Kenneth Wang

Kenneth T. Wang (Chinese: 王子健; born September 19, 1972) is a Taiwanese-American psychologist who specializes in research on perfectionism and cross-cultural adjustment. He is a professor and PhD program chair of the Clinical Psychology Department at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Early life and education Wang was born and raised in Taiwan but lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, between the ages of 5 to 10, where he was the first Asian student at his elementary school.

Perfectionism Wang is known for his work in the field of perfectionism, particularly his significant contribution to the development and international adoption of a collectivistic framework focused on family perfectionism. Due to the collectivistic cultural context of Taiwan, Wang modified the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R) to create the Family Almost Perfect Scale (FAPS), designed to measure perceived perfectionism within the family unit. The FAPS, initially validated among Asian American and European American samples, has gained international recognition and has been translated into over 10 languages.

Cross-cultural adjustment Wang has contributed significantly to the study of cross-cultural adjustment, particularly in the context of international students.

In addition to empirical research, Dr. Wang has made contributions to the development of theoretical models and measures of cross-cultural adjustment. For instance, he created the International Friendly Campus Scale (IFCS), which shifted the focus from identifying negative student characteristics to understanding the impact of external environments (such as the campus) on international student adjustment. He also developed the Cross-Cultural Loss Scale (CCLS), which conceptualizes cultural transition challenges as inevitable losses, encouraging a perspective of loss and regrowth rather than a sense of self-deficiency.

Furthermore, Wang co-authored a chapter in the APA Handbook of Counseling Psychology introducing the Cross-National Cultural Competence model (CNCC). This model integrates layers of factors (such as personality, attitudes, coping variables, immersion experiences, and cognitive and affective processing of cultural encounters), providing a more comprehensive understanding of cross-national cultural competency development.

Personal life Wang is married with two children.

Awards and fellowships

In 2023, Wang received an Excellent Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association in the International Section of the Society of Counseling Psychology. In 2023, he was named a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.

Publications Wang has authored or co-authored nearly 100 published articles or books and has been cited almost 8000 times. Some notable works are listed below.

Books:

Heppner, P. P., Wampold, B. E., +Owen, J. J., +Thompson, M. N., & +Wang, K. T. (2015). Research Design in Counseling (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomas Brooks/Cole. [+equal contributions, authors listed alphabetically]

Journal Articles:

Wang, K. T. (2007). Perfectionism in Chinese university students from Taiwan: A study of psychological well-being and achievement motivation. Personality and Individual Differences, 42, 1279-1290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2006.10.006 Wang, K. T. (2010). The Family Almost Perfect Scale: Development, psychometric properties, and comparing Asian and European Americans. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 1, 186-199. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020732 Wang, K. T., Heppner, P. P., Fu, C. C., Zhao, R., Li, F., & Chuang, C. C. (2012). Profiles of acculturative adjustment patterns among Chinese international students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 59, 424-436. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028532 Wang, K. T., Wong, Y. J., & Fu, C. C. (2013). Moderation effects of perfectionism and discrimination on interpersonal factors and suicide ideation. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 60, 367-378. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032551 Wang, K. T., Li, F., Wang, Y., Hunt, E. N., Yan, G. C., & Currey, D. E. (2014). The International Friendly Campus Scale: Development and psychometric evaluation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 42, 118-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2014.05.004 Wang, K. T., Sheveleva, M. S., & Permyakova, T. M. (2019). Imposter syndrome among Russian students: The link between perfectionism and psychological distress. Personality and Individual Differences, 143, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.02.005 Wang, K. T., Wei, M., Zhao, R., Chuang, C. C., & Li, F. (2015). The Cross-Cultural Loss Scale: Development and psychometric evaluation. Psychological Assessment, 27, 42-53. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000027 Wang, K. T., Xie, Z. Y., Parsely, A. C., & Johnson, A. M. (2020). Religious Perfectionism Scale among believers of multiple faiths in China: Development and psychometric analysis. Journal of Religion & Health, 59, 318–333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00784-z Wang, K. T., & Goh, M. (2020). Cultural intelligence. In B. J. Carducci (Editor-in-Chief) & J. S. Mio & R. E. Riggio (Vol. Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell encyclopedia of personality and individual differences: Vol. IV. Clinical, applied, and cross-cultural research. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Wang, K. T., Cowan, K., Eriksson, C. B., Januzik, M., & Conant, M. (2022). Religious Views of Suffering Profile Groups during COVID-19. Religions, 13(5), 453. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13050453