also, the Currency, Relevance,

Accuracy, Authority, and Purpose (CRAAP) test was used in the analysis of the literature to

ensure their appropriateness to the integrative review objectives, which was an approach that

made the synthesis of their contents more natural and logical.

Method of Selection

In spite of the need for an extensive search of the academic database for the research

publications on the themes that were examined in this integrative literature review, the primary

objective was the selection of the materials and sources that are current, credible, relevant, and

accurate. In this regard, the CRAAP test was highly useful in reducing the potential inclusion of

unreliable sources for each of the domain thereby limiting the likelihood of achieving a

comprehensive review of the critical elements of the literature on the psychology of diversity. An

additional aspect of the selection process for the resources that would be used in this integrative

review of previous research studies on the issues and challenges that are faced by young people

from diverse backgrounds during the different stages of their development is the nature of the

study. In this context, the online search was limited to materials that consist of either qualitative

or quantitative research methodologies.

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

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 9

mental issues that young people face today. It is a position that is not just supported by the

findings of the various studies that would be used for this integrative literature review but one

that would result in the multidisciplinary perspectives that are needed by practitioners across the

different fields of psychology.

Discussion

In this section of the literature review, the central ideas and relationships across the four

domains of behavioral, social, cognitive, and developmental psychology that are useful for

examining the psychological dimensions of the influence of diversity on the issues and

challenges that children and adolescents face in their society. We will evaluate the question of

"why am I excluded from social groups in school and the community" that bothers the minds of

this demographic of the minority population. It is expected that the depth of insights that are

provided by the theoretical frameworks of these four domains would illustrate the processes and

factors that create discrimination and stereotype among young people.

Also, the information from examination of the four domains is considered a significant

contributor to the development of the psychosocial and cognitive models that can be utilized for

intervening in the behavioral and developmental problems that might affect them during

adulthood (Labouvie-Vief et al., 1995). We intend to use the empirical studies from the selected

literature as the construct to show that the psychology of diversity is important for the

development of the multicultural competencies that practitioners need to meet the therapeutic

expectations of the child and adolescent patients from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds.

Analysis

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 10

Researchers in behavioral and developmental, as well as social psychology, have focused

on the process that can increase our understanding of the various aspects of the effects of the

differences in the interpersonal forms and groups on our social-cognitive capacities (Abrams et

al., 2014). In an era where social skills are essential for the proper development of young people

at the various stages of their growth and transition into adulthood, the research have extended

from the social domain to others (Abram et al., 2014) that contribute to the membership of

groups and overall experiences, as well as quality of interactions of people in their respective

societies. According to Welsh and Ordóñez (2014), the emotional state and attitudes of children

at different stages of the lifespan development is considered as the product of their interaction

with their environment and social systems that support their capacity to process information. It is

the premise that informed the effort of the developmental psychologist to focus on studies that

have helped in the expansion of human knowledge on the factors and processes that shape the

changes in the ethnic and racial identity in children and adolescents (Mikes‐Liu, 2015).

Erikson's Psychosocial Theory consists of ideas and concepts that are valuable to the

development of the insights that are required for examining the development and functioning of

adolescents and children in multicultural societies (Elmer et al., 2003). In a study on personality

development by McAdams (2016), the scholar writes that the psychosocial model that Erikson

provided in his work in the 1960s provide the guide that developmental, behavioral, and social

psychologist have depended on in contemporary times to deal with the issues that are presented

by their clients. The concepts regarding the movement of humans from infancy to early

childhood and into adolescence remain one of the most influential psychological approaches for

predicting the emotional attitudes and behavior of adults and the challenges that they face in the

society (Labouvie-Vief et al., 1995). In spite of role in of the psychosocial theory in the

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 11

generation of the perspectives for normative developmental processes, Jordan et al. (2016) stated

that the domain of social psychology has relied on its core concepts to create and implement

models that are used to define the interpersonal interactions between people from different

groups and systems.

Meanwhile, the significance of the Erikson‘s psychosocial model to this literature review

can be found in the concepts and ideas that are used for constructing the ethnic and racial

identities of young people under different environmental and social conditions (Jordan et al.,

2016). According to Rutland et al. (2012), children are known to form their perspective on social

inclusion or exclusion during early childhood since the peer relationships are connected to their

ability to make decisions on their social roles. Maxwell and Beaulac (2013) further added that

the viewpoints that are developed at this stage of their lives are known to play a significant in the

cognitive capacities and propensity to mental health disorders and anti-social behaviors during

adulthood.

The perspective that Spiegler, Verkuyten, Thijs, and Leyendecker (2016) presented in

their study showed concepts that can serve as evidence to support the assertion that the

challenges and personal experiences of children and teenagers from ethnic minority groups have

major effects on their social and behavioral development. In their qualitative study of the

psychology of diversity resistance and integration, Welsh, & Ordóñez (2014) posited that

discrimination and bias in the workplace is the result of the viewpoints that people created and

sustain during their formation of peer relationships as children and teenagers. Therefore, the

assertions from Erikson's psychosocial theory can be considered as a useful connection between

the concepts and practices focus of the social, behavioral, developmental, and cognitive domains

(Labouvie-Vief et al., 1995).

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Personality and identity are two concepts that psychologists from different disciplines use

as inputs to the formulation of hypothesis and theoretical frameworks that guide their practices

and research endeavors (McAdams, 2015). Gonzales et al. (2017) stated that the identity

formation process of children and adolescents from an ethnic minority group is more complex

than their counterparts from majority groups. In their study on the subject, Wilkowski and

Robinson (2008) observed that a strong sense of ethnic identity was found to have a positive

correlation with the proper development of teenagers including higher self-esteem and the

reduction of their potential to engage in anti-social behaviors including substance abuse.

The most relevant information from this literature on ethnic identity development and

acculturation preference among young adults from minority groups is the relationship between

the concept and the capacity of the individual to deal with racial discrimination and social

exclusion (Rutland et al., 2012). Also, the conflicts that young people have to deal regarding the

challenges of living and interacting with their counterparts from majority groups (Newman,

2017) is an aspect of the literature that should emphasizes the connections between the four

domains and influence on the psychological and attitudinal impacts of all the elements of

diversity on them (Bergiel, Gainey, & Bergiel,2015). According to Pettit and Dodge (2003), the

emergence of anti-social behavior in children from the early stages of the lives to their

adolescence stage is considered the result of the peer, institutional, and environmental factors

that are associated with living in a diverse world.

Social exclusion and inclusion are concepts that emerged from the review of the literature

on the psychology of diversity regarding the issues and personal experience of children and

teenagers in multicultural societies (Grusec, 1992). While these subjects are the research

activities of social and developmental psychologists, they are equally important to the behavioral

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 13

and cognitive theorists due to its significance in the formation of the attitudes for interpersonal

and intergroup interactions and abilities to make decisions and cope with the daily hassles in

their lives. Abrams et al. (2014) claimed that social exclusion has great influence on the

connection between children's relationship with members of the groups and how the dynamics of

the union impact their early development, which is the phenomenon that is critical to the

practices of social and developmental psychologists. In the opinion of Gaspodini and Falcke

(2018), inclusion is a social concept that was found to contribute immensely to the positive

outcomes of young people in multicultural settings such as high-level motivation and absence of

mental disorders including depression and anxiety among others.

Psychology of diversity is an important field of study to the contemporary psychologists

across the four domains because of its role in the development of the understanding of the

behaviorism (Bergiel et al., 2015) that result from the dynamics of social groups and the

developmental needs of children and adolescents. In a study by Rutland et al. (2012), the

rationale for this assertion on the importance of psychology of diversity can be determined from

how practitioners from the four domains use the range of identities within a group. It is the

construct for the exploration of the behaviors, developmental needs and progress, cognitive

preference for decisions, and social interactions between the members (Dodge et al., 2003). Also,

it is the traditional approach that is regarded as the most appropriate one for resolving the sexual

and gender issues that children and teenager present in the clinical setting (Gaspodini et al.,

2018) or during the formulation of therapeutic methods. Although Pettit (2004) asserts that the

understanding of the issues that influence the personal experiences of young people from ethnic

and religious minority groups is cognitive since it entails the determination of the three elements

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 14

of the dynamism within the group, the scholars conceded that it is a concept that has relevance to

the four domains.

Furthermore, children and adolescents from ethnic minority and religious groups that

grow up in a complex social were discovered from the commonality of the themes from the

literature to rely on socio-cognitive systems (Gonzalez et al., 2017) that result in processes that

could determine their personality development, identity formation, and behavioral practice

different from their counterparts. In a case study experiment that was conducted by Wilkowski et

al. (2008) on the level of intercultural competence that is needed by this demographic at different

stages of their development, the findings showed he importance of the psychology of diversity.

According to Shadi et al. (2017), the capacity of the students to explore their ethnic identity and

use the information social inclusion and contact with other members of their group was found to

increase their resilience to the impacts of bias and discriminatory practices in their society.

Similarly, the outcome of the study by Leman et al. (2017) showed that clinical psychologists

need the knowledge of complex relationships between the processes for developing multiple

identities, social inclusion, and acculturation strategies and socio-cognitive outcomes of

teenagers and children with specialization in any of the four domains.

Critique

The selected literature for this integrative study represents a detailed examination

platform for the construct of the four domains that are related to the psychology of diversity

since they centered on the variables and dimensions that influence the experiences and

interactions of children and adolescents from ethnic and religious minority groups. Reliability of

a research study is an analytical tool for measuring the methods that were used for collecting and

processing data in the different studies that formed the overall literature for this review

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 15

(Mikes‐Liu, 2015). A detailed evaluation of the existence of this criterion in the selected sources

for our investigation into the four domains that influence the psychological impacts of diversity

on young people revealed that the findings from case studies, surveys, and longitudinal studies

are reliable and applicable to multiple settings. Although a significant number of the reference

materials did review of theoretical frameworks, concepts, and practice methodologies such as the

ones by McAdams (2015), Moore (2013), and Wiggins-Romesburg et al. (2018) among others,

the research design and relevance of evidence that were used to support the scholars perspectives

and position made reliable.

The validity of a research study is another aspect of the integrative literature review that

our present study considered as part of the objective to present findings that would be useful to

the formulation of interventions and practice guidelines for practitioners in the four domains.

Aside from its role in increasing the credibility of the authors, it is also a criterion that is required

for determining the replication potential of the study by future researchers (Maxwell et al.,

2013). In this context, the evaluation of the validity of the findings from the research

publications that comprised this literature review revealed the emphasis of the authors on the

accuracy and relevance of their endeavors to the body of knowledge on the topics.

An additional example of the validity of the literature is how Spiegler et al. (2016)

centered their longitudinal study on the ethnic identity of migrant children and adolescent on

relationships and friendships with dominant group members due to the role of the interactions on

the cognitive, behavioral, and social development. Similarly, the overall validity of the results

from the literature is evident in the approach that Abrams et al. (2014) used for justifying their

position on the effect of social exclusion and prejudice on the successful completion of the

developmental stages of an individual's lifespan. Therefore, the issues, concepts, and ideas, as

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 16

well as the theories that the authors of the selected sources for this integrative literature review

are just relevant but contributed to strengthening the validity of the results.

Furthermore, the generalizability potential of the selected research findings was equally

important during our efforts to integrate them into a framework that would shape future research

activities on the psychology of diversity. The guiding question that influenced this aspect of the

study was how well do these sources represent the many dimensions of the social, physical, and

cognitive challenges that young people from ethnic minority and religious groups face during

various stages of their development in multicultural settings (Leman et al., 2017). The outcomes

of the studies that were conducted by Rutland et al. (2012), Gonzalez et al. (2017), Gaspodini et

al. (2018), and Labouvie-Vief et al. (1995) are examples of the resources that provided the

information for answering this question. Therefore, it can be inferred that literature represented

all issues that would interest the social, behavioral, developmental, and cognitive psychologists

(Leman et al., 2017). Their efforts to understand how social exclusion, prejudice (Abrams et al.,

2014), intergroup interactions, and bias affect the behavior (Bergiel et al., 2015), identity,

motivation (Elmer et al., 2003), and development of children and adolescents in societies with

diverse populations (Gonzalez et al., 2017).

Meanwhile, the strengths and main contributions of the literature can be found in their

emphasis of the alignment of the theoretical frameworks from the four domains to the dimension

of the issues that young people from minority groups face in various settings (Shadi et al., 2017).

Specifically, the literature reflected the need to consider a detailed view of the challenges and

problems that this category of the population face and the factors that were responsible for them.

One of such strengths is Moore's (2013) focus on the mechanisms that influence the behavioral

systems of humans and operating conditions that would determine their thinking capabilities to

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 17

illustrate the importance of social learning to the proper development of the child. Also,

Mikes‐Liu's (2015) decision to combine ideas and concepts from the four domains to present a

model for the use of dialogical perspectives in the mental health settings for adolescents and

children is additional evidence of the potential of the literature to the field of psychology.

In spite of the limitations that were identified by the researchers in their respective

studies, the literature lacked any form of deficiencies that could compromise the understanding

of the audience on the different aspects of the psychology of diversity. An additional important

point of the selected sources for this integrative review was their potential to provide accurate

and relevant information that reflected the authority and credibility of the scholars. It is the

premise that informed the use of the CRAAP test before the inclusion of their findings in the

formulation of the perspectives that were documented in this present study. Therefore, no

inaccuracies were observed in the literature during the conduct of this present study, especially

when consideration is given to the fact that the authors focused on major points that were

essential to gaining insights into the problems by children and adolescents from minority groups.

An integrative review of the literature is designed to help the researcher to use the

information to create new ideas and concepts that can be used by practitioners to create new

models for resolving some of the issues that exist in our society (Wilkowski et al., 2008). While

the claims that we expressed in this evaluation of the results of previous studies were based on

the convergence of the theories and ideas across the four domains, we endeavor that the evidence

that was used to support our position on the connections and relationships between the issues and

their effects were aligned. Also, the objective of this study was to the ensure that ethical

obligation of the researchers according to APA's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 18

Conduct were observed for studies that involved human subjects including children and

adolescents.

In this regard, the analysis of the privacy and informed consent of these research projects

including the ones conducted by Bergiel et al. (2015), Dodge et al. (2003), González et al.

(2017), and Petit et al. (2004) were performed to ensure adherence to the ethical codes and

principles. Also, the absence of the ethical issues in these studies was responsible for their failure

to influence the generalizability and reliability of the chosen findings and additional justification

for their inclusion as reference materials for the integrative review (Welsh et al., 2014).

Therefore, we inferred that the ethical considerations used by the authors of the selected

reference materials did not have impacts on the reliability and generalizability of the outcomes

from the studies.

Synthesis

A research endeavor that is designed for the integration of current ideas with new ones to

formulate new perspectives that should advance the body of knowledge on the issues and

challenges that children and teenagers from minority groups should present findings to support

the new claims (Wilkowski et al., 2008). While the psychology of diversity remains an emerging

subject, the synthesis of current research activities on its core elements should address them in

ways that result in models that affirm the relevance and applicability of the principles and

concepts that were used for the formulation of the theories (Maxwell, B., & Beaulac, 2013). It is

this premise and assertions that would influence the contents of this section of the literature

review, as well as the imperative to construct clear and concise evidence-based relationships and

perspectives that would drive future research activities across the domains.

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Diversity presents a complex interplay of factors that have tremendous impacts on the

elements that children and adolescents are used for their development at these stages of their life

(Wiggins-Romesburg et al., 2018). According to Leman et al. (2017), the primary focus of

researchers who are interested in this field of human existence is the balance of the social and

environmental factor to ensure the active formation of ethnic identities, integration into the

society, academic performance, skills and competencies for participation in civic responsibility,

and the maintenance of their overall health and wellbeing. The principles that were posited in the

psychosocial theory of development and psychodynamic theories also aligns with these

perspectives and additional influence on the quest for views that would result in interventions

and therapeutic practices that could address some of the behavioral and socio-cognitive problems

(Macaulay, 2008) that are exhibited by this demography. Rutland et al. (2012) asserted that the

impact of diversity of the experiences of children and their capacity to develop the cognitive

capacity abilities that are needed for forming opinions about the subject while Moore (2013)

noted that it can be observed from their understanding and participation in activities that require

intergroup contacts. Therefore, the existing literature emphasized the significance of

investigating these elements of diversity since they constitute a concept that drives the behavior

of children in different settings (Welsh et al., 2014).

Meanwhile, the differences in the opinions and frameworks that are used by

psychologists from the four domains that have resulted in the many controversies that exist in the

field of psychology are non-existence in diversity-related issues. Bateson (2008) claimed that

need to gain knowledge on the role of the individual in neural and behavioral development in the

context of the various features that are used at different stages of lifespan development crucial to

all psychologists including those that are specialized in the many disciplines within the field.

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 20

Historically, childhood and adolescence have informed the fundamental studies on human

behavior and interactions with the environments, as well as biological composition, by

developmental and social researchers (McAdams, 2015). Abram et al. (2014) posited that the

analysis of the methods that are used by people to process information on social exclusion have

defined the frameworks that were created professionals from the social developmental paradigm

because of its importance to the determination of the origin of prejudice and discriminatory

practice people from minority groups. Leman et al. (2017) concluded that these ideas are next

frontiers for the creation of interventions that would address the social problems that result from

the exclusion of children from groups that provide the platforms for cultivating their socio-

cognitive competences and skills.

Furthermore, the evidence form the literature on themes that result in the experiences that

are used by teenagers at this stage of their development showed that personality development is

critical to their proper functioning in different social groups. Dodge (2003) wrote that

adolescence is the most significant period in the development of the personal identities that are

required to form perspectives that are used for making-decision. This assertion is one of the

evidence that showed how the investigation into the problems that teenagers face in their

communities affects their cognitive function, which is the primary focus of the cognitive

psychologists (Pettit, 2004). An additional dimension of the information that the literature

provided to the subject is the use of the social learning theory in the determination of the

complexities that were examined by Grusec (1992). Bateson (2008) despite the importance of the

homogenous contexts and developmental processes that are used for by young people to form

their personalities, the lack of models that can be help psychologist provide approaches for them

to deal with behavioral challenges was necessary.

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 21

Human behaviors occur in ways that are visible to all observers, but psychologists

consider these as the outcome of the interactions between the biological composition and

environmental factors that are driven by the dimensions of the mind (Moore, 2013). As the

unobservable dimension but a major influence on the attitude and emotions of people including

children and adolescents (Burleson, 1981), the cognitive aspects of the issues that affect minority

groups are dependent on the environmental stimulations that occur through social systems

(Jordan et al., 2016). Moreover, the mental factors are developed through the lifespan of the

person (Bergiel et al., 2015) since they change over time and play different roles in resultant

behavioral patterns that are displayed at the different stages. When these perspectives are placed

in the context of the personal experiences of young people that were created from their

interactions with members from their social groups (Moore, 2013), it becomes imperative that

we consider the underlying cognitive phenomena that involved in these processes. Overall, the

knowledge that is gained from the understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to the proper

development of children at the stages between early childhood and early adulthood would be

useful inputs for the formulation of effective psychotherapies and mental health interventions for

integration challenges (Newman, 2017).

Conclusion

The integrative literature review has shown the importance of the knowledge on the

processes and systems that influence the experiences and issues that young people from minority

group face in a diverse world. Discrimination, bias, inequality, and group-based bullying are

some of the problems that these children and adolescents are expected to develop responses

through the display of their behavioral tendencies and cognitive capabilities. Also, the analysis of

the theoretical frameworks that are used across the domains showed that the nature of these

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 22

responses plays a significant role in their development of personal identities including the

cultural and ethnic ones that would determine their socialization potential during adulthood.

These findings are important for the behavioral, developmental, social, and cognitive

psychologist since they represent the models that would drive the formulation of the approaches

and scientific studies in the different issues that are encountered in their respective disciplines.

Although these approaches might differ according to the focus of practitioners from each of these

domains, the outcomes of the integration of existing studies on the various elements of the

psychological effects of diversity should form part of the fundamentals that are used for future

studies.

Furthermore, the ideas and concepts that were presented in this integrative review of the

literature on the psychology of diversity are grounded in the perspective that can be used by

practitioners that are involved in the promotion of the integration of minority groups into

multicultural settings. They are an extension of the results from the application of the

psychoanalysis, psychodynamic, and social learning theories through the identification of the

inherent complex elements of the core issues that affect this demography. Aside from the

potential of the findings of this literature review to drive the formulation of psychological

interventions for behavioral and identity problems presented children and teenage clients in

clinical and non-clinical settings, they are useful for determining the personality lines that

influence them.

Socio-cognitive performance of young people from minority groups is an additional

aspect of the psychology of diversity that the findings from this study are considered valuable to

clinicians and counselors across the domains. One of the key contributions that can be inferred

from this literature review is the identification of the models for intervening the emotional

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 23

expressions and behavioral problems that create issues for the individual. Also, these evidence

from the integration of existing ideas and concepts with new ones resulted in the development of

the framework for the motivational approaches and personality lines that are essential for dealing

with the issues that occur at different stages of their development. Overall, the message from the

ideas that we presented in this integrative review is the need to integrate scientific research and

influence psychological practices in ways that answer the question of why am I excluded from

my social group that young people from minority groups usually ask themselves?

In spite of our efforts to address most of the psychology of diversity-related issues that

most young people face in multicultural settings, some questions remain that have significant

implications for the profession. How can the psychological practices regarding diversity that

modeled in biological, religious, and moral beliefs can be modified to deal with the concerns of

children and adolescence of stereotypes? What specific interventions can counselors and

clinicians develop for health adaptation and integration of minority children into the dominant

culture? What acculturation preference of different demographics can result in the positive

outcomes of these intervention models? While efforts would continue to provide answers to

these questions and several others that might emerge from other studies, it is pertinent to state

that overall implication of this integrative review is the need to study the early stages of social

inclusion and exclusion to determine the conflicts and tensions that could exist from childhood to

adulthood. It is a major imperative for psychologists across the domains to contribute to the

development of strategies that would result in healthy social interactions and identities for the

proper development of the next generation.

Recommendations for Future Research Studies

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 24

This study showed that social diversity and the developmental needs of young people

present issues and challenges that impact their behavior and capacity to make decisions

regarding their future. Our research identified several important issues that reflect the vibrancy

and potential for the field to provide insights into the important variables that influence the

formation of the perspective of young people regarding social exclusion and inclusion. However,

there is a need for the collection of more data through the conduct of longitudinal studies on the

connections between these key concepts and ideas. It is a research endeavor that would provide

information on the long-term impacts of diversity on development as children transit through the

various stages of their growth into adulthood. Similarly, the findings from these longitudinal

studies would be valuable for dealing with the dynamic nature of the changes in the contexts that

influence social behavior by members of groups across the four domains. Finally, it is imperative

that the development of methodologies for conducting psychology of diversity influences the

directions and actions of future studies since of the use of a diverse range of participants is

essential for determining the concepts and phenomena that young people need to integrate into

multicultural communities.

INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW 25

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