Rationale of the Special Issue:

Historically, social psychology has aimed to achieve universal validity. However, much of its development has been rooted primarily in the Global North, shaping its epistemological foundations, the problems it seeks to address, the questions it aims to answer, its preference for certain methods and research designs, and the empirical evidence it generates, which is predominantly derived from a very specific population (mainly undergraduate students, Burton & Kaga, 2005). As Martín-Baró (1986) pointed out from El Salvador nearly 40 years ago, the lack of sociohistorical context in social psychology studies assumes no fundamental psychosocial differences exist between an MIT student and a Nicaraguan farmer. This is highly problematic, as models developed under specific circumstances and assumed to be cross-cultural and ahistorical may lead to severe distortions in understanding the psychosocial processes of individuals in other contexts, as well as the social challenges they face (Bond, 1988; Martín- Baró, 1986).

Psychological studies have consistently shown an overrepresentation of individuals from Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies (Arnett, 2008; Henrich et al., 2010; Thalmayer et al., 2021). Moreover, these studies highlight that such samples exhibit psychosocial processes that differ significantly from those of individuals in other contexts (Henrich, 2020).

Despite this evidence, uncritical inferences about human nature based on research conducted in WEIRD contexts persist (e.g., Rad et al., 2018). While social psychology research has progressively incorporated regions beyond WEIRD contexts, this expansion has been primarily focused on Eastern countries (namely China and Japan; Kryst et al., 2024). In contrast, regions such as Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East remain underrepresented in high-impact scientific publications within the field of social psychology.

This underrepresentation is problematic because it constrains our global understanding of psychosocial processes. The Latin American context offers a unique opportunity to explore social realities that are less familiar to the Global North, providing insights into alternative dimensions of human psychology.

Specifically, Latin American psychology has theorized and conducted research in contexts characterized by high levels of social and economic inequality, political violence, crime, social mobilization, and a pronounced community- oriented focus. From this perspective, this special issue aims to compile research emerging from the Latin American context to broaden our understanding of the interplay between historical, political, and social contexts and the ways we think, feel, and behave.

The aim of this special issue is to foster an exchange between Latin American perspectives and approaches in social psychology and those of the Global North. To this end, we seek to compile research that highlights psychosocial processes from Latin American contexts, thereby promoting a more inclusive and global understanding of psychosocial phenomena.

Guest Editors:

Ángel Sánchez-Rodríguez, Efraín García-Sánchez, Ana Figueiredo, Agustín Espinosa Pezzia y Rosa María Cueto

Expected contributions for the Special Issue:

This special issue invites the submission of empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods) that explore topics and areas of interest, including but not limited to:

· The idiosyncratic characteristics of Latin American culture (e.g., identities, norms, values, etc.) and their relationship with various psychosocial processes and mechanisms.

· Comparative studies of psychosocial processes across countries and regions within and beyond Latin America.

· Research centered on Latin America that examines how different aspects of its social ecology (e.g., economy, politics, climate, etc.) relate to various psychosocial phenomena and processes.

· Psychosocial research aimed at understanding and addressing populations, circumstances, and issues particularly relevant to Latin America, such as political violence, social exclusion and inequality, Indigenous peoples, migration dynamics, among others.

· Development of new theoretical-conceptual frameworks and/or adaptation of concepts and methods for analyzing different psychosocial phenomena in the Latin American context.

For further information, please see:
https://journals.sagepub.com/pb-assets/cmscontent/spj/IJSP_Call%20for%20paper_LA_english-1740566187.pdf