Resource Demo: Intercultural Sensitizer

Lauren Porter and Kiley Miller

What is an intercultural sensitizer (IS) test?

Formerly known as cultural assimilator tests, an IS is a cross-cultural training method that can be used
to raise awareness about cultural differences and serve as a resource to help solve cross-cultural
misunderstandings.
Root causes for cross-cultural misunderstandings can be grouped into three broad categories (Chew,
2014)-see Table 1, below.

Table 1

Root causes for cross-cultural misunderstandings

Area of Misunderstanding Explanation Examples

Affective Domain Emotional processes/emotions Feeling like an outsider, anxiety,

in cross-cultural situations ethnocentric attitudes

Knowledge Areas Values, beliefs, and assumptions Time and space, hierarchies,
that are unconscious values, rituals, individualism v.
collectivism, language, beauty

Cognitive Processes Thought processes/paradigms Learning styles, meta-cognitive

processes

Why are IS tests an important tool?

According to Chew (2014), most cross-cultural misunderstandings stem from attributions, which are
subjective perceptions of situations/evaluations of situations and behavior, based on ones culture and
experience.
 When can IS tests be used?
These tests can be utilized in a variety of contexts and settings (classrooms, business trainings, volunteer
trainings, etc.) as an ice-breaker or warm-up.
In an ESL classroom, certain IS tests could be used to help ELLs learn about American culture (either
broad culture questions or specific ones about academic life, etc.) or to help a diverse group of students
better understand each other.
These tests could also be used in L/S exercises to spark conversation. They could be used as a starting-
off point for larger tasks/projects (research and presentation on another culture, for example).

Table 2

Advantages and disadvantages of IS tests

Advantages Disadvantages

Encourages intercultural awareness and self- Potentially time-consuming

reflection (20 questions recommended to
appropriately reflect varieties of cultures
and situations)

Simple activity that can introduce a range of Risks over-simplifying or stereotyping

cultures and perspectives

Can provide more specific cultural data and Designed to take into other cultures for which
information, rather than broad, sweeping theyre specifically designed (Fielder, Mitchell, &
generalizations (provide action steps/explanations Triandis, 1970)
for specific incidences)

Can be used in a variety of setting/trainings Does not ensure mastery of culture

(classrooms, counselor trainings, job trainings,
etc.)

Bennett (2013) allows for the possibility of Does not align with positivist theory, because it
increased cultural adaptation as a result; suggests the possibility of cultural adaptation
supported by systems-based research and (Bennett, 2013)
constructivist theories

Discussion Questions
Q: What do you think are some flaws/shortcomings of a cultural assimilator test?
Q: When might this be useful to implement in a classroom setting?
Q: How would you go about constructing questions?

References
Bennett, Milton J. (2013). Basic concepts of intercultural communication: Paradigms,
principles, & practices (2nd ed.). Boston: Intercultural Press.

Chew, H. K. (2014). Intercultural sensitizers. Retrieved from http://ism.intervarsity.org/

resource/intercultural-sensitizers

Fiedler, F. E., Mitchell, T. R., Triandis, H. C. (2007). The culture assimilator: An approach to cross-
cultural training. Organizational Research, 70(5).

Leong, F. T. L., & Kim, H. H. W. (1991). Going beyond cultural sensitivity on the road to
multiculturalism: Using the intercultural sensitizer as a counselor training tool. Journal of
Counseling & Development, 70, 112-118.

Paige, R. M. (2004). Instrumentation in intercultural training. In D. Landis, J. M. Bennett & M. J.

Bennett (Eds.), Handbook of intercultural training (3rd ed., pp. 85-128). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage. Retrieved from http://www.ccsu.edu/ddesignation/files/culture_assimiilator.pdf

For you and I:

 Q: What are some shortcomings/flaws of a CA test?
A: Fiedler, Mitchell, Triandis (2007):
These tests undergo a complex process before being created
For example, 150-200 critical incidences were collected, paired down to 75-100 to be used on a CA
test, which took 800 man hours and 9 months
Steps toward making a CA test:
Select content (which culture/context will you be examining?). Be sure to collect data on the subjective
perspective of the culture (from within the culture). Analysis of subjective culture (a varied of
informants are sampled)
Examine/interview individuals for critical incidences- what are incidences that stand out to them that
were particularly challenging/frequent and misunderstood/etc.
Write alternative answers and feedback
Validate: send alternatives and answers to a sample of people from the target culture

(Fiedler, Mitchell & Triandis, 1970)

*If a test has been verified and undergone this process, it may be more valid than we originally thought

*These cross-cultural training methods have evolved from cultural sensitivity to culture-specific
knowledge

*Developed within context of cross-cultural psychology (by psychologists at University of Illinois)

(Leong & Kim, 1991)
- Bennett talks about this too, and how the test follows certain school of thought