TEMAS (Tell-Me-A-Story) Multicultural Assessment in the New Millennium

Assessment bias is found among clinicians, in behavioral health service delivery and is exposed as instrument bias in tests/methods (Dana, 1993, 2000, 2005, 2007a). Clinician bias occurs in ethnocentric thinking and by stereotyping clients. Ethnic/racial glosses based on invidious group comparisons as a result of inept comparative research provide bias (Trimble, Helms, & Root, 2003). Preference for imposed etic instruments results from test translation as evidence of cross-cultural validity and failure to employ responsible guidelines for test use (Van de Vijver & Hambleton, 1996). Ignorance of credible social etiquette during professional service delivery can reduce task-orientation; affect the entire response process, including scoring and subsequent interpretation (Sue & Zane, 1987). Diagnostic systems, such as the DSM-IV and DSM-IV-TR, overemphasize psychopathology and thereby limit personality assessment for problems-in-living, particularly issues germane to oppression resulting from cultural origins, age, disability, poverty, social class, gender, and sexual orientation. These sociocultural diversities provide multiple individual identities requiring detailed understanding as a basis for societal services (Atkinson & Hackett, 2004). Test/method bias can impair measurement adequacy and instrument effectiveness (Dana, 1993; Van de Vijver, 2000).