In the last article, we learned about ourselves as individuals through intersectionality mapping. In case you missed it, intersectionality mapping helps you identify the different dimensions of your identity. This allows you to better understand your lens, aka how you see the world daily and what influences that. In this article, we will continue learning about ourselves as an individual through different available assessment tools. Please read below to see a list of my favorite assessments you can do today! I believe self-reflection regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is vital to creating positive and effective change within yourself.
Project Implicit- Free
Project Implicit provides Implicit Association Test (IAT). The IAT measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report. It does this by using subconscious associations between mental representations of concepts in memory. Project Implicit has a variety of tests that can help indicate whether you have a preference about a certain group. The IAT may be especially interesting if it shows that you have an implicit attitude that you didn’t know about before. This test encourages people to focus on strategies that deny implicit biases the chance to operate by recognizing them.
Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Checklist- Free
This self-assessment tool brought to you by AVMA is designed to help you explore your individual cultural competence. Its purpose is to help you consider your own skills, knowledge, and awareness in your interactions with others, and recognize what you can do to become more effective working and living in diverse environments.
Clifton Strengths Finder- $20
The Clifton Strengths Finder assessment is a useful tool in understanding what are your strengths. Knowing these strengths is important when it comes to cultural competency because it helps people become known for what they do best, as well as their demographics. This can also be useful when communicating with others. Knowing the strengths of the people around you can help you communicate better with individuals, identify similarities, uplift differences, and create a sense of belonging.
Intercultural Development Inventory- $30+ (Administrator fees)
The IDI is an online, theory-based assessment of intercultural competence that can provide results at an individual level. The IDI can help you reflect on your experiences around cultural differences and similarities. The results indicate a position along an intercultural development continuum indicating a target for the next stage of growth. The IDI provides feedback in the form of actionable steps that you can take to help develop better intercultural competency skills. Your IDI Profile results can help you proactively address these and other concerns, as well as increase your own cultural self-awareness of your own unique experiences around cultural differences and commonalities.
“People who have had little self-reflection live life in a huge reality blind-spot.”- Bryant McGill
By Semehar Ghebrekidan M.S.
