Often, if a person feels that a question is confusing, it is a reflection of their orientation and that they have not fully worked through some of the challenges faced by the mindset/skillset of the orientation being measured. So, if a respondent is questioning the meaning of an item or how they should respond to it, it is likely they have not yet resolved the orientation associated with that item.
The IDI Assessment was developed from a multicultural perspective and was tested to ensure cultural generalizability and lack of cultural bias. The items (questions) in the inventory were not written by the researchers or developers of the inventory. Rather they reflect actual statements made by people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds both nationally and internationally and within cultural communities from in-depth one on one interviews. Interviewees were able to reflect on their cultural experiences. This was done to ensure accuracy in the items of the inventory being reflective of the various orientations towards cultural differences explained in the intercultural development continuum.
Thousands of individuals from many cultures throughout the world have found the results from their inventory to be very helpful in further developing their intercultural competence. We encourage you to explore the qualitative experiences of the inventory as well as the empirical, psychometric evidence presented on our website.