LSP Multicultural & Diversity Competence 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A licensed psychologist notices that a Southeast Asian client consistently avoids direct eye contact during sessions. The most culturally competent response is to:
- Gently encourage the client to maintain eye contact to build rapport
- Recognize this may reflect cultural norms of respect rather than disengagement (Correct answer)
- Document it as a potential sign of social anxiety for diagnostic purposes
- Ask the client directly why they avoid eye contact
Correct answer: Recognize this may reflect cultural norms of respect rather than disengagement
In many Southeast Asian cultures, avoiding direct eye contact with authority figures is a sign of respect, not avoidance or pathology.
Question 2: Which model describes the stages through which individuals develop a positive racial/ethnic identity, moving from unawareness to internalization?
- Bronfenbrenner's ecological model
- Racial/Cultural Identity Development (R/CID) model by Sue & Sue (Correct answer)
- Acculturation framework by Berry
- Contact hypothesis by Allport
Correct answer: Racial/Cultural Identity Development (R/CID) model by Sue & Sue
The R/CID model by Sue and Sue outlines stages from Conformity through Dissonance, Resistance, Introspection, to Integrative Awareness.
Question 3: A psychologist working with undocumented immigrant clients must balance confidentiality with legal reporting obligations. The MOST important first step is to:
- Consult immigration authorities to clarify the client's legal status
- Inform the client at intake of all legal limits of confidentiality (Correct answer)
- Avoid documenting immigration status to protect the client
- Refer the client to a lawyer before beginning therapy
Correct answer: Inform the client at intake of all legal limits of confidentiality
Informed consent requires that clients understand confidentiality limits from the outset, including any mandatory reporting requirements.
Question 4: The concept of 'stereotype threat,' introduced by Steele and Aronson, refers to:
- The tendency of therapists to stereotype minority clients during assessment
- Anxiety that arises when a person fears confirming a negative stereotype about their group (Correct answer)
- Implicit bias embedded in standardized psychological tests
- The threat of discrimination experienced by minority group members in the workplace
Correct answer: Anxiety that arises when a person fears confirming a negative stereotype about their group
Stereotype threat is the situational predicament where individuals risk confirming negative group stereotypes, often impairing performance.
Question 5: A psychologist is asked to conduct a forensic evaluation of a client from a culture where spirit possession is a recognized and accepted phenomenon. The most appropriate action is to:
- Diagnose the client with a dissociative disorder based on reported symptoms
- Consult cultural experts and apply DSM culture-related guidance before drawing conclusions (Correct answer)
- Dismiss the cultural explanation as unscientific and focus solely on behavioral observations
- Refer the client to a psychiatrist for medication evaluation immediately
Correct answer: Consult cultural experts and apply DSM culture-related guidance before drawing conclusions
The DSM-5 includes cultural concepts of distress and recommends cultural consultation to distinguish culturally normative experiences from psychopathology.
Question 6: In multicultural counseling, 'worldview' refers to:
- A client's geographic and travel experiences that shape perception
- The framework through which individuals perceive and interpret their experiences, shaped by culture (Correct answer)
- The therapist's theoretical orientation toward diverse populations
- A structured assessment tool for measuring cultural adaptation
Correct answer: The framework through which individuals perceive and interpret their experiences, shaped by culture
Worldview encompasses an individual's cultural values, beliefs, and assumptions that influence how they interpret reality and relationships.
Question 7: Which ethical principle is MOST directly implicated when a psychologist uses assessment tools normed exclusively on White, middle-class populations with clients from underrepresented groups?
- Fidelity and responsibility
- Justice (Correct answer)
- Autonomy
- Beneficence
Correct answer: Justice
Justice requires fair and equitable treatment, including use of culturally appropriate and representative assessment instruments.
LSP Multicultural & Diversity Competence 2
A licensed psychologist notices that a Southeast Asian client consistently avoids direct eye contact during sessions.
The most culturally competent response is to: