Cross-Cultural Issues in Psychological Testing

Culture can be defined as “the shared rules that govern the behaviour of a group of people and enable the members of that group to co-exist and survive.”(Burton et. al, 2011, p. 781). There is a wealth of literature to support the idea that cognitive and intellectual testing should vary according to cultural context.

Ranzijn (2010 p.14) suggests that each culture has a worldview that is adequate for that culture which makes it valid in its own terms. However, the psychology worldview and the tools by which it measures cognitive and intellectual ability have been largely developed by and for people of Western culture (Ardila, 2005).

The enmeshment of Western and Indigenous cultures as a result of colonization has resulted in blurred lines between the two groups’ understanding of each other’s culture.

As Indigenous culture is not homogeneous, nor does it correlate with Western culture on the individualism-collectivism continuum, (but is rather on the opposite end of the spectrum), this may undermine the accuracy of any psychometric testing.

The underlying consequences and ramifications for people of Indigenous backgrounds who are subjected to standardized tests which are administered without caveats or any degree of flexibility can be devastating- to say the least.
Worldviews are essentially cognitive representations manifested in the thoughts, beliefs and lifestyle of an individual and their community. As such, worldviews provide the basis for “cultural values, beliefs and norms which provide the rules for living and outward behaviour” (Ranzijn, 2010, p.15).

Different cultures vary greatly in their worldviews depending on how the community has evolved, and the positive selection that has resulted in the skills that are valued for survival. It can be said that skills, and the importance placed on certain skills, are not universal between all cultures. It therefore follows that “methods employed in western psychological re…,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,