Cross-cultural applications of the PAI

Ethical guidelines from the American Psychological Association require that psychologists working with ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse populations should recognize these characteristics as important factors affecting a person’s experiences, attitudes, and psychological presentation (Bersoff, 2004). Differences between the test scores of individuals from a minority group and those from the dominant culture become problematic when they lead to inaccurate predictions or diagnoses for minority individuals (Graham, 1990). Thus, mental health professionals should consider the validity of information derived from assessment measures while always keeping in mind the cultural characteristics of the person being assessed and how such attributes likely affect his or her responses. In this manner, professionals working in the mental health field can refine their clinical interpretations of standardized measures in order to make more accurate assessments of individuals from a diverse cultural background and create treatment recommendations that are best suited for such patients (Dana, 2005).