The United States has been the principal guardian of psychology during a
vital formative period.... But this custody cannot be expected to last forever,
and it is no doubt a good thing that it cannot. -- D. E. Berlyne

This volume is intended to serve several purposes. On the most
basic level, it is an exposition on the state of psychology as it exists today
in a group of diverse countries around the world. Included are descrip-
tions of theoretical emphases, practical applications, the state of licensure --
in short, a whole series of remarks meant to characterize the development of
psychology, both as a science and as a profession, in the country under con-
sideration. The emphasis is on the period from 1960 to the present, although
some authors have chosen to provide a more historical view. If the informa-
tion from each chapter does nothing more, it should serve as a vehicle of
mutual introduction to a worldwide network of occupational kinfolk, many
of whom have scant knowledge of one another.

On another level, this volume is meant to be a cross-national study of psy-
chology itself, with all of the clarifying potential and inherent difficulty such
a study implies. Just as early cross-cultural researchers investigated different
styles of living, hoping to identify the essential nature of the human being,
this anthology has the potential to shed some light on what may be essen-
tial to the discipline of psychology. But just as with those early researchers,
the potential is limited. Psychology, as a social science, differs from other
sciences. By its very nature, it is more likely to be involved in the context in
which it develops. The form that psychology takes in different countries, the
manner in which it gives evidence of a national flavor or fails to, should in
itself serve as a kind of instruction.

Finally, this volume may succeed on a more subtle level, which may be
the most exciting aspect of all -- as a window to the future. The history of
modern psychology, as it is usually described, has clear geographic under-
pinnings. Beginning in Europe, with its strongest development in Germany,
the power base of psychology shifted to the United States by the 1930s, and
there it has remained for more than half a century. But the power base in
the USA has never been all-encompassing. Innovations have continued to
emerge from Europe even in recent years (e.g., clinical neuropsychology,
sport psychology), and questions have been raised about the potential con-

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