Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
San Diego State University, CA, USA.
Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2023 Aug;27(3):255-271. doi: 10.1177/10888683221145243. Epub 2023 Jan 12.
Personality and social psychology have historically viewed individuals' systemically marginalized identities (e.g., as people of color, as coming from a lower-income background) as barriers to their success. Such a deficit-based perspective limits psychological science by overlooking the broader experiences, value, perspectives, and strengths that individuals who face systemic marginalization often bring to their societies. The current article aims to support future research in incorporating a strength-based lens through tracing psychology's journey away from an emphasis on deficits among people who contend with systemic marginalization and toward three distinct strength-based approaches: the , and . Through distinguishing between each approach, we advance scholarship that aims to understand systemically marginalized identities with corresponding implications for addressing inequality. Strength-based approaches guide the field to recognize the imposed limitations of deficit-based ideologies and advance opportunities to engage in research that effectively understands and values systemically marginalized people.
Inequalities, including those between people from higher- and lower-income backgrounds, are present across society. From schools to workplaces, hospitals to courtrooms, people who come from backgrounds that are marginalized by society often face more negative outcomes than people from more privileged backgrounds. While such inequalities are often blamed on a lack of hard work or other issues within marginalized people themselves, scientific research increasingly demonstrates that this is not the case. Rather, studies consistently find that people's identities as coming from groups that face marginalization in society often serve as a valuable source of unique strengths, not deficiencies, that can help them succeed. Our article reviews these studies to examine how future research in psychology may gain a broader understanding of people who contend with marginalization. In doing so, we outline opportunities for psychological research to effectively support efforts to address persistent inequalities.
人格与社会心理学在历史上一直将个体系统上边缘化的身份（例如，作为有色人种，来自低收入背景）视为其成功的障碍。这种基于缺陷的观点限制了心理学科学的发展，因为它忽略了那些面临系统性边缘化的个体通常为其社会带来的更广泛的经验、价值观、观点和优势。本文旨在通过追溯心理学从强调面临系统性边缘化的人群的缺陷，到三种不同的基于优势的方法的历程，为未来的研究提供支持。这三种方法分别是补偿优势法、能力启发优势法和积极特质法。通过区分每种方法，我们推进了旨在理解系统边缘化身份的学术研究，并为解决不平等问题提供了相应的启示。基于优势的方法指导该领域认识到基于缺陷的意识形态的局限性，并为开展能够有效理解和重视系统边缘化人群的研究提供机会。
不平等现象普遍存在于社会各个方面，包括高收入和低收入背景人群之间的不平等。从学校到工作场所，从医院到法庭，来自社会边缘化背景的人往往面临比来自更优越背景的人更多的负面结果。尽管这些不平等现象通常归咎于边缘化人群自身缺乏努力或其他问题，但科学研究越来越多地表明事实并非如此。相反，研究一致发现，人们作为来自社会边缘化群体的身份往往是独特优势的宝贵来源，而不是缺陷，这些优势可以帮助他们取得成功。我们的文章回顾了这些研究，以考察未来心理学研究如何更全面地理解面临边缘化的人群。在这样做的过程中，我们概述了心理学研究为有效支持解决持续不平等问题的努力提供机会。
