Martha Bernal: the life of a woman minority psychologist

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Martha Bernalthe life of a woman minority
psychologist

• History of Psychology
• June 20, 2006

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Early Influences and ZeitgeistAndrea Villareal
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Early Life

• Born in San Antonio, Texas on April 13, 1931.
• Parents were Alicia and Enrique de Bernal, who
  were Mexican emigrants.
• Martha was immersed in a bi-cultural experience.
• Conflicting messages about culture and education.

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Education

• Martha graduated from El Paso High School
• Attended Texas Western College (now University of
  El Paso)
• Earned her Master of Arts degree from Syracuse
  University in 1955.
• Earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology
  from Indiana University in 1962.

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Educational Influences

• The impact of other influential psychologists.
• Skinner and Pavlov
• Dissertation mentors Roland Davis Arnold
  Binder
• Charles Ferstner Ogden Lindsley
• Postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA
• Early work at University of Arizona
• Ronald Tharp
• Ralph Wetzel
• Return to UCLA
• Influence of Ivar Lovaas

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Motivation to Improve Minority Status in the Field

• Under representation of women and minorities.
• Disrespect faculty showed towards women.
• Challenges women faced with research
  participation.
• Series of National Conferences in Denver that
  raised her awareness of the negative effects
  minority psychologists suffered.

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The Zeitgeist Martha Faced

• Educational challenges associated with her
  cultural background.
• Family pressure and expectations.
• Gender expectations of women.
• Issues of respect and equality associated with
  education, work and research participation.

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Struggles and ObstaclesMonika Burton
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Obstacles of Women Psychologists

• Naturally Inferior to Men
• Less opportunities
• Education
• Work
• Social Appearance
• Unrecognized

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Obstacles of Ethnic Minority Psychologists

• Termed as undesirables in society
• Portrayed as less intelligent
• Held back in their education
• Supported by few, if any

• Scholars
• Denied opportunity to study psychology
• Denied publication of their work
• Denied academic appointments
• Not understood

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Martha Bernals Personal Obstacles

• Her Father
• education a waste
• traditional standards for women
• Societys views on Ethnicity
• violence, crime, and drugs
• high school drop out rate
• Hispanic girls age 16-24 highest rate
• Lack of encouragement from teachers

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Marthas Personal Obstaclescontinued...

• College
• no research
• mainly Whites
• sexual harassment
• quiet bystanders
• 1 in 4 chance to finish degree
• Post Graduate
• we do not hire women

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Despite struggles, Martha held on to the belief
that the chance to succeed exists alongside the
challenge to overcome obstacles.
Throughout my life, however critical I might be
of this country, I have felt grateful for the
opportunities of which I availed myself. They
would most likely not have existed had I lived in
Mexico. - Martha Bernal
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Theories, Ideas, and ResearchHannah Pennington
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Martha Bernals Work Ideas

• There are two distinct phases of Dr. Bernals
  career.
• Behavioral and Learning conceptualization of
  childhood problems.
• It was interesting to have been a part of a
  major advance in treatment of human problems, and
  advance that initially met strong resistance from
  prevailing mental health professional
  establishment (Bernal, 1988, p 270)
• Researched and promoted importance of training
  psychologists in diversity.

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Phase One Behavioral

• 1970 Autistic Schizophrenic children stimulation
  vs. normal children
• 1976 Excuses and drop out rate
• 1978 Parent Training Manual
• 1982 Parents labeling of conduct disorders

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Phase Two Diversity

• Saw previous research as dissatisfying, decided
  to start out a new field of research
• Denver University Set 3 goals
• Research/teach topics of more interested to
  people of color
• Advocate for people of color using publications
  and presentations
• Work with APA to improve minority status

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Phase Two Diveristy continued

• 1982 Survey of Clinical Programs
• 1985 6 skill sets identified as necessary
• Broad-based understanding of minorities
• Positive attitudes toward all groups
• Study of socio-cultural variables as behavioral
  determinants
• Culturally appropriate interventions
• Ability to communicate in clients own language
• Ethics of research/practice of psychology apply
  to all groups
• 1993 Formation of ethnic identity

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Phase Two Diversity continued

• 1994 Decade of Progress
• Engagement in a change process leading to
  cultural competence (rather than minimal exposure
  to culture)
• Increase in minority faculty
• 1995 Counseling vs. Clinical programs

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Weaknesses

• Practicality
• How to integrate these principles in training
  programs
• How to improve current required courses
• Outcome Research
• Training necessary, but are these ideas helpful?
• How have programs successfully or unsuccessfullly
  integrated concepts?

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Strengths

• Used research to address a HUGE need
• Translated her misfortune into opportunity
• Identified key deficit areas in training
• Gathered others and influenced APA

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Influence on the TimesNatalie Dimercurio
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Influence on Ideas and Events

• Guidelines now offer specific behavioral
  recommendations that psychologists learn more
  about specific ethnic minority groups with which
  they may be working with
• They must also increase their contact with ethnic
  minorities to enhance their cultural awareness
  and knowledge

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Influence on APA

• The 40-year journey beginning in 1964 with the
  passage of the Civil Rights Act in Congress

• 2002The approval of the Guidelines on
  Multicultural Education, Training, Research,
  Practice, and Organizational Change for
  Psychologists (American Psychological
  Association APA, 2003)

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Infuence as a Woman and Minority

• Struggles present, but not like before
• People of color to make up 50 percent of
  population by middle of 20th century
• Now Lillian Comas-Diaz, a Latina psychologist
  edits a journal on multicultural mental health

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Influence as a Woman and Minority continued...

• Psychologists of color are some of the leading
  researchers on the development of identity among
  persons of color
• The development of multicultural competencies and
  guidelines within psychology are described as a
  difficult process however, with dialogues,
  progress, and many breakthroughs

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A Review of Her Life...
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Summary of Accomplishments

• First Latina in the United States to earn a
  doctoral degree in psychology
• Awarded at the First National Multicultural
  Conference and Summit
• Established a Laboratory for the Study of
  Classical Conditioning in Autistic Children

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Summary of Accomplishments continued...

• Studied Ethnic Identity in Mexican American
  children
• Drafted a Speech in Which the APA Was Urged to
  Take Steps to Address Ethnic Minority Issues
• Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for
  the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues

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How is Martha Remembered?
Martha was passionate about her ideas, she
spoke out effectively against injustice, she
maintained high standards of scholarship and
professionalism, she demonstrated much compassion
for fellow human beings, and she had considerable
energy. -Vasquez Lopez, 2002, p. 362
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References Ballie, R. (2002). Martha E. Bernal
dies at age 70. Monitor on Psychology, 33,
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did you do it? Counseling Psychologist, 24,
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clinical psychologists prepared for service and
research with ethnic minorities? Report of a
decade of progress. American Psychologist, 49,
797-805. Bernal, M., Kreutzer, S.L. (1976).
Relationship between excuses and dropout at a
mental health center. Journal of Consulting and
Clinical Psychology, 44, 494. Bernal, M.,
Miller, W.H. (1970). Electrodermal and cardiac
responses of schizophrenic children to sensory
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A.M. (1982). Status of minority curricula and
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Backlash. New York Crown Publishers Inc. Martha
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contributions in the public interest. (2001).
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Intellectual Contributions to the Study of Mind
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