Filipino Psychology
 Indigenous Psychology
o Scientific study of ethnicity
Distinctions among the forms of Psychology
1. Psychology in the Philippines (Sikolohiya sa Pilipinas)
 Refers to a series of events related to the
field of psychology in the Philippines
 E.g. Amount of research conducted
2. Psychology of Filipinos (Sikolohiya ng mga Pilipino)
 Refers to any theories or knowledge of
Filipino nature regardless of source, western
or local
3. Filipino Psychology (Sikolohiyang Pilipino)
 Based on the Filipino’s true thoughts,
feelings, behaviors, and must derive from
indigenous Filipino sources
Limits of Western Concepts & Methods
Issue - Applicability of western theories to the
realities of Asian societies
Principal Emphasis in Filipino Psychology
1. Identity and national coonciousness
2. Social awareness and involvement
3. Psychology of language and culture
4. Applications & bases of Filipino psychology (health
practices, agriculture, art, religion)
Primary areas of Filipino Psychology
It is against..
 A psychology that perpetuates the colonial status of
the Filipino mind
 A psychology used for the exploitation of the masses
 The imposition of psychologies developed in foreign
countries
POSITIONS OF FILIPINO PSYCHOLOGY
On psychological practice
 Conceptualization of psychological practice in a
Philippine context
 Concerned with folk practices, indigenous techniques,
of healing, popular religio-political movement
On Science-Humanism
 Utilizes scientific methodology
 Concerned not only with the universal validity of
psychological science
On Mentalism – Behaviorism issue
 Uses both phenomenological and behavioristic
concepts
 Lesser emphasis on individual experience, greater
experience on collective experience
 Greater importance to “kamalayan” (consciousness)
 Subsidary importance to “ulirat” (feeling)
On Analysis – Wholeness Issue
 Methodologically leans on the side of analysis
 Interprets the result of analysis with a bias for
wholeness
Metaphor
Difference between tao sa bahay (person in the house) and
taong bahay (house person)
ETHNIC PSYCHOLOGY
Kinagisnang sikolohiya
 Subconscious psychology
 Imbedded in the native language, art, music, culture,
and religion
 One has been born to; unaware
Katutubong sikolohiya
 Psychology worked out by Filipinos with indigenous
elements as basis
 Natural to the Filipino
Practice of psychology by Filipinos
a. Indigenous techniques of enculturation/socialization
(myths for social control)
b. Proto-clinical practice (chants during wakes, poetry)
Psychological concepts and human behavior
 The formation of psychological concepts is the more
important stage in understanding human behavior
“Kapwa” – core concept in Filipino Psychology
 Recognition of shared identity
 Eight behaviorally recognizable levels under two
general categories in Filipino were identified
Ibang-tao (outsider)
1. Pakikitungo (civility)
2. Pakikisalamuha (mixing)
 3. Pakikilahok (joining)  Content Indigenization translation of imported
4. Pakikibagay (conforming) materials
5. Pakikisama (adjusting)  Theoretic indegnization
 Indigenization as strategy
Hindi-ibang tao (one-of-us)\
 Culture assimilation indigenous version of imported
1. Pakikipagpalayang-loob (mutual trust) systems
2. Pakikisangkot (getting involved)
3. Pakikiisa (full trust) INDIGENIZATION FROM WITHIN

Pakikiramdam – Pivotal aspect of kapwa  Identification of indigenous concepts, methods,

theories
 Sensitivity  Semantic elaboration
 ‘feeling for another’  Indigenous codification re-codification
 Emotional a priori  Systematization/explication of implied theoretical
frameworks
Filipino surface values
 Application/use
 Pakikisama
Using the culture as source
 Hiya
 Utang na loob  Indigenization from within
o Necessarily implies the need for culture
Major goals of Filipino Psychology
revalidation
 Pagsasakatutubo (indigenization) o A demand for concepts and methods which
 Pagka-agham (science) are culturally appropriate, scientifically valid
 Pagka-Pilipino (Filipino Identity)
Research Approaches Filipino Intellectual tradition
 Experimental Levels of validity & scientific standards
o Adherence to predetermined set of
procedures 1. Katatagan (replicability, reliability)
 Survey 2. Katapatan (multiple operationism, validity)
o Conform to an informal agreement with 3. Patibay (certification)
respondents 4. Patotoo (Affimability, attestability)
 Participatory 5. Patunay (authenticity)
o Negotiate issues jointly as they arise FILIPINO INDIGENOUS THEORIES
 Indigenous
o Seek to enhance awareness as one-with- Filipino concepts and models of personality
the-other
1. Ginhawa (vital principle)
Approaches in the Development & Utilization of 2. Buot (perception)
indigenous viewpoints 3. Isip (mind)
4. Dungan (sleep spirit)
 Indigenization from within 5. Kalag (life spirit)
o Basis: the indigenous
o Direction: outwards Three elements in Baltazar’s model:
o Culture-as-source 1. Bait (sanity)
 Indigenous from without 2. Muni (reflection)
o Basis: the exogenous 3. Hatol (judgement)
o Direction: inwards
o Cullture-as-target Four elements in Covar’s concept of Filipino personhood:

INDIGENIZATION FROM WITHOUT 1. Kaluluwa (spirit)

2. Budhi (conscience)
3. Katauhang panlabas (external appearance
 4. Katauhang panloob (innermost being)
Filipino social interaction theory
 Identified using ethnoscientific field methods.
 Levels and modes of social interaction rooted in
Filipino collectivist culture
 Kapwa – core concept in Filipino social psychology
 Pakikipagkapwa – accepting, dealing with the other
person as an equal
RESEARCH MODELS
1. Self-orientation
The data collector and contributors relate to
the other only to the extent of waiting until
the other stops responding
2. Experimenter-orientation
The data collectors appear to influence while
only the data contributors appear to be
influenced
3. Reactive - orientation
The participants in the data collection are
reacting to what is currently taking place
between them.
4. Mutual – orientation
The data collector and contributor give
something to, and gain something from the
data collection
Researcher-Researchee Relationship Model
 Scale of the Researcher
o Methods used by the researcher in
generating data that are tried and tested
and are culturally sensitive and
appropriate in doing research with
Filipinos
 Scale of the Relationship or Interaction between
the Researcher and the Researchee
o The level of interaction between the
researcher and the researchee
significantly determines the quality of
data obtained
Collective indigenous method:
 Partakes of the characteristics of:
o A community dialogue
o Focused group discussion
o Natural cluster interview
o Group attestation
 Puts premium on
o Cultural appropriateness
o Ordinary get-together
Filipino Indigenous Research Methods
1. Pakapa-kapa (groping)
2. Pagtatanong-tanong (asking questions)
3. Pakikiramdam (shared sensitivities)
4. Pakikialam (concerned interference)
5. Pakikilahok
6. Pakikisangkot (integral involvement)
7. Pagdalaw-dalaw (casual but repeated visits)
Panunuluyan approach
SPREAD OF FILIPINO PSYCHOLOGY OUTSIDE THE
PHILIPPINES
 Pakikipagkuwentuhan:
In this method, the researcher engages in a story-telling
with an umpukan. The researcher merely serves as the
facilitator, while the kalahok or participants are the one
who are to talk. The term kwento, from the Spanish word
cuento, literally means 'to tell a story'.
 Panunuluyan:
In this method, the researcher stays in the home of his
kalahok or participant while he conducts the research with
consent by the host family, whose head serves as the
tulay to an umpukan. The term tuloy, which is the root
word of the term panunuluyan, literally means 'to go in'.
 Pagdadalaw-dalaw
In this method, the researcher occasionally visits the
house of his host or tulay, as opposed to staying in the
house. The term dalaw literally means 'visit'.
 Pagtatanung-tanong
In this method, the researcher undergoes a kind of
questioning session with his kalahok or participants. In this
method, however, 'lead questions' (those questions which
directly refer to the topic being studied) are not supposed
to be asked, instead the questions to be asked are
supposed to have been derived from the kalahok's
answers themselves. The word tanong literally means
'question'.
 Pakikiramdam
In this approach, the researcher uses entirely his/her own
feelings or emotions to justify if his participants or kalahok
are ready to be part of his research or not. The term
damdam literally means 'inner perception of emotions'.