Common Language, Shared Challenges The Use of Tests in Spanish for Cross-Cultural Research
Abstract
In the field of psychological research, it is common to use tests or questionnaires to evaluate various psychological constructs across a wide range of applications. After defining the construct to be evaluated, researchers typically conduct a thorough search for existing tools and assess their suitability for inclusion in the study. During this process, it is frequent to encounter tools developed to assess the same construct but which may not be available in the specific language or culture in which the research is planned. Selecting an appropriate tool for a given cultural context can be a challenge in itself. However, additional questions arise when conducting cross-cultural research involving countries that share the same language but have significant cultural differences. How are psychological assessment tools selected and adapted to ensure their validity and reliability in diverse cultural contexts? What happens when there are tools in Spanish, but they have been developed and validated in populations whose cultural characteristics differ from those of the target population? This presentation aims to address these challenges by exploring how psychological assessment tools can be adapted and validated in diverse cultural contexts, focusing particularly on Spanish-speaking countries with significant cultural differences. Through the discussion of practical cases, strategies for cross-cultural adaptation will be examined, and the methodological and practical implications of conducting psychological research in diverse cultural settings will be discussed. Additionally, potential cultural biases in existing tools will be identified, and approaches to address them will be proposed to improve the validity and reliability of psychological assessment scores in cross-cultural contexts.
Ariadna Angulo-Brunet
Lecturer
My research interests are focused on psychometrics in various fields, specifically in audiovisual communication, attitudes towards LGBTI individuals, and artificial intelligence.