CULTURAL SENSITIVITY IN MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING - A PERCEPTUAL SCHEMA MODEL

A critical review of the multicultural counseling literature revealed 4 limitations of previous conceptualizations of cultural sensitivity. These limitations are definitional variance, inadequate descriptions of indicators of cultural sensitivity, a lack of theoretical grounding, and limitations in measurement and research designs. After these limitations are explored, cultural sensitivity is defined as a distinct perceptual process. A model of cultural sensitivity is proposed that contextualizes the construct in perceptual schema theory. Five possible nomological processes are described. Implications for future research are discussed.