93515 - Cognitive Assessment in Multicultural Contexts

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will know how to develop appropriate cognitive assessment protocols in people of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, reducing assessment biases through appropriate methodologies, procedures and tools

Course contents

The main contents of the course will be geared towards providing knowledge and tools for psychological assessment, and in particular cognitive assessment, in populations with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. It will illustrate how this theoretical and methodological knowledge is functional in reducing bias in cognitive assessment, with consequent implications for diagnostic and educational choices, in order to promote inclusion and well-being in health and educational contexts.

The first part of the course will deal with the theoretical and methodological principles of cross-cultural psychology and the methodological implications for cognitive and language assessment (Response to intervention, linguistic and cultural biases in test construction, criterion and process measures, socio-cultural approach).

Following this, instruments for the assessment of cognitive functions (intellectual functioning, language skills, learning) and instruments for the investigation of linguistic history will be presented, examining their application to multicultural populations, also in relation to the knowledge of the evolutionary trajectories of linguistic compteneze. Practical exercises will be conducted on some of the proposed tools and discussions on case examples with in-class simulations.

Finally, assessment instruments with cross-cultural validations will be analysed, also through group work.
The lectures will be held from 3 October to 21 November 2024 (Thursdays 9:00 - 13:00). Department of Psychology, Bologna campus.

Readings/Bibliography

The bibliographic material will consist of scientific articles from the international literature that will be made available at the beginning of the course. The study of these articles will be necessary for taking the examination.

Teaching methods

Lectures and interactive discussions on course topics - Individual and small group exercises for case discussion activities - Group presentations - Psychometric tests, interviews and questionnaires will also be shown, accompanied by practical exercises.

Assessment methods

1) During the lessons, students will have to prepare a power point presentation (individually, or in small groups, maximum 2-3 students per group) in which they will elaborate on a topic related to cognitive assessment in multicultural contexts. Suggestions on the topics and structure of the presentation will be given at the beginning of the course or by contacting me. Students who are unable to attend the lectures can alternatively write a short individual paper (approx. 3 pages).

The paper will be awarded a maximum of 10 points.

2) A final examination, informed by case reports, with open-ended questions on the topics covered in the lectures and in the articles in the examination bibliography to test theoretical and methodological knowledge. The maximum mark is 20 points and will be added to the group work carried out in class.

The maximum mark for the examination is 30 with distinction and the minimum mark for passing the examination is 18/30.
For both parts, the allocation of marks will follow the following criteria - Maximum marks for answers which, in addition to being complete in terms of content, will show capacity for synthesis, critical analysis and knowledge of specific language. - Fair marks for products that are complete in terms of content but which do not use specific language and with reduced quality of synthesis/critical discussion; - Low marks for products with marginal gaps which do not use specific language and with reduced quality of synthesis/critical discussion; - Insufficient marks for significant knowledge gaps and non-compliance with the indications/requirements provided.

Teaching tools

PC with video projector, audio and video files, paper tools

Office hours

See the website of Paola Bonifacci