What is it about?
The review looks into neuropsychological tests designed to measure social cognition - the brain's processes that help a person understand, handle, and react to social information. The focus was on tools created for or adapted to people in non-Western countries or ethnic minority groups in Western countries. It examines how good these tests are and how well they measure what they're supposed to. The authors conclude with a hopeful call for collaboration between researchers and clinicians around the world, emphasizing the shared goal of advancing inclusive cognitive assessments.
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Why is it important?
Difficulties in social cognition are common across many clinical populations. This ability is now considered a core area for assessment in neuropsychological testing. As neuropsychology expands globally, professionals are increasingly working with individuals from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Experts have noted a lack of suitable tests to measure social cognition across different cultures. This review aims to address part of that gap and has practical implications in both research and clinical settings. It uses a rigorous approach and offers an overview of social cognition tests that can be used with adults from non-Western countries or ethnic minoritized groups in Western countries.
Perspectives
Venturing into the topic explored in this systematic review has been both rewarding and thought-provoking. This work is part of ongoing efforts to promote greater equity, inclusion, and justice in neuropsychology and testing social cognition. It highlights the need for culturally sensitive tools and, more importantly, calls for collaboration. There is something inherently social about the process of creating social cognitive tests — we need to bring people together, across disciplines and across borders, to co-develop tools that reflect the diversity of the populations we serve. In line with the work of others in this space, we recognize the ethical responsibility to ensure that neuropsychological assessments are culturally informed and fair. Looking ahead, one particularly exciting direction is the possibility of developing a new generation of social cognitive tests — ones that are not only rooted in cross-cultural understanding but also shaped by the lessons we've learned from existing tools used in non-Western populations. This is a worthwhile and hopeful journey, one that can shape a more inclusive future for the field.
Dr Natali Farran
King's College London
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Neuropsychological tests of social cognition in non-Western countries and in individuals from ethnic minoritized groups in Western countries: A systematic review., Neuropsychology, February 2025, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/neu0000974.
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