Introduction
Assessing ethical dilemmas is important in identifying the most crucial decisions for an organization. While there is a wide range of tools that psychologists can utilize during the assessment, it is significant to choose the one that is culturally sensitive and competent. In the given scenario, the organization is diverse and made up of employees from various countries. Therefore, a less culturally bound and culture-neutral test will give the most accurate result on prospective employee intelligence and cognitive ability. The APA Ethical Code will be helpful when selecting the most appropriate psychological assessment tool.
Less Culture-Bound Tests
In the given scenario, the potential employees are immigrants from Pakistan, Korea, and India. Consequently, they differ in traditions and perceptions about the world and various activities in society. A less culture-bound psychological test will be used to measure their intelligence and cognitive capabilities. The use of a culture-bound test will result in unfair and invalid results. Some respondents may feel rejected, while others may focus on negative opinions about cultures that are not theirs (Glazer & Kwantes, 2022). Therefore, the application of a less culture-bound test will eliminate the possibility of unfair and inaccurate results that can be detrimental to the organization.
Culture-Neutral Assessment Selection
A culture-neutral test will have to be selected for maximum outcome during the assessment. Selecting a culture-neutral test will involve considering various aspects of the test. The selection process will evaluate the psychometric properties of the potential test. Additionally, the cultural sensitivity of the test, as used across different cultures, will be evaluated (Touloumakos, 2020). Therefore, the choice of tests, such as the Raven’s Progressive Matrices and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, will not be restricted to a specific culture.
Culture-Neutral Assessment Selection Criteria
Since a culture-neutral test is important to the given scenario, various criteria will be followed to ensure that the most appropriate measure is selected. The reliability, validity, norming, and cultural validity of a culture-neutral measure will be selected (Alavi et al., 2022). The criteria help to ensure that ethical issues, such as those arising from the choice of a culture-bound measure, are avoided.
Culturally-Biased Tests
The organization, in the given case scenario, wants to recruit employees from diverse cultures. Therefore, the use of a culturally biased test can lead to several ethical issues. The test results will be invalid and unfair to a particular culture. Consequently, the culture will have its image and characteristics tainted. As an ethical issue, the employees in the organization may unfairly treat the negatively precepted culture. Workplace harassment and other unethical behaviors may be enhanced by the use of a culturally-biased test.
APA Ethics Code on Culture-Neutrality
Psychologists in the U.S. are bound by the provision of the APA Ethics Code. Culture neutrality is provided for by the code in its 9.03 and 9.05 (a) standards (APA, n.d.). The provisions require psychologists to be sensitive to their client’s culture, gender, age, and sexual orientation, among other factors. The significance of considering those factors is that they are accurate and valid tests that are important in effective decision-making.
APA Decision-Making Process
The APA has set a standard procedure for psychologists to make ethical decisions. The procedure involves problem identification, information gathering, evaluation, and decision implementation (Juntunen et al., 2023). Each of the provided steps integrates the provisions under the APA Ethics Code. Therefore, psychologists behave in a manner that conforms to their client’s needs and ethical requirements.
Culturally-Biased Problems Examples
There are many examples of culturally biased tests that can be problematic to society in general. Tests that measure IQ to justify discrimination against the Black community and those that associate non-Western cultures with mental illnesses are some examples. Such tests cause increased cases of discrimination and racism in society. Therefore, social and economic developments are encumbered in various ways.
Consequences of Not Following the Selection Process
Failure by psychologists to follow the selection procedure as guided by APA and other professional requirements is detrimental to them and their clients. Psychologists may establish inaccurate and biased results, which may lower their performance scores. Consequently, they may lose their good reputation in the profession. Meanwhile, invalid results are subject to clients’ misdiagnosis and worsening of their conditions.
Conclusion
In the given scenario, there is a need to measure the potential employees’ intelligence using tests that are sensitive to their cultural backgrounds. The test must conform to the APA Ethics Code and its provision on cultural neutrality. Therefore, the validity, reliability, and culture-validity criteria will be applied for an effective selection process. Failure to follow the selection process may lead to culturally biased tests that are problematic to the psychologists and the clients.
References
Alavi, D. M., Karami, H., & Sepahi, D. (2022). CEFR-based test validation and fairness assessment. Journal of Foreign Language Research, 12(1), 111–131. Web.
APA. (n.d.). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Web.
Choi, Y., & Lee, H. (2022). Psychometric properties for multidimensional cognitive load scale in an e-learning environment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(10), 5822. Web.
Glazer, S., & Kwantes, C. (2022). Cross-cultural issues in industrial, work, and organizational psychology. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology. Web.
Juntunen, C. L., Crepeau-Hobson, F., Riva, M. T., Baker, J., Wan, S., Davis, C. III, & Caballero, A. M. (2023). Centering equity, diversity, and inclusion in ethical decision-making. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 54(1), 17–27. Web.
Touloumakos, A. K. (2020). Expanded yet restricted: A mini-review of the soft skills literature. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. Web.