Why did cultural psychology have little impact on American psychology?
America in the 1800s was more open to ideas coming from Europe. When the university John Hopkins was set up, they followed the German teaching style and even celebrated like Germans. It was called a mini Germany by the people of America.
However, in the 1900-1920 America was already in the process of developing their own styled universities, and were less welcoming towards innovations coming from Europe. Americans had developed confidence, over their institutions and own ideas.
Wundt’s cultural psychology was developed keeping in mind the German zeitgeist. Prominent scholars said that the American population at this point, was at such a mature level that they were very less accessible to foreign impressions.
The Americans were not ready to follow in on the German footsteps. Now, they had their own technology and work force to incorporate their own ideas into actions, and were not dependent on Europe for that.