Issue of acculturation - reference to Wechsler tests

Question 1

Acculturation is a critically important and yet…

Answer 1

Little understood component of ability assessment and measurement

Question 2

When test developers norm tests they often do so under socially constructed categories such as what?

Answer 2

Race and ethnicity

Question 3

When test developers norm tests they do so under socially constructed categories such as what race and ethnicity. What do Ortiz and colleagues (2006) point out in relation to this?

Answer 3

These categories do little in achieving accurate representation along the relevant and important dimensions that actually affect test performance.

Neither skin colour nor an individual’s ethnic heritage affects test performance directly.

It is the individual’s developmental background, particularly with respect to linguistic and acculturative experiences, that influences the manner in which the individual responds on standardized norm referenced tests.

Question 4

Neither skin colour nor an individual’s ethnic heritage affects test performance directly. Rather…

Answer 4

It is the individual’s developmental background, particularly with respect to linguistic and acculturative experiences, that influences the manner in which the individual responds on standardized norm referenced tests.

Question 5

Controlling for racial or ethnic differences via stratified random sampling may provide a desired measure of face validity for the norm sample, but what is the problem with it?

Answer 5

It only ensures that proportionate numbers of individuals from such backgrounds are included in the normative sample. It does not ensure that individuals from such backgrounds have comparable experiences particularly as related to linguistic development and acculturative experiences

Question 6

When an individual’s acculturation differs from those on whom a test was standardized, are the use of the norms of that test as an index for evaluating that individual’s current level of performance or predicting future performance appropriate?

Answer 6

When an individual’s acculturation differs from those on whom a test was standardized, the use of the norms of that test as an index for evaluating that individual’s current performance or for predicting future performance may be inappropriate

Question 7

Who conducted a study examining the relationship between acculturation and WAIS-III and WMS-III scores?

Answer 7

Harris et al. (2003)

Question 8

In a study examining the relationship between acculturation and WAIS-III and WMS-III scores, what did Harris and colleagues (2003) do?

Answer 8

• Analyzed demographic questionnaire data collected as part of the WAIS-III and WMS-III standardization studies (Tulsky & Zhu, unpublished)
• From the sample of 3050 examinees, the authors selected 150 examinees who reported being born outside of the US, and that they spoke English fluently as a second language
• 3 variables related to acculturation were created from the data obtained on the questionnaire, these were: language preference, US experience, and US education

Question 9

In a study examining the relationship between acculturation and WAIS-III and WMS-III scores, Harris and colleagues (2003) analyzed demographic questionnaire data collected as part of the WAIS-III and WMS-III standardization studies - who conducted the WAIS-III and WMS-III standardization studies?

Answer 9

Tulsky and Zhu, unpublished

Question 10

How many examinees took part in the WAIS-III and WMS-III standardization studies?

Answer 10

3050

Question 11

Of the 3050 examinees who took part in the the WAIS-III and WMS-III standardization studies, how many were used for the acculturation study?

Answer 11

150

Question 12

For this study, 3 variables related to acculturation were created from the data obtained on the questionnaire. Whereas traditional analyses of demographic variables have focused on age, education, and gender, these new variables attempted to…

Answer 12

further contribute to considerations of relevant demographic and language or acculturation-related variables.

Question 13

The first variable “Language Preference” was developed to…

Answer 13

index self-reported language preference for speaking, thinking, reading, and writing.

Question 14

The first variable “Language Preference” was developed to index self-reported language preference for speaking, thinking, reading, and writing. This variable provided an index of the examinee’s what?

Answer 14

self-reported preference and comfort level in using English versus another language.

Question 15

The first variable “Language Preference” was developed to index self-reported language preference for speaking, thinking, reading, and writing. This variable provided an index of the examinee’s self-reported preference and comfort level in using English versus another language. What was it not?

Answer 15

It was not a measure of language proficiency.

Question 16

How was the second variable, US experience, calculated?

Answer 16

By dividing the number of years residing in the US by the total age of the examinee

Question 17

The second variable, US experience was calculated by dividing the number of years residing in the US by the total age of the examinee. Why was this variable important?

Answer 17

This variable was important as the length of residence in the US correlates with acculturation (Marin et al., 1987), and in some circumstances may act as a proxy for acculturation.

Question 18

What was the third variable and what did it provide?

Answer 18

The 3rd variable was US education and it provided a total value for educational experience in the US

Question 19

What kind of analyses did Harris and colleagues (2003) conduct? Broadly what did they find?

Answer 19

They conducted a series of multiple regression analyses finding that language preference and acculturation contribute to some aspects of cognitive performance.

Question 20

With the exception of the X, all of the acculturation variables accounted for significant variance above and beyond the more traditional demographic variables of age and education.

Answer 20

Visual Memory Composite

Question 21

With the exception of the Visual Memory Composite, all of the acculturation variables accounted for significant variance above and beyond the more traditional demographic variables of age and education. Why is this finding particularly striking?

Answer 21

. This finding is particularly striking considering the individuals selected in this sample were representative of examinees for whom clinicians struggle least with decision making regarding test selection and interpretation. Specifically, they appear to the examiner to be acculturated and proficient in English, and they appear similar to the typical standardization sample for tests developed in the US.

Question 22

This finding is particularly striking considering the individuals selected in this sample were representative of examinees for whom clinicians struggle least with decision making regarding test selection and interpretation. Specifically, they appear to the examiner to be acculturated and proficient in English, and they appear similar to the typical standardization sample for tests developed in the US.

What should this alert clinicians to?

Answer 22

The importance of exploring these acculturation variables with all examinees prior to cognitive and intellectual assessment

Question 23

Unfortunately, guidance on how to treat culturally and linguistically diverse subgroups as individuals, and how to account for individual characteristics that may interact with difference testing situations are still lacking. What is the result of this?

Answer 23

The result is that current researchers continue to examine a multitude of issues related to test performance in studies that use groups formed exclusively on racial or ethic categories.

Question 24

Current researchers continued to examine a multitude of issues related to test performance in studies that use groups formed exclusively on racial or ethnic categories. What is the problem with this?

Answer 24

When constructed in such a manner, such studies lack generalizability and do not inform practice in any substantive way and effectively flawed in methodology.

Question 25

Current researchers continue to examine a multitude of issues related to test performance in studies that use groups formed exclusively on racial or ethnic categories (e.g., Hispanic). When constructed in such a manner, such studies lack generalizability and do not inform practice in any substantive way and effectively flawed in methodology.

What do future studies need to do?

Answer 25

In order to advance our scientific understanding, future empirical investigations need to begin to acknowledge the issue of acculturation and incorporate participant grouping more representative of the true linguistic and cultural differences that play pivotal roles in how an individual performs on a test.