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Chapter 5 - Psychological Assessment in the Levant

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2022

By
Karma El Hassan  and
Pia A. Zeinoun
Edited by
Sumaya Laher
Sumaya Laher
Affiliation:
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
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Summary

The Arab-Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan) has long been at the center of cultural, social, and geopolitical changes in the region, which have been central in shaping the development of psychological practice and science in the region. The region has been at the cross section of multiple foreign influences (French, British, US, Arab), all of whom have impacted academia. This resulted not only in multiple ideologies and schools of psychological thought that remain until today, but also in a trilingual academic system that further deepens the disconnect among psychologists and test-takers in the region. Additionally, the Levant’s experience of occupation, trauma, diaspora, and political instability has led to an increased need and interest in mental health services and displaced populations, and hence the measurement of related constructs. More recently, with increased funding for research on such populations, non-Arab researchers have gained a renewed interest in the region, which has led the way to increased collaborative efforts in the development of psychometric tools. This chapter discusses how these contemporary historical developments have impacted testing-related practices academia, research, and practice in clinical, educational, and industrial/organizational practice.

Keywords

Arab-LevantassessmentglocalhistoryJordanLebanonPalestinepsychologypsychological assessmentSyria
Type
Chapter
Information
International Histories of Psychological Assessment , pp. 82 - 100
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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