Neuropsychological tests of social cognition in non-Western countries and in individuals from ethnic minoritized groups in Western countries: A systematic review.

Abstract

Objective: This review identifies social cognition tests that have been developed or standardized and validated on adults specifically in non-Western countries or individuals from ethic minoritized groups in Western countries. It provides an overview of them, appraising their quality and examining their psychometric properties.

Method: The study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022337166), and the search was run on APA PsycTests and on APA PsycInfo, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Global Health until December 30, 2023. The searched domains were social perception, understanding, and decision making. Eligible studies had tests used on adult healthy or clinical groups within the target population. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments guidelines were followed.

Results: Eighty-five eligible articles were identified and included 23 newly developed tests and 51 standardized or validated ones. Most studies were conducted in Asia, and the most frequently measured functions were emotion perception and theory of mind. Several tests were culturally adapted, and many were translated and back translated. The quality of procedures and the psychometric properties varied, with construct validity rated most favorably.

Conclusions: The review documents promising procedures for experimental or clinical use and identifies areas for further development. This includes, for example, developing tests for more diverse individuals and accelerating test sharing. There is also the need to form consensus frameworks for describing and measuring social cognitive constructs that consider cross-cultural variation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).