Psychological Measures in the Multicultural South African Context Essay

confederation Africa is deeply embedded in the root of its past and so it inevitable that mental judging today would be saliently influenced by the history of our landed e aver. Foxcroft (1997) argued that there is a grave magnificence to extrapolate the impact that southwest Africas past apartheid policies excite had on the growing and af unclouded of mental attempting. In her paper she addresses the impact of Apartheid policies on foot race increase and use as well as linguistic, ethnic and norm factors that would pose a threat to the sporting, un divergeed and ethical use and interpretation of mental screen outs.This assignment will follow a resembling outline, whereby the past and present of mental judgement will be discussed in order to catch why the status of psychological discernment has non progressed to the level that was expected of post-apartheid southward Africa. Finally, the jurisprudences or statutory controls that perplex been apply to regula te measures will be discussed. It is weighty to firstly understand what psychological test is and when it tush be used. According to Krupenia, Mouton, Beuster and Makwe (2000), a psychological test is an objective and standardized measure of a sample of behavior (Setshedi, 2008). psychometric tests moldiness meet three significant criteria validity, reliability and standardization. According to Gadd and Phipps (as cited in Groth-Marnat, 2009), a standardised test is single which keeps the test items, administration, scoring, and interpretation procedures consistent indeed allowing comparisons between scores. The aim of standardising tests crowd out wherefore be described as structuring tests so as to comp be diametrical persons scores (Gadd and Phipps, 2012). However, a chore arises due to the diverse and multicultural backgrounds of southeastern Africa.It sprains difficult to yield fair and un yielded results without taking into consideration the row, agriculture an d norms of the participants. The concern rectitude second No. 55 of 1998 (Section 8) refers to psychological tests and assessment specifically and states that Psychological examen and other similar forms or assessments of an employee be prohibited unless the test or assessment that is being used Has been scientifically shown to be valid and reliable, backside be applied fairly to all employees and is non biased against whatsoever employee or group ( cutting edge de Vijver & Rothmann, 2004).However, this has not been fully achieved and psychological interrogation in south-central Africa faces many another(prenominal) challenges. These challenges or booby traps owe themselves to the ideologies of the past, namely, Apartheid. The status of psychological scrutiny in south Africa today bottomlandnot be considered without reflecting on the past discriminative laws and practices of apartheid. These laws discriminated politically and were based on demographics, that being lam and social class. The policies and decree passed during apartheid influenced the way in which test development was approached (Foxcroft, 2004).According to Foxcroft, 2004, the development of recent culturally rele vanguardguardt tests has been minimal and the reason for this is that there is a dreadful shortage of test development capacity in South Africa at present. Joseph & van Lill (2008) state that these large inequalities bear ond during Apartheid whitethorn be embedded in South Africas social and economic structures and as a result, variables such as terminology, race, socio-economic status, the environment and social and educational backgrounds serve as study challenges to the validity, reliability and standardisation of psychological testing.As was mentioned , The practice of psychological testing in South Africa necessitates to be understood in name of the impact that past apartheid political policies engender had on test development and use (Foxcroft, 1997) . To understand this, it is important to reflect on the history of psychological assessment in South Africa. History of psychological assessment on that point is close relationship between science and politics in South African psychology (Claassen, 1995 Cooper, Nicholas, Seedat, & Statman, 1990 Nell, 1997) and so it is not surprising that the development of psychological tests during the apartheid era was influence by the politics and ideologies of the time. Under the apartheid regime, there was requisition along racial lines of residential areas and education. Job policies ensured that plastered jobs were reserved for certain groups, namely the white population.Claasen (1997) asserts that psychological testing was introduced to South Africa through the British and the development of psychological tests has followed closely to the patterns of tests in the USA. South African tests however, were authentic in a condition of unequal distribution of resources as a result of aparthei d policies and were thence used to exploit grim labour and traverse moody people access to education and economic resources, thereby perpetuating apartheid. It was therefore inevitable that psychological tests would follow the same kind of segregation along racial lines.As a result, assessment became an asset to the Apartheid regime and was fortify by those scientists who believed in the Western concept of Intelligence (Foxcroft, 1997). Laher (2012) speaks of tests that were standardized for educate white South Africans but were administered to illiterate, un improve or poorly educated black South Africans without investigating as whether the test was free of bias and suitability for the latter(prenominal) group of individualistics. This, once again was make so as to use the results to justify that the white race was superior.Socio-political developments in the latter half of the 1980s led to the start of the abolition of racism advocated by apartheid. It later became appare nt that there was a demand from the industrial and educational sectors of society, for common tests that would not be unfair or discriminatory against race or culture (Claassen, 1995). Test developers were then under a corking stool of pressure to give consideration to test bias and to alike develop unbiased psychometric tests that were not designed to place one group as superior to the other and that would not discriminate along racial lines (Claassen, 1995 Owen, 1991 van Eeden & Visser, 1992).However, it appears the transformation of test development and testing practices has make less progress in the 1990s than was expected and this can be pinned down to the challenges faced due to the multicultural and multilingual context of South Africa (Foxcroft, 2004), olibanum making the process of transformation more complex. The perception that psychological testing was unjust somewhat changed in the post-apartheid years, however, this transformation of test development and testing pr actices has made less progress than was expected because of the complexity of create unbiased and fair testing practices (Foxcroft, 1997, pp. 30). Some of the study pitfalls associated with psychological assessment stems from the dire shortage of test ability capacity in the country at the moment (Foxcroft, 2004). There are very few tests that have been true in SA, that cast for the multicultural, multilingual and socio-economic aspects of the country. South Africa boasts cardinal different official languages and an array of different cultures and norms. Although, language and culture are twain linked they are completely different and thus pose individual challenges to the assessment process. CultureAccording to Hall and Maramba (2001), the role of culture in psychology in general, has been of a secondary nature and has acted as a moderator or qualifier of theoretical propositions assumed to be universal in scope (as cited in Gergen, Gulerce, Lock & Misra, 1996). Hall and Mara mba (200112) further go on to say however, that there is an increasing awareness that European American psychological theories whitethorn be of limited relevancy in non European American contexts and thus by considering cultural issues, it can only suffice in making psychology more comprehensive and relevant.It is therefore important to understand the role that culture plays in the psychological assessment process. The fact that culture has been somewhat ignored in psychological testing becomes a study pitfall as according to Foxcroft (2004), the South African society has a diversity of cultures in which appreciation for the culture of origin exists alongside variations in acculturation towards a Western norm (as cited in Claassen, 1997).Culture-fairness of tests and applicability crossways different groups of people has emerged as some of the most important themes associated with the fair and ethical use and interpretation of tests (van der Merwe, 2002) and thus it is vital tha t these objectives are met. With this said, the core is on the psychological assessment practitioner to use caution when translation results especially within the context of South Africa. Without measures with culturally relevant heart and soul and appropriate norms, fair testing practice may be compromised thus leading to test bias. The debate around normingThe debate around the norming of psychological tests is a complex one. The inquiry practitioners ask themselves is whether norms should be used or not. Some say it is a way of addressing the inequities in cross-cultural applications of tests (Paterson & Uys, 2005), others felt that creating different norms for different groups could be seen as discriminatory and almost comparable to apartheid practices (Paterson &Uys, 2005). A comment from a participant in the study done by Paterson and Uys (2005), baffle the whole debate into perspective and stated that, You should not develop a norm on those people for whom the test doe s not work.That is a prerequisite you can only norm on groups where your test is reliable enough to use (Paterson & Uys, 2005). Foreign tests Psychological tests in South Africa are adaptations of foreign tests and from roughly the 1920s to the 1960s were developed specifically for the white population, not taking into consideration culture and language so as to further differentiate between the white and black population. This has become a major challenge for psychological assessment today as there are very few psychological tests that have been developed in South Africa, that take into account cultural biases, norms and language.The works of Joseph and van Lill (2008) looks at the history of this country and they suggest that there was a appreciate demand for tests that were more suitable for the different race and language populations. This occupy or demand grew during the latter parts of the apartheid era, where there had been a motif for change to the discriminatory policies and ideologies of the time. This all occurred during the 1980s to 1994. During this time there had been many studies, which served to prove bias in foreign tests being used in South Africa. The first thorough study of bias was by Owen (1986).He investigated test and item bias using various tests, for example, the Senior expertness Test, the Mechanical Insight Test and the Scholastic Proficiency Test (van de Vijver & Rothmann, 2004). He found that there were significant differences between the test scores of black and white participants. His conclusion was that understanding the reasons for these differences and counteracting them would be a major challenge. This proven to be true as even today, psychological test bias in terms of demographics and culture remains a major pitfall of the assessment process.Retief (1992) concluded that personality tests seldom retain the level of reliability and even loses some validity when used crossways cultures and the validity (Joseph & van Lil l, 2008). Abrahams (1996) and Abrahams and Mauer (1999) concluded in another study that some tests such as the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) could not be used across different racial groups, as the reliability was not acceptable for the black groups (Joseph & van Lill, 2008). These results highlighted problems with the construct and item comparability of the test.From the conclusions made by the in a higher place psychologists, it is proposed that in order for an merchandise psychological test to be adopted in South Africa, it must be bootfully researched, before it can be used within our South African context (Joseph & van Lill, 2008). Language From looking at the imported tests into South Africa, that being those imported from Europe and the US, it is evident that they have been developed and standardized in English. This poses a major problem in the South African context.Joseph and van Lill (2008) state that taking into account the history of South Africas l anguage policies and differences in language proficiencies it is evident that when a psychological test is administered in English, individuals from a different demographic group find difficulties in understanding the test. South Africa boasts eleven different official languages and not everyone in South Africa can speak fluent English. According to Joseph and van Lill (2008), this may have a negative influence on an individuals performance on a test (Meiring, Van de Vijver & Rothmann, 2006).Thus, it is of great importance that language be considered when assessing the appropriateness of a psychological test in a multi-lingual context (Van de Vijver & Leung, 1997). There have been some tests that have been translated, for example the Wisconsin Card variety Test (WCST), which has been translated for Setswana-speaking University students in an attempt to standardise the WCST. However, even though translations have been made, there appears to still be some problems as English language with multiple meanings cannot be adequately translated. English idioms cannot be expressed in another language without changing the entire sentence structure along with the underlying logic of the sentenceand when that happens standardization, and the guarantee of fairness it promises, is lost (Richmond, n. d). The 16PF test used as an example to illustrate the use of foreign tests similarly serves as a good illustration here. Abrahams (2002) concluded that participants whose home language was neither English nor Afrikaans found that the items of the 16PF were more difficult to understand (Joseph & van Lill, 2008).Tests such as the General Scholastic Aptitude Test (GSAT) Ability, Processing of Information and Learning Battery (APIL-B) and Paper and Pencil Games (PPG) are the only psychological tests available today in all eleven official languages. From the cases above, it is clear to see that issues relating to standardization, norm development and cross-cultural relevance to tes t material are evidence that there are major pitfalls associated with psychological measures used in a multicultural South African context.Statutory Control It is important for certain measures and instruments in psychological assessment to be regulated by law, especially when it involves culture. If there are tests that do not take into account culture and norms, fair testing practices may be compromised (Foxcroft, 1997) thus the need for strict statutory control of psychological assessment. According to Mauer (2000) there are two pieces of legislation that regulate the assessment process.The first piece includes acts and regulations which take the form of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa ( motion 108 of 1996), the Labour Relations Act (66 of 1995), and the Employment Equity Act (55 of 1998), (Mauer, 200). These Acts deal with matters of individuals rights and with specific substantive issues (Mauer, 2000). The second piece of legislation is the Health Professions A ct (56 of 1974) in which the scope of the profession of psychology, and the responsibilities and duties/functions of psychologists are addressed within the context of health care in the country (Mauer, 2000).According to Mauer (2000), it is also important to note that the law restricts psychological assessment measures to only registered psychological professionals. The Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, Section 8 (Government Gazette, 1998), stipulates that Psychological testing and other similar assessments are prohibited unless the test or assessment being used (a) has been scientifically shown to be valid and reliable, (b) can be applied fairly to all employees and (c) is not biased against any employee or group (Mauer, 2000).Apart from legislation, there are also guidelines which help perpetuate fair and ethical practices. According to the International Test Commissions International Guidelines on Test Use (Version 2000) the following fair and ethical practices must be adhered t o 1). The appropriate, fair, professional, and ethical use of assessment measures and assessment results taking into account the necessitate and rights of those involved in the assessment process 2). Ensuring that the assessment conducted closely matches the direct to which the assessment result will be put 3).Taking into account the broader social, cultural, and political context in which assessment is used and the ways in which such factors might affect assessment results, their interpretation, and the use to which they are put the test is valid for the purposes for which it is being used 5). Appropriate norms are consulted 6). Lastly, where tests that have been developed in other countries are concerned, appropriate research studies need to be undertaken to investigate whether the test is culturally biased and special care should be taken when interpreting the results of such tests (Foxcroft & Roodt, 2001).From points three and six, it is evident that culture, norms and languag e hugely determine if a test will prove to be free of bias and is ethically fair. If these variables are not considered, the test is considered contrary and biased. This is a serious pitfall for psychological assessment in South Africa. Concluding remarks Ultimately, there are two scruples to ask here. The first question is asked by van de Vijver and Rothmann (2004) and that is whether the profession of psychology in South Africa is disposed(p) for the challenge that is implicit in the Equity Act.According to van de Vijver and Rothmann (2004), the law is ahead of the daily practice of psychological assessment and even now no country can live up to the expectations and demands proposed by the Act. To help achieve the propositions of the act, it has become one of the main goals of the assessment profession in South Africa to bring current practice and harmonize it with legal demands of the Equity Act (van de Vijver & Rothmann, 2004).This can be done by developing innovative instrum ents and validating existing instruments for use in multicultural groups (van de Vijver & Rothmann, 2004). The second question that is inherent in the argument around historical and current pitfalls is can the current status of psychological assessment (which is proving less satisfactory than was expected) be attributed to the past racially discriminatory and unethical policies that made up apartheid?In my opinion, the past always shapes the present and future. Apartheid policies, although abolished have left a great impact on the social and economic structures of the country. According to Claassen (1995) Cooper, Nicholas, Seedat, & Statman (1990) Nell (1997), there is a close relationship between science and the politics of the time and thus it can be concluded that the development of psychological tests during the apartheid era was shaped by the politics and ideologies of the time.Today, without considering the culture, norms and language of the context in which we live, psycholog ical tests may perpetuate the type of bias experienced by minority groups during the apartheid era. It is important for there to be new developments of psychological tests that take into account the multicultural and multilingual nature of South Africa and turn them into positives, instead of test that are rendered inappropriate and unethical.