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

04/19/23 4

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

04/19/23 5

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.

04/19/23 6

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.

04/19/23 7

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.

04/19/23 8

Influential Events

Racial Discrimination

Segregation

Prejudice Holocaust in Germany Cold War with Russia

04/19/23 9

Achievements and Influences on Psychology

Devra McManus

04/19/23 10

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

04/19/23 14

Awards Received

Fulbright Scholar at National Taiwan

University 1963

1st to receive Distinguished

Contribution Award AAPA 1985

04/19/23 15

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

04/19/23 16

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. 

04/19/23 17

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

04/19/23 18

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

04/19/23 20

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

04/19/23 21

Theory and Research

Jen Russell

04/19/23 22

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

04/19/23 25

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

04/19/23 26

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

04/19/23 27

Personal Obstacles and Integrated Summary

Patty Byrd

04/19/23 28

His Childhood

Born to an immigrant father from Toishan, China

Lacked Chinese-American influence

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

04/19/23 29

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

04/19/23 30

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

04/19/23 31

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

04/19/23 32

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