Handbook on the State of the Art in Applied Psychology

CHAPTER 18Internationalization and Training of Psychologists in a Globalized World

Maria Regina Maluf

Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Internationalization is a word to which different meanings can be attributed. The same can be said about internationalization of psychology as well as about the education and training of psychologists. Psychological science developed mainly in the Western developed countries. Nevertheless, nowadays it is rapidly growing in many other societies, whose culture and living conditions of people and groups are very different. This generates consequences not always recognized by “normal” science. The purpose of this chapter is to address some of the challenges we face in developing countries, particularly in Latin America, which is a part of the majority world psychology. We will address issues like the concept of internationalization, issues related to education and training of psychologists in Latin America, and the possibility of building a common basis for psychology. According to our analysis, psychology that emerged in the more‐developed Western countries is not the same as that emerging in developing countries. The real world and the socio‐cultural and economic context pose huge challenges to the training of young psychologists, but the construction of a common base of psychology in a globalized world seems to be a possible undertaking today.

Keywords

internationalization, training of psychologists, ...