Research, Cultural Variables in

As the U.S. population changes, increasing numbers of individuals from multicultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds are participating in investigations. Commensurate with the changing population demographics, there is a need to consider a range of cultural variables that were not accounted for in the past. Previously, the dominant research designs used a standard against which diverse groups were compared. The standard typically consisted of mainstream (white) Americans. When behavioral differences were reported between the standard and underrepresented groups, the differences were often interpreted as deficits. Cultural variables were rarely used to account for why differences occurred between mainstream and minority groups.