202 S.-Afr.Tydskr.Sielk. 1992,22(4) The cross-cultural utility of the SAPQ- bias or fruitful differences?

The article is a reply to Taylor and Boeyens’s (1990, 1991) investigation of the cross-cultural utility of the SAPQ. Although their conclusions about a lack of evidence favouring utility are agreed with, it is argued that certain important variables operate in the domain of cross-cultural personality assessment, necessitating a different interpretation of traditional concepts relating to bias and item incomparability. The guiding assumption of a search for dimensions that remain unitary or invariant is also questioned. Based on this analysis, a pragmatic test construction strategy is advocated where causes behind differences in patterns of responding are investigated in order to yield core constructs that may vary in cross-cultural application. Such a test construction strategy also has the potential of yielding indices of acculturation. Die artikel is ‘n reaksie op Taylor en Boeyens (1990, 1991) se studie aangaande die kruiskulturele bruik-baarheid van die S A W. Daar word saamgestem met hulle gevolgtrekking dat daar nie genoegsame getuienis ten gunste van kruiskulturele bruikbaarheid is nie, maar daar word ook aangevoer dat belangrike verander-likes in die gebied van kruiskulturele persoonlikheidstaksering dit nodig maak om tradisionele konsepte van sydigheid en item-onvergelykbaarheid anders te interpreteer. Die leidende aanname van ’n soektog vir dimensies wat unit & of onveranderlik bly word ook bevraagteken. Hierdie ontleding lei tot die aanbeveling van ’n pragmatiese toetskonstruksiestrategie. In so ’n benadering word die oorsake van verskille in respons