Culture and Cognitive Measures in Psychological Assessment
Abstract
Intelligence testing plays a pivotal role in psychological assessment, influencing decisions in education, employment, and mental health. Despite their utility, these tests are deeply embedded in cultural contexts, raising concerns about their fairness and applicability across diverse populations (Buros Center for Testing, 2021). The Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory remains the dominant framework for most modern tests, conceptualizing intelligence as a general factor ("g") with specific cognitive abilities (Keith & Reynolds, 2010). However, this perspective may privilege abilities valued in Western cultures, limiting its cultural inclusivity. Factors such as socioeconomic status, health, language, and cultural equivalence significantly influence test performance (Suzuki, 2022).
Widely-used tests, including the Wechsler Scales, Woodcock-Johnson IV, and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children-II (KABC-II NU), exhibit varying levels of cultural sensitivity. For instance, the Wechsler Scales are extensively researched but face critiques regarding cultural loading and demographic adjustments (Graves et al., 2020). Similarly, nonverbal tests like the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (TONI-4) and Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT-2) aim to reduce linguistic demands but are not entirely free from cultural influence.
To ensure fairness, clinicians must critically evaluate the psychometric properties (e.g., validity, reliability, and fairness), cultural relevance, and limitations of these measures with particular communities. Recommendations include adopting a client-centered approach, interpreting results in cultural context, and supplementing test data with qualitative insights (Kaufman, 1990). Ongoing research and adaptive testing practices are essential to align cognitive assessment with principles of social justice and inclusivity. This presentation discusses how cultural context and factors can impact psychological assessment, in terms of test construct conceptualization, test administration and result interpretation. It provides an overview of how various cultural variables can impact intelligence testing, followed by factors that practitioners should consider in selecting a battery for their clients. Strengths and limitations of widely used measures of intelligence in incorporating cultural considerations are discussed.
Presenter
Dr. Lisa Suzuki | New York University
Jen Ang | New York University
Aakriti Prasai | New York University
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the Webinar, attendees will be able to:
- Describe how culture affects our conceptual understanding of intelligence
- Explain how cultural factors can impact assessment scores
- Identify the limitations of existing assessment measures in considering cultural influences
Continuing Education Statement
The Society for Personality Assessment (SPA) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. SPA maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Society for Personality Assessment is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0218.
Authors of relevant books and articles
- Ang, J.Y.Z., Prasai, A. & Wright, A.J. (accepted) The Use of the Wright-Constantine Structured Cultural Interview (WCSCI) in Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: A Qualitative Study of Clinician Experience. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice.
- Casas, M., Suzuki, L. A., Alexander, C., & Jackson, M. (2017). Handbook of multicultural counseling (4th Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Suzuki, L. A. (2022). Integrating cultural considerations and fairness in psychological assessment. In J. Jonson & K. Geisinger (Eds.) Fairness in Educational and Psychological Testing: Examining Theoretical, Research Practice, and Policy Implications of the 2014 Standards (pp. 377-398). Washington, DC: AERA
- Suzuki, L. A., Ang, J. Y-Z, & Prasai, A. (2025). Culture and Cognitive Measures in Psychological Assessment. In A. J. Wright (Ed.). Essentials of Culture in Psychological Assessment (pp. 111-136). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.
- Suzuki, L. A., Caso, T. J., & Yucel, A. (2022). Re-envisioning intelligence in cultural context. In R. J. Sternberg (Ed.) Intelligence in Context: The Cultural and Historical Foundations of Human Intelligence (pp. 317-338). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Suzuki, L.A., Caso, T. J., Yucel, A., Asad, A., & Kokaze, H. (2024). Contextualizing positionality, intersectionality, and intelligence in the Anthropocene. Journal of Intelligence. (invited). Submission to special issue: Understanding Higher Order Cognitive Abilities and Their Development in the Anthropocene, 12(4), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12040045
- Suzuki, L. & Krishnamurthy, R. (In Progress). Handbook of Multicultural Assessment: Clinical, Psychological, and Educational Applications (4th Edition). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
- Suzuki, L., Ang, J.Y.Z, Matthews, B., & Wright, A. J. (2025). Race and Ethnic Group Differences in Assessment and Diagnosis: Where to Go With What We Know. In F. T. L. Leong, G. Bernal, & N. Buchanan (Eds.), Clinical Psychology in Communities of Color: Integration Research and Practice. American Psychological Association
- Valencia, R. R., & Suzuki, L. A. (2001). Intelligence testing of minority students: Foundations, performance factors and assessment issues. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Suzuki, Ang and Prasai have done multiple presentations at national conferences focusing on assessment-based issues including – interviewing, assessment practices in general, and intelligence and cognitive testing.
- Presenters of “Integrating Culture into Clinical Work” symposium at 4 conferences (2 at the American Psychological Association and 2 at the Society for Personality Assessment Convention)
- Professors of courses at New York University
- APSY-GE 2672: Interpretation and Use of Tests in Counseling Adults
- APSY-GE 2673: Assessment of Children and Adolescents
- APSY-GE 2663: Program Development and Evaluation in Counseling
- APSY-GE 2038: Abnormal Psychology
Dr. Suzuki, Jen Ang and Aakriti Prasai have done multiple presentations at national conferences focusing on assessment-based issues including – interviewing, assessment practices in general, and intelligence and cognitive testing.
Presenters of “Integrating Culture into Clinical Work” symposium at 4 conferences (2 at the American Psychological Association and 2 at the Society for Personality Assessment Convention)
Professors of courses at New York University
- APSY-GE 2672: Interpretation and Use of Tests in Counseling Adults
- APSY-GE 2673: Assessment of Children and Adolescents
- APSY-GE 2663: Program Development and Evaluation in Counseling
- APSY-GE 2038: Abnormal Psychology
Dr. Lisa Suzuki
Jen Ang
Aakriti Prasai