Psychological assessment in post-apartheid South Africa: the way forward

Abstract

In 2014, South Africa is into its 20th year since the 1994 elections which ushered in a democratic government and marked the official end of apartheid. The discipline of Psychology has in this time attained many milestones, several of which relate to the sub-discipline of psychological assessment. Prior to, during, and post-apartheid, psychological assessment featured as one of the most contentious areas in the history of the country, as well as the history of Psychology. In this article, we provide some critical insights into those aspects in the history of psychological assessment in South Africa that have led it to be the provocative field it is today. We also identify the positive contributions of psychological assessment that have facilitated South Africa’s movement towards a more just and equitable society. The article concludes with suggestions for the future development of psychological assessment and how it can serve to enhance the discipline of Psychology and the wellbeing of South Africans.

Keywords

Assessment cognition educational assessment organizational assessment personality psychological assessment testing

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Abrahams

(2001). The use and abuse of psychological testing in industry: An overview. In Stones

(Ed.), Socio-political and psychological perspectives on South Africa (pp. 197–214). New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

Amod

(2013). A family consultation model of child assessment. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 461–473). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

Berry

J. W.

Poortinga

Y. H.

Segall

M. H.

Dasen

P. R.

(2004). Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Bhomke

Tlali

(2008). Bodies and behavior: Science, psychology and politics in South Africa. In van Ommen

Painter

(Eds.), Interiors: A history of psychology in South Africa (pp. 125–151). Pretoria, South Africa: UNISA Press.

Biesheuvel

(1943). African intelligence. Johannesburg, South Africa: South African Institute of Race Relations.

Claasen

N. C. W.

(1997). Cultural differences, politics and test bias in South Africa. European Review of Applied Psychology, 47, 297–307.

Coetzee

(2013). Ethical perspectives in assessment. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 409–423). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

Cooper

Nicholas

Seedat

Staatman

J. M.

(1990). Psychology and apartheid: The struggle for psychology in South Africa. In Nicholas

L. J.

Cooper

(Eds.), Psychology and apartheid: Essays on the struggle for psychology and the mind in South Africa (pp. 1–21). Johannesburg, South Africa: Vision/Madiba.

De Beer

(2013). The learning potential computerised adaptive test in South Africa. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 137–157). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

10.

Donald

Thatcher

Milner

(in press). Psychological assessment for redress in South African organisations: is it just? South African Journal of Psychology.

11.

Dunston

J. T.

(1923). Retarded and defective children: Native mentality, mental testing. South African Journal of Science, 20, 148–156.

12.

Employment Equity Act (Act No. 55) Government Gazette Vol. 400, No. 19370, 19 October (1998).

13.

Engel

P.M.J.

Santos

F.H.

Gathercole

S.E.

(2008). Are working memory measures free of socioeconomic influence? Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, 51, 1580–1587.

14.

Feuerstein

Rand

Hoffman

M. B.

(1979). The dynamic assessment of retarded performers: The learning potential assessment device, theory, instruments and techniques. Baltimore, MD: University Park Press.

15.

Fick

M. L.

(1929). South African intelligence tests: Comparisons of various racial groups. Social and Industrial Review, 8, 701–705; 791–794.

16.

Foster

(2008). Critical psychology: A historical overview. In van Ommen

Painter

(Eds.), Interiors: A history of psychology in South Africa (pp. 92–124). Pretoria, South Africa: UNISA Press.

17.

Foxcroft

C. D.

(1997). Psychological testing in South Africa: Perspectives regarding ethical and fair practices. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 13, 229–235.

18.

Foxcroft

C. D.

(2011). Ethical Issues Related to Psychological Testing in Africa: What I Have Learned (So Far). Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(2). https://dx-doi-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/10.9707/2307-0919.1022

19.

Foxcroft

C. D.

Davies

(2008). Historical perspectives on psychometric testing in South Africa. In van Ommen

Painter

(Eds.), Interiors: A history of psychology in South Africa (pp. 152–181). Pretoria, South Africa: UNISA Press.

20.

Foxcroft

C. D.

Paterson

Le Roux

Herbst

(2004). Psychological assessment in South Africa: A needs analysis. Pretoria, South Africa: Human Sciences Research Council.

21.

Foxcroft

C. D.

Roodt

(2013). An introduction to psychological assessment in the South African context (2nd ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

22.

Foxcroft

C. D.

Roodt

Abrahams

(2013). The practice of psychological assessment: Controlling the use of measures, competing values and ethical practice standards. In Foxcroft

Roodt

(Eds.), An introduction to psychological assessment in the South African context (4th ed., pp. 109–124). Cape Town, South Africa: Oxford University Press.

23.

Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) (2013). Framework for education, training and registration as a registered counsellor, Form 258. Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://www.hpcsa,co,za/downloads/downloads/psychology/form_258.pdf

24.

Hill

Nel

van de Vijver

Meiring

Valchev

Adams

de Bruin

(2013). Developing and testing items for the South African Personality Inventory (SAPI). South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, 39(1). doi:10.4102/sajip.v39i1.1122

25.

Kaliski

(2006). Psycho-legal assessment in South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Oxford University Press.

26.

Kanjee

(2013). Large-scale assessment studies in South Africa: Trends in reporting results to schools. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 516–534). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

27.

Laher

Cockcroft

(2013a). Current and future trends in psychological assessment in South Africa: Challenges and opportunities. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 535–552). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

28.

Laher

Cockcroft

(2013b). Contextualising psychological assessment in South Africa. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 1–16). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

29.

Laher

Cockcroft

(2013c). Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications. Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

30.

Leipoldt

C. F. L.

(1916, July 5–10 [1915]). Medical inspection of schools in relation to social efficiency. Report of the thirteenth annual meeting of the South African Association for the Advancement of Science, Pretoria, South Africa, pp. 530–539.

31.

Loades

H. R.

Rich

S. G.

(1917). Binet tests on South African natives: Zulus. Pedagogical Seminary, 24, 372–380.

32.

Macrone

I. D.

(1928). Preliminary results from the Porteus Maze Test applied to native school children. South African Journal of Science, 25, 481–484.

33.

Maree

(2011). Career counselling: Techniques that work. Cape Town, South Africa: Juta & Company.

34.

Martin

A. L.

(1915). Experiments with Binet-Simon tests upon African children. Training School Bulletin, 12, 122–123.

35.

Moerdyk

(2009). The principles and practice of psychological assessment. Pretoria, South Africa: Van Schaik Publishers.

36.

Nzimande

(1995, June). To test or not to test? Paper presented at the Congress on Psychometrics, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa.

37.

Osman

(2013). Assessment of prior learning: A South African perspective. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 509–515). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

38.

Owen

(1989). Test and item bias: The suitability of the Junior Aptitude Test as a common test battery of White, Indian and Black pupils in standard seven. Pretoria, South Africa: Human Sciences Research Council.

39.

Seedat

Mackenzie

(2008). The triangulated development of South African psychology: Race, scientific racism and professionalization. In van Ommen

Painter

(Eds.), Interiors: A history of psychology in South Africa (pp. 63–91). Pretoria, South Africa: UNISA Press.

40.

Sher

Long

(2012). Historicising the relevance debate: South African and American psychology in context. South African Journal of Psychology, 42, 564–575.

41.

Shuttleworth-Edwards

Gaylard

E. K.

Radloff

S. E.

(2013). WAIS-III test performance in the South African context: Extension of a prior cross-cultural normative database. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 17–32). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

42.

Shuttleworth-Edwards

van der Merwe

A. S.

van Tonder

Radloff

S. E.

(2013). WISC-IV test performance in the South African context: A collation of cross-cultural norms. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 33–47). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

43.

Taylor

J. M.

Radford

E. J.

(1986). Psychometric as an unfair labour practice. South African Journal of Psychology, 16, 79–87.

44.

Taylor

De Bruin

(2013). The Basic Traits Inventory. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and Applications (pp. 232–243). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

45.

Taylor

(2013). APIL and TRAM learning potential assessment instruments. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 158–168). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

46.

Taylor

T. R.

(1987). The future of cognitive assessment. PERS-420. Pretoria, South Africa: Human Sciences Research Council.

47.

Theron

L. C.

(2013). Assessing school readiness using the Junior South African Individual Scales: A pathway to resilience. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 60–73). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

48.

Tredoux

(2013). Using computerized and Internet-based testing in South Africa. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 424–442). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.

49.

Verster

J. M.

(1987). Cross-cultural cognitive research: Some methodological problems and prospects. In Mauer

K. F.

Retief

A. I.

(Eds.), Psychology in context: Cross-cultural research trends in South Africa (pp. 65–117). Pretoria, South Africa: Human Sciences Research Council.

50.

Vygotsky

(1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

51.

Watson

McMahon

(2013). Qualitative career assessment in South Africa. In Laher

Cockcroft

(Eds.), Psychological assessment in South Africa: Research and applications (pp. 474–487). Johannesburg, South Africa: Wits University Press.