Cultural Factors and diversity in assessment and individual differences Flashcards
Discuss the challenges in cross-cultural research when assessing depression.
This might be experienced in different ways in different cultures
You would need to label “depression” in different ways somatic and cognitive
Create an exploratory factor analysis to see if factors load on dimensions differently between cultures.
What are some challenges in cross-cultural research?
Language barriers
Different meanings for dimensions
Reading levels
You are imposing a technique before analysis
In Bronfenbrenners social ecological model, explain nested systems and how they might aid in cross-cultural research.
these are higher-order systems in which individuals are nested.
Use factor analysis but also look at nested systems, look at these higher levels and you might get a better idea of an individuals cultural response to factors
Why would building nested systems be good for nested structures?
The same score on factors could imply a different meaning
In an ideal world, we needed higher order structures in our models for good criterion validity
We can then quantify higher-order social structures and their influences
What are some steps to cross-cultural research?
- Start with the empirical literature that is relevant for the culture you are working with
- Form a focus group that has good leadership
- From the focus group generate items
- Administer items to another group of people and see if it is relevant and valid
- Then go onto quantitative assessment
What are some refined steps?
- Information gathering
- Preliminary adaption design
- Preliminary adaptation tests
- Adaptation refinement
How can we measure the outcome of an intervention?
Self-report
More qualitative methods: interviews and focus groups, visual and verbal narratives
Key informant interviews: engage a panel of experts and people with lived experiences
Objective monitors (e.g. public data rates on a community characteristic)
When analysing assessment tools we need to do it with a critical lens. What are some factors that are important to consider?
how factors are expressed in cultures could be vastly different
There might be different loadings that are culturally semantic
Sometimes “culture” can be unclearly defined and fixed - there are a lot of differences in culture
What is structural equivalence?
Does the construct mean something similar across groups, is the experience of the construct similar across groups?
What is measurement equivalence?
Is the item content and the properties of items equivalent across groups
What are the limitations of our current approaches to assessment, broadly-speaking?
It comes from an individualist perspective (mostly)
We have a definable idea of disorders according to the DSM - these may not be the same definitions that another culture attributes to dimensions of health
Very closed questions and responses are quite linear
Measures often reflect an individualist culture - what are the underlying assumptions that appear in questionnaires that we commonly use?
no essence of collectivism
There is no involvement in consultation with a cultural representative/expert
There is a structure imposed on the empirical technique
What are some good research practices for making sure our work is culturally inclusive? - take these from the core values of the NHMRC
Spirit and integrity
Binds the others together - ongoing connection and continuity between peoples past, current and future
Cultural continuity
Strong, shared and enduring individual and collective identities, maintaining bonds between people and their environment
Equity
Fairness and justice, redress discrimination and marginalisation
Reciprocity
Care for country, equal rights and power
Respect
Acknowledge and support the right to hold and express different values, ensure trust, openness, awareness of consequences of the research in the developmental phase
Responsibility
Caring for others, maintenance of harmony, inflicting no harm, accountability to participants
