Discussion Questions (Critical Incident p. 68)

This brief, fictional example encompasses some important issues and problems associated with cross-cultural assessment. If you were the counselor in the community college that these two young women are attending, how might you handle the following questions?

1. Considering the problems associated with equivalence and bias in psychological assessment, do you think that the two versions of the same measure are fair? If not, what concerns you the most?
2. Do you think the test has low or high cultural validity? Why?
3. How important is the discrepancy between the scores of the two students? Do you think the difference is significant enough to examine in further detail?
4. If you completely discounted the validity of the two measures but were still interested in looking into how the two students seem to differ substantially in self-concept, what steps might you take to complete more trustworthy pictures of their individual perceptions of self?
5. Do you think that the counselor should learn more about Sri Lankan culture, or perhaps consult with Tamil-speaking adults?
6. Of the four approaches to assessment outlined in this chapter—quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and knowledge-based—which would you trust most to help you pinpoint the reasons for the differences in the two students’ scores? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each?