Using Empirically Supported Assessments with Cultural Minority Clients: Are They Effective?

The goal of a behavioral assessment is to increase the understanding of individuals in a variety of personal and socio-cultural contexts. When the individual is culturally dissimilar to the majority group context errors in such understanding occurs and problems arise for their treatment and subsequent implications, ranging from opportunities afforded to them to policy concerns. The goal proposed in this chapter is to appreciate that cultural differences are different than the constructs, such as intelligence, used in the behavioral measurement. Once this appreciation is understood then steps should be taken to reduce measurement error. In this chapter a variety of approaches are considered including: limitations of translation and adaption of tests, naturalistic observations, hybrid assessments, and alternatives to traditional tests. Consideration is provided to the use of appropriate culturally sensitive norms. The overall goal is to assure that construct relevance is not confused with cultural dissimilarity.