Culture-Fair Test

Culture-Fair Test 

Definition

A culture-fair test is test designed to be free of cultural bias, as far as possible, so that no one culture has an advantage over another. The test is designed to not be influenced by verbal ability, cultural climate, or educational level.

Purpose

The purpose of a culture-fair test is to eliminate any social or cultural advantages, or disadvantages, that a person may have due to their upbringing. The test can be administered to anyone, from any nation, speaking any language. A culture-fair test may help identify learning or emotional problems. The duration of the test varies for the individual types of tests available, but the time is approximately between 12-18 minutes per section (a test usually has two to four sections).

A culture-fair test is often administered by employers in order to determine the best location for new employees in a large company. The wide variety of culture-fair tests available allows the administrator to select which area is most vital, whether it be general intelligence, knowledge of a specific area, or emotional stability.

Precautions

There is doubt as to whether any test can truly be culturally unbiased or can ever be made completely fair to all persons independent of culture. There are no other precautions.

Description

A culture-fair test is a non-verbal paper-pencil test that can be administered to patients as young as four years old. The patient only needs the ability to recognize shapes and figures and perceive their respective relationships. Some examples of tasks in the test may include:

• completing series
• classifying
• solving matrices
• evaluating conditions

The culture-fair test is also often referred to as a culture-free test or unbiased test. There are many variations of the test including class, economic, and intelligence tests. The threading theme among the various tests is their design to be culturally unbiased.

Preparation

The only preparation necessary to administer the test is pre-ordered materials and a quiet and secluded location for the duration of the test.

Aftercare

Post-test treatment depends on the results of the test and the specifics of the individual patient. Any further treatment is best prescribed by the doctor.

Risks

There are no risks associated with the culture-fair test.

Normal results

The results can be compared to the key that comes with the purchase of a culture-fair test. All results should be compared to the included key.

Resources

Books

Maddox, Taddy. Test. 4th ed. Austin, Texas: Pro-Ed Inc., 1997.