Multicultural Validity

Basic Concepts of Multiculturalism and Validity

In order to better understand multiculturalism, it is important to first define the construct of culture. Culture encompasses a collective set of values, beliefs, knowledge, skills, and attributes that create a distinct identity. This identity shapes how people think and act, and cultural understandings may be shared among a large group of people and across generations. Karen Kirkhart identifies multiplicity, fluidity, and nonneutrality as three important facets of culture. Multiplicity refers to culture as a multidimensional construct of identity, a sense of interconnectedness shaped at the individual and collective group levels. In terms of fluidity, culture is not a fixed construct, as it changes with each situation, task, role, as well as with time. The third facet of culture, nonneutrality, is the acknowledgment that culture itself is not neutral. Although not always explicitly identified, power is attached in varying degrees to different aspects of culture, and the extent of its attachment can change from one context to another. The dominant majority perspective is the default societal viewpoint of culture. An example of the power expression of the dominant majority culture in the United States is the often limited availability of translations for medical documents or test measures in languages other than English. Analyses of culture and context should include power dynamics, and analysis should acknowledge that power dynamics privilege certain cultural identifications.

The concept of multiculturalism is the awareness, recognition, and support of cultural diversity. When applied to the construct of validity, multiculturalism brings awareness of cultural differences in determining the extent to which results of an assessment are valid. Multicultural validity can be categorized by three constructs of validity: internal, external, and construct. In terms of internal validity, cultural factors are important in understanding which variables influence results. External validity/ecological validity concerns the generalizability of results to other settings and times. Construct validity refers to the consequences and implications the effects have on higher order constructs. For example, use of the English version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory with bilingual patients should be carefully considered as to whether the test will accurately reflect the personality of the individual, as cultural differences and unfamiliarity with test content may affect item endorsement and score patterns. Failure to take cultural nuances into account when interpreting the validity of results may result in incorrectly diagnosing and stereotyping an entire cultural group. Multicultural validity imbues traditional concepts of validity by enhancing test selection, enriching interpretation, and strengthening the appropriateness and effectiveness of recommendations.

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