Post on 26-Dec-2015
04/19/23 1
Robert Chin (Chen Yuli)
March 1918 – August 1990
July 28, 2005
04/19/23 2
Zeitgeist and Influences
Terry Wood
04/19/23 3
Influence of Historical Antecedents
Chinese-American Heritage Imperial China China Divided
GuoMinDang (Taiwan) Beijing
Communist Party Doctrine Cultural Revolution
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Zeitgeist that Influenced Ideas Early teens--Psychology
introduced in Chinese Universities 1930—Chinese Association of
Psychological Testing 1937—Chinese Psychological
Society 30’s in General—National attention
focused on education and language reform to modernize China
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Zeitgeist continued
Psychology used in learning how people learn the Chinese language
Most Chinese education and experimental psychologists studied at Colombia or University of Chicago.
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Zeitgeist Continued
Psychology in China before 1949 was western
1949—National Government moved to Taiwan and many psychologists came to U.S.
After 1949—Chinese government in Beijing modeled itself after Marxist-Leninist psychology with a philosophical base in dialectical materialism—Pavlovianism.
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Influential Events
WWII Office of Strategic Services,
Counterintelligence Social psychology ideas used to
combat fascism Many psychologist used in this way
during the war. 1st Lieutenant – Army Stationed in China and U.S.
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Influential Events
Racial Discrimination
Segregation
Prejudice Holocaust in Germany Cold War with Russia
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Achievements and Influences on Psychology
Devra McManus
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Academic Achievements Academic Achievements: Columbia University
- BA in Psychology 1939
- MA in Social Psychology 1940
- PhD in Social Psychology 1943 Harvard University
- Postdoc 1947 after WWII
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Academic Employment
Boston University Professor 32 yrs
Director Social Research Center
Chinese University Hong Kong
1971
General Editor of The Journal of
Social Issues 1959-1967
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Affiliations
Society for the Psychological Study of
Social Issues (SPSSI)
American Psychological Association (APA)
Asian-American Psychological Association (AAPA)
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Author
Co-Authored “The Planning of Change”
with Kenneth Benne and Warren Bennis
(except 1st edition)
Book - “Psychological Research in
Communist China: 1949-1966” with his
wife, Ai-Li
Wrote prefaces and articles for The
Journal of Social Issues
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Awards Received
Fulbright Scholar at National Taiwan
University 1963
1st to receive Distinguished
Contribution Award AAPA 1985
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Influence in Psychology Professor at Boston University
Research: 1-ethnic & minority relationships2-society & culture3-attitudes and political behavior4-public opinion in China5-personality
Nicknamed himself “Swirler”
Chin Charts
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Experiential Learning Spring 2003 Boston University Prof. and "President/CEO" Hilda D. Perlitsh, Ph.D.
Perlitsh/PS367 syllabus
Written reports on your learnings "burned into your consciousness "called
LearnBurns (LB) are intended for reflecting on your observations and for drawing implications for behavioral choices in organizations for yourself and others. The concept of LearnBurns (LB) is credited to the late Professor Robert Chin, the designer of this course.
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Organizational Theory
Influenced inquiry & practice
Application of social psychology to:
1-organizational settings
2-intergroup behavior Founder Human Relations Center Boston University 5th Edition: The Planning of Change Lecturer and Consultant
- People’s Republic of China- Introduced organizational theory
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Civil Rights Legislation
Journal of Social Issue (SPSSI) Research on Intelligence Testing
-Otto Klineberg, at Columbia University
1950 SPSSI organized social scientist-1951 Committee of Intergroup Relations Statement aided in appellate process with Supreme Court
1954 Footnote 11 Brown v.Board of Education of Topeka
Workshops & Lectures on anti-Semitism and racism
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Brown v. Board of Ed. Of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483
Segregation of white and Negro children in the public schools of a State solely on the basis of race…To separate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone.
Whatever may have been the extent of psychological knowledge at the time of Plessy v. Ferguson, this finding is amply supported by modern authority. 11 Any language [347 U.S. 483, 495] in Plessy v. Ferguson contrary to this finding is rejected.
U.S. Supreme Court Decided May 17, 1954
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Value of Work Today Robert Chin Memorial Award (SPSSI)
- Research/Scholarship in area of child abuse
-2006 APA President Dr Koocher, recipient, credits Chin for guidance
• Asian-American Psychology Award
• Reference on University Syllabus-Ohio State – Conflict Management in Community - Vanguard University – Managing Organizational Conflict
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Theory and Research
Jen Russell
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Experimentation, Research, and Clinical Data
Dissertation Allport’s J-Curve Hypothesis Arrival times of college students to class Looked at shape of distributions of
arrival times Conformity existed in total group and in
distribution of individual averages Prohibitive conformity
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Experimentation, Research, and Clinical Data
Characteristics of a good theory of change as outlined by Chin Variables that are alterable Defines the roles of a change-agent and a client
system Takes into account the cost of usage Reliable basis of diagnosing the strength and
weakness of the conditions facing the client system “Self-Takeoff Points” Can be communicated with a minimum of distortion Able to assess its own appropriateness for different
client systems
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Experimentation, Research, and Clinical Data
The Planning of Change Section 1.1
Outlines the history of the study of change Section 1.2
3 strategies for changing• Rational-empirical• Re-educative and normative, or collaborative • Coercive-power
Section 3.1 Interaction of environment and individual Texture of an environment Aspects of the environment that are important for change
• Means• Patterns• Nutriments• Information• Feedback loops
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Experimentation, Research, and Clinical Data
Applied Behavioral Science and Innovation, Diffusion, and Adoption” 5 approaches to applied behavioral science
“Merely basic science communicated simply and with a minimum of jargon”
Application of research Two levels of practitionersLink science and practiceHow knowledge is applied
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Strengths and Weaknesses of Chin’s
Theory Weaknesses
Way ahead of his time Not a good writer Criticisms of his book
on research in China Applicability of theory Theory was not
innovative Theory not clearly
defined Did not meet his own
criteria
Strengths Way ahead of his time Excellent motivator Complexity of his
writings and his theory
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Personal Obstacles and Integrated Summary
Patty Byrd
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His Childhood
Born to an immigrant father from Toishan, China
Lacked Chinese-American influence
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
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Lack of Acknowledgement
Worked closely with Otto Klineberg
Professor Len Saxe reported “he
was not a writer”
Primary method for conveying his
ideas was teaching
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Where did he fit in?
American name: Robert Chin
Chinese name: Chen Yuli
Attempted to share his
organizational theory with China
His theory went against the
Communist Party Doctrine of the
time
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Accomplishments
President of SPSSI
Assisted in founding the AAPA
Co-founded the Human Relations
Center at Boston University
Co-Authored the book: The
Planning of Change
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In Conclusion: His Goals
Resolve problems between racial, religious, and national groups
Inspire students and society to rethink cultural problems
Encourage people to evaluate themselves and possibly make changes