Cross-Cultural Neuropsychological Assessment

This course introduces the student to the practice of neuropsychological

assessment with culturally diverse clients

n Globalization and migratory streams often face neuropsychologists with

the situation where they have to assess immigrant clients. These clients

frequently have different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. These

elements make the assessment process a challenge for the

neuropsychologist since they will affect the client’s performance and the

interpretation of neuropsychologist of that performance. Moreover,

many of the usual instruments that the neuropsychologist uses with the

local population will not be appropriate to assess these clients (this

course will have a heavy load on the importance of cross-cultural testing

and test adaptation). Thus, neuropsychologists need to develop skills to

address these kinds of assessments. The objectives of this course are that

the neuropsychologists: a) be aware of the difficulties that are inherent to

the assessment of a client from a different cultural background to the

neuropsychologist’s (language, socially accepted behaviors, test-wiseness,

appropriate tests availability); b) understand the necessary tools and skills

to address these difficulties in order to achieve an optimal outcome with

the existing resources.

1. Different realities of neuropsychology across the world - Are

neuropsychological constructs universal? Western vs non-western

Collectivistic vs individualistic.

 Ardila, A. (2007) The Impact of Culture on Neuropsychological

Test Performance. In Uzzell, B. P, Pontón, M, Ardila, A, (Eds):

International Handbook of Cross-Cultural Neuropsychology.

Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

2. Test-wiseness – Culture or education? Why Is It Necessary to Adapt

Tests? – Bias, different sources of bias.

 Julayanont, P. & Ruthirago, D. (2016): The illiterate brain and the

neuropsychological assessment: From the past knowledge to the

future new instruments. Applied Neuropsychology, 25(2), 174-

187.

3. Test Adaptation Methods-Translation techniques.

 van de Vijver, F.J.R. &Tanzer, N.K. (2004). Bias and equivalence in

cross-cultural assessment: An overview. European Review of

Applied Psychology, 54, 119–135.

4. The Presence of Bias in Neuropsychological Testing- Strategies to

address cross-cultural bias in neuropsychological testing and

assessment: behavioral approach, test adaptation, development of

new tests: cross-cultural neuropsychological tests. General guidelines

for preparation, assessment and report writing with culturally diverse

clients.

 Fernandez, A.L. & Abe, J. (2018) Bias in cross-cultural

neuropsychological testing: problems and possible solutions.

Culture & Brain, 6, 1-35.

 Fujii, D. (2017) Conceptualizing goals and cultural considerations.

In D. Fujii, Conducting a culturally informed neuropsychological

evaluation. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association

5. Final class: oral presentations/discussions and final exam. Papers to

present in class:

 Fernandez, A. L., & Fulbright, R. L. (2015). Construct and

Concurrent Validity of the Spanish Adaptation of the Boston

Naming Test. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 22(5),355-362.

 Ostrosky-Solís, F., Ramírez, M., Lozano, A., Picasso, H., & Vélez, A.

(2004). Culture or education? Neuropsychological test

performance of a Maya indigenous population. International

Journal of Psychology, 39 (1), 36–46.

 Storey, J. E., Rowland, J. T., Conforti, D. A., & Dickson, H. G.

(2004). The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale

(RUDAS): a multicultural cognitive assessment scale. International

Psychogeriatrics, 16, 13-31.

 Van dort, S., Vong, E., Razak, R. A., Kamal, R. M. & Meng, H. P.

(2007) Normative Data on a Malay Version of the Boston Naming

Test. Journal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia 5 (1),27-36.

By the end of the course students should

 demonstrate knowledge of the importance of cultural variables in

neuropsychological research/practice.

 Identify the most important factors influencing neuropsychological

performance cross-culturally

 Describe the sources of bias in cross-cultural neuropsychological

testing

 Recognize the appropriate approach for neuropsychological

assessment in a specific case

 Achieve a critical reading of the articles on test adaptation

Class presentations (20%)

You will have to prepare short presentations (in small groups of 2 or 3) of

a research paper/book chapter. These presentations should not exceed

10 minutes and should be accompanied by a list of questions for their

classmates to discuss/answer.

Class participation (30%)

Active and meaningful participation consists

of (1) reading the assigned chapter before class; (2) formulating and

bringing to class at least one good discussion question based on the

reading; (3) participation in discussion.

Exam (50%)

There will be a final the last day of class.

Attendance rules

Attendance is required. Two academic hours of class may be missed

unexcused. Two more academic hours of class can be missed only with

valid excuse. Missing more than 4 academic hours of class results in

course failure. Students are responsible for making up any work missed.