Project in

Filipino
Psychology
Mary Gen
Masangkay
AB Psychology

FILIPINO PSYCHOLOGY
(SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO) Filipino
psychology
Sikolohiyang Pilipino in Filipino) is the scientific study of psychology derived from
the experience, ideas, and cultural orientation of the Filipinos. Virgilio G.
Enriquez, considered to be the father of Sikolohiyang Pilipino, identified the
following as the subject matter of this formal indigenous psychology (Enriquez,
1974): kamalayan or consciousness which includes both emotive and cognitive
experience;ulirat or awareness of ones immediate surrounding;isip which refers
to knowledge and understanding;diwa which includes habits and
behavior;kalooban or emotions or feelings; and kaluluwa or psyche which
translates to soul of a people. With the aim to address the colonial background of
psychology in the Philippines, sikolohiyang Pilipino started as a movement within
psychology and other related disciplines in the 1970s that focuses on the
following themes: (a) identity and national consciousness; (b) social awareness
and involvement; (c) national and ethnic cultures and languages, including the
study of traditional psychology; and (d) bases and application of indigenous
psychology in health practices, agriculture, art, mass media, religion but also
including the psychology of behavior and human abilities as originated in Western
psychology but was found applicable to the local setting (Enriquez, 1993).

This movement has three primary areas of protest.

First, as a
Sikolohiya ng pagbabagong-isip
(psychology of re-awakening), the movement is against a psychology that perpetuates
colonial mentality and promotes the decolonization of the Filipino mind as a stage in
the development of national consciousness. Second, as

Sikolohiyang malaya
(liberated psychology), it is against the importation and imposition of a psychology that
has been developed in, and is more appropriate to, industrialized countries. Last, as a

Sikolohiyang mapagpalaya
(liberating psychology), the movement is against a psychology used for the exploitation
of the masses. As part of the indigenous psychology tradition, sikolohiyang Pilipino is
built on psychological knowledge that: (a) arose from within the culture; (b) reflects
local behaviors; (c) can be interpreted within a local frame of reference; and (d) yields
results that are locally relevant (Sinha, 1997). However, Enriquez (1978) is quick to
point out that sikolohiyang Pilipino does not advocate that foreign theories should
altogether be abandoned. Uncritical rejection of anything foreign is as dangerous as
uncritical acceptance of Western theories. In fact, Enriquez (1978) proposed that
sikolohiyang Pilipino knowledge can be borne out of two processes: indigenizationfrom-without and indigenization-from-within.

Indigenization-from-without is the more common approach used

in knowledge and technology transfer. This approach is based on
the search of local equivalents for the assumed universal
psychological concepts or the contextualization of imported
methods and techniques, and tools and instruments. A similar
concept is cultural validation, the practice of validating research
through systematic replication in multiple cultures. On the other
hand, indigenization-from-within formalizes Filipinos implicit
psychological theories, knowledge, methods and practices
developed with the local culture as basis (local culture as source).
Enriquez also used the term cultural revalidation to refer to this
process. In order to frame the efforts in sikolohiyang Pilipino to
formalize indigenize psychology in the Philippines, it is important
to look into the attempts to: (1) develop indigenous concepts and
frameworks; and (2) adapt, develop and use culturallyappropriate instruments and methods.

Indigenous concepts and theorizing

Some considerable progress has been noted in the identification and
elaboration of indigenous concepts, particularly in the area of personality
and values (Church & Katigbak, 1999). For example, Enriquez (1978)
presented what is considered to be a core concept in Filipino
psychology:kapwa .He defined kapwa as a recognition of shared identity
or an inner self shared with others. He also clarified that the recognition
starts with the self and not from others: A person starts having kapwa
not so much because of a recognition of status given to him by others but
more because of his awareness of shared identity. The ako (ego) and the
iba-sa-akin(others) are one and the same in kapwa psychology:Hindi ako
iba sa aking kapwa(I am no different from others). Once ako starts
thinking of himself as separate from kapwa, the Filipino self gets to be
individuated in the Western sense and, in effect denies the status of
kapwa to the other. By the same token, the status of kapwa is also denied
to the self. (Enriquez, 1978; p. 106) Enriquez disavowed the English
translation others as it connotes a separation of the self from the other;
whereas kapwa denotes the exact opposite: a sharing of self and other.
Thus, a sense of kapwa is not just simple other-orientedness. He also
proposed that this recognition of sharedness with an other is a core value
among Filipinos. To emphasize the core-ness of kapwa, Enriquez (1992)

. This three-tiered value structure (core, surface and societal) is

Enriquezs attempt to demonstrate the relative importance of the
values. However, Enriquez also placed much weight on
pakikiramdam(shared inner perception) as the pivotal
interpersonal value which is necessarily tied to the operation of all
the surface values (p.76). This suggests that pakikiramdam may
have a higher-order importance than the surface values. The
surface values are expected to be the least important in comparison
to both kapwa and pakikiramdam. Pakikiramdam is described as
involving tentative, exploratory and improvisatory behavior
intended to avoid offending or hurting other people (Mataragnon,
1987). Thus, a person high in pakikiramdam is often described as
thoughtful and caring while a person low in pakikiramdam could be
accused of being thoughtless and uncaring (p. 471). In a sense,
pakikiramdam requires that a person actively senses or feels out
the situation and the other person in a social interaction, and
carefully come up with an appropriate behavior. In effect, people
who have low pakikiramdam will exhibit behaviors that are
inappropriate to the situation and would not sense, intentionally or
otherwise, if they had offended or hurt the other person.

Meanwhile, Enriquez coined the term surface values to

refer to a set of values that are easily obvious, especially to
the notice of outsiders (non-Filipinos), but not necessarily
the most important ones. The accessibility of the
accommodative surface values (pakikisama, hiya and
utang na loob) would lead foreigners to assume that
Filipinos are other-oriented. However, non-Filipinos may
also fail to note that confrontative surface values (bahala
na, pakikibaka and lakas ng loob) are as equally important
to Filipinos when situations call for asserting ones
individual rights. The over-emphasis on accommodative
values, and the corresponding neglect of its counterpart,
the confrontative ones, painted a distorted and incomplete
view of the Filipino, which Enriquez (1990) termed as the
pasukong Pilipino(the submissive Filipino). This image,
when perpetuated, was suspiciously more beneficial to the
colonial masters than to the Filipinos themselves.

Many sikolohiyang Pilipino advocates have pushed for the development and use of
indigenous research approaches and methods derived from Filipinos cultural ways of
gathering information. A number of these methods have been explicated (e.g.,pakapakapa, suppositionless approach; Torres, 1982) but three methods are worth elucidating
because of their more frequent use: pagtatanung-tanong (asking around);
pakikipagkuwentuhan (exchanging stories); and ginabayang talakayan (indigenous
facilitated discussion). In pagtatanung-tanong, the researcher engages the participant in
a more unstructured and interactive questioning session (Gonzales, 1982; Pe-Pua, 1989).
Also, 'lead questions' (those questions which directly refer to the topic being studied) are
discouraged, instead the questions to be asked should be based on participantsprior
responses themselves. Meanwhile, pakikipagkuwentuhan requires the researcher to
motivate the participants to narrate their experiences about an episode or event (Orteza,
1997). The interactions could be between the researcher and a participant or between a
researcher and a group of people. Finally, ginabayang talakayan is a combination of a
community dialogue, focused group discussion, and group attestation (Enriquez, 1994).
One particular feature of this set of methods is its dependence on face-to-face
interactions (both verbal and non-verbal) between researcher and participants. Torres
(1997) enumerated the features of field studies in the sikolohiyang Pilipino tradition:
contextualized; draws from a more diverse and broader sample base; uses multiple
methods; and open to interdisciplinary frameworks and perspectives.

ABSTRACT Pagtatanong-tanong, a Filipino word which means asking

questions, has been identified as an indigenous research method in
Philippine social science research. This paper discusses its usefulness in
cross-cultural studies particularly those among ethnic minority groups.
Pagtatanong-tanong has four major characteristics: (a) It is participatory in
nature; the informant has an input in the structure of the interaction in
terms of defining its direction and in time management. (b) The researcher
and the informant are equal in status; both parties may ask each other
questions for about the same length of time. (c) It is appropriate and
adaptive to the conditions sf the group of informants in that it cortforms to
existing group norms. (d) It is integrated with other indigenous research
methods.
Different aspects of pagtatanong-tanong are discussed: preparation,
procedure, levels of interaction, language, insider-outsider issue, cultural
sensitivity, reliability/validity and ethical issues. Emphasis is given to the
basic guiding principle: that the level of interaction between the researcher
and the informant influences the quality of data obtained. Eight levels of
interaction which are divided into the One-of- Us and the Outsider
categories are described.

In the realm of cross-cultural research, indigenization as an approach to

the study of cultures emerged. Indigenization efforts have been active in
Third World countries like India (Sinha, 1977), Mexico (Diaz-Guerrero,
1977), and the Philippines (Enriquez, 1977). Enriquez (1979), however,
claims that most of indigenization efforts have been from without, that
is, from outside the culture being studied. The dominant source of theory
and methodology is an external culture, usually a Western or American
one, and the recipients and targets of culture flow are Third
World countries. Researchers are encouraged to replicate studies done in
the West or discuss the reliability and validity of Western theories to the
experience of people in less industrialized countries. This approach to
indigenization broadens the data base of psychology but does not
necessarily assure us of a universal psychology.
On the other hand, indigenization from within implies that the
theoRevised version of a paper read at the 1983 Annual Convention of the
American Psychological Association, Anaheim, California, August 23, 1983.
Requests for reprints should be addressed to Rogelia Pe-Pua, Department
of Psychology,

University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, The Philippines. 147 148 R.
Pe-Pua retical framework and methodology emerge from the experiences of the
people from the indigenous culture (source of culture flow). Full use of the
indigenous language and culture are major ingredients of this perspective. This
approach of adopting alternative perspectives from nonWestern psychologies,
known as cross-indigenous perspective and methods, contributes to universal
cross-cultural knowledge. (Enriquez, 1979; Mataragnon, 1979) This approach is
consistent with Dinges (1977) definition of indigenization as the less
industrialized countries developing social sciences that reflect their cultural
heritage, present needs and political and economic needs. This is also what
Sue (1983) tries to argue for when he recommends bicultural research which
would emphasize understanding ethnic minority groups in their own terms.
Indigenization has been an increasing trend in the development of psychology
in the Philippines. In reaction to the wave of modernization (which many
Filipino scholars call westernization) which swept the academe, psychologists
have begun to feel the need to know more about the Filipino. Without really
abandoning the long-cherished theories learned in a highly-Western education,
many have tried to investigate whether these theories apply to Filipinos in the
country.

The trend used to be that of indigenization from without. For example, American
personality tests were translated to Filipino which were then used to assess Filipino
personality. Therefore, the viewpoint was still that of an outsider since the theroretical
framework and assumptions were borrowed from the West. In recent years, however,
there has been a zealous attempt towards developing an indigenous Filipino psychology
on the part of Filipino and non-Filipino scholars in the Philippines, from the angle of
indigenization from within. Filipino psychology is the psychology born out of the
experience, thought, and orientation of the Filipinos. It is based on Filipino culture and
language. Much of the contributions in Filipino psychology have been interdisciplinary
too, thus broadening the scope and enriching the materials. After all, in Third World
countries, disciplinal lines are not really as sacred as they are in the West. (Enriquez,
1979) Although Filipino psychology, being an indigenous psychology, emphasizes
particularness, it does not neglect universality. In fact, its end goal is universal
knowledge.
In searching for appropriate indigenous research methods, Filipino researchers have
come to assume the pakapa-kapa perspective, a suppositionless approach to social
scientific investigations. As implied by the term itself, pakapa-kapa is an approach
characterized by groping, searching, and probing into an unsystematized mass of social
and cultural data to obtain order, meaning, and directions for research (Torres, 1982).
Through this approach, pagtatanong-tanong was identified as an indigenous research
method. Its usefulness in cross-cultural research, particularly to the study of ethnic
minority groups, will be discussed.

Indigenous terms
Cultural orientation - is an inclination to think, feel or act in a way that is culturally determined. It defines the
basis of differences among cultures such self-identity, interpersonal relationships, communication, resolving
conflict.
Ex.: Cultural orientations are not black-and-white. No one totally belongs to only one cultural orientation but
could lie somewhere on a continuum bounded by the extreme on both ends.
Traditional Psychology - approach defines the problem and then finds a ways to treat the problem using
various techniques.
Ex.: evidence-based, intentional acts meant to increase well-being by diminishing that which impedes or
destroys human flourishing.
Indigenous psychology - an intellectual movement across the globe, based on the following factors: A reaction
against the colonization/hegemony of Western psychology. The need for non-Western cultures to solve their
local problems through indigenous practices and applications.
Ex.: The specific beliefs of indigenous people must be considered in order to bridge the barrier between
psychological ideas and the real world application of these ideas on indigenous people.
Colonial mentality - is the attitude that colonized peoples feel themselves to be inferior to their colonizers
based on the fact of colonization.
Ex.: -mass media or the entertainment industry favoring mestizo or fair skinned talents (despite lack of
talent). -obsession with branded clothing to the extent of purchasing counterfeit items for the sake of wearing
something branded
Decolonization - as the act of getting rid of colonization, or freeing a country from being dependent on another
country.
Ex.: An example of decolonization is India becoming independent from England after World War II.

Exploitation - the action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit

from their work
Ex.: Making use of natural resources to build a city is an example of the
exploitation of those resources.
Indigenize psychology- defined by Kim and Berry (1993) as "the scientific study of
human behavior or mind that is native, that is not transported from other regions,
and that is designed for its people."
Ex.: , American personality tests were translated to Filipino which were then used
to assess Filipino personality. Therefore, the viewpoint was still that of an outsider
since the theroretical framework and assumptions were borrowed from the West
Pivotal interpersonal value- as the psychology rooted on the experience, ideas, and
cultural orientation of the Filipinos.
Improvisatory behaviour - Made up without preparation
Submissive - behavior means shying away from saying what you really mean and
not seeking to achieve your needs, particularly when someone else has conflicting
needs.
Ex.: A child is bullied at school but neither fights back nor tells the teachers. They
may wish they could be stronger, like the bully.

Cross cultural studies - sometimes called holocultural studies or comparative

studies, is a specialization in anthropology and sister sciences (sociology,
psychology, economics, political science) that uses field data from many
societies to examine the scope of human behavior and test hypotheses about
human behavior and culture.
Ex.: research most commonly involves comparison of some cultural trait (or
relationships between traits) across a sample of societies.
Outsider -a person who does not belong to a particular group.
Ex.: Society often regards the artist as an outsider.
Endogenous - having an internal cause or origin
Ex.: "the expected rate of infection is endogenous to the system
Supposition less -the act of supposing
Ex.: suppositionless approach to social scientific investigations.
Ethnic minority group - a group that has different national or cultural
traditions from the main population.
Ex.: Groups who are differentiated on the basis of culture such as language,
food.

Filipino psychology - defined as the psychology rooted on the experience, ideas, and
cultural orientation of the Filipinos.
Bicultural - having or combining the cultural attitudes and customs of two nations,
peoples, or ethnic groups
Westernization - refers to the conversion to or adoption of Western traditions and
customs.
Ex.: Westernization has been an accelerating influence across the world in the last few
centuries, with some thinkers assuming westernization to be the equivalent of
modernization,[2] a way of thought that is often debated.
Acculturation - explains the process ofcultural changeand psychological change that
results following meeting between cultures
Ex.: . Acculturation is a direct change of one's culture through dominance over another's
culture through either military or political conquest. At the group level, acculturation
often results in changes to culture, customs, and social institutions. Noticeable group
level effects of acculturation often include changes in food, clothing, and language.
Enculturation - is the process by which people learn the requirements of their surrounding
culture and acquire values and behaviours appropriate or necessary in that culture
Ex.: The individual can become an accepted member and fulfill the needed functions and
roles of the group.