Cultural bias in testing: India

The development and application of psychological tests is an ever increasing activity in India. Based on a cross-cultural perspective, major forms of cultural bias in testing are identified. An historical overview in Indian context is presented with respect to test development and the attendant problem of bias. The problems of test adaptation, test translation, and psychometric invariance are specifically examined. Recent attempts in the direction of developing culturally appropriate tests are discussed. The role of projective inventories is cited as an emerging trend in this direction. A further indigenization of concepts, items, and method is stressed for future research.