Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T21:31:09.640Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 4 - Psychological Assessment in West Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2022

By
Seth Oppong ,
Kwaku Oppong Asante  and
Adote Anum
Edited by
Sumaya Laher
Sumaya Laher
Affiliation:
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Get access

Summary

The field of psychological assessment has seen consistent growth for almost a century with significant expansion of the literature centered largely around research in Western Europe and North America. Comparatively, there has not been as much progress in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and this is typical of what pertains in many other non-Western countries. The measurement of constructs and development of psychological tests in SSA therefore have largely been based on Eurocentric theories and philosophies. This is partly because in SSA, scientific psychology is modeled on Western theories. There has not been enough research in SSA to develop relevant indigenous African theories. Therefore, assessment is still closely tied to Western theories which inform development of tests and measurements. In this chapter we trace the history of psychological assessment in Anglophone West Africa. We discuss the trajectory of the psychological assessment, the need for the development of indigenous psychological assessment in order to wean itself from its Eurocentric roots, and finally the challenges and the prospects in West Africa.

Keywords

AfricaassessmentGhanahistoryLiberiaNigeriapsychologypsychological assessmentSierra Leone
Type
Chapter
Information
International Histories of Psychological Assessment , pp. 59 - 81
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

“Association urges President.” (May 2019). Association urges President Buhari to sign bill to establish psychological council. Retrieved from www.vanguardngr.com/2019/05/association-urges-president-buhari-to-sign-bill-to-establish-psychological-council/Google Scholar
Abubakar, A., Van de Vijver, F. J. R., Van Baar, A. L., Wekulo-Kitsao, P., & Holding, P. (2009). Enhancing psychological assessment in sub-Saharan Africa through participant consultation. In Gari, A., & Mylonas, K. (eds.), Quod erat demonstrandum: From Herodotus’ ethnographic journeys to cross-cultural research (pp. 169–181). Athens: Pedio Books Publishing.Google Scholar
Adejumo, G. O. (2008). Scope, nature and uses of psychological test. In Hassan, E. M., Oladipo, S. E., & Owoyele, J. W (eds.), Reading in counselling psychology. Department of Counselling Psychology, College of Applied Education and Vocational Technology, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode, Silver print Communication.Google Scholar
Adeyemi, K. A. (2016). The trend of Arabic and Islamic education in Nigeria: Progress and prospects. Open Journal of Modern Linguistics, 6(3), 197–201. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ojml.2016.63020Google Scholar
Adeyemo, D. A., & Adeleye, A. T. (2008). Emotional intelligence, religiosity and self-efficacy as predictors of psychological well-being among secondary school adolescents in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 4(1), 22–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Adjorlolo, S. (2016). Ecological validity of executive function tests in moderate traumatic brain injury in Ghana. The Clinical Neuropsychologist 30(sup1): 1517–1537. https://doi.org/10.1080/13854046.2016.1172667Google Scholar
Adjorlolo, S. (2019). Generalised anxiety disorder in adolescents in Ghana: Examination of the psychometric properties of the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 scale. African Journal of Psychological Assessment, 1(0), a10. https://doi.org/10.4102/ajopa.v1i0.10CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Adjorlolo, S., Anum, A., & Amin, J. M. (2020). Validation of the Suicidal Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised in adolescents in Ghana. Journal of Mental Health, 1–7. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2020.1739239Google Scholar
Agbodeka, F. (1998). A history of university of Ghana: Half a century of higher education (1948–1998). Accra: Woeli.Google Scholar
Akinsulure-Smith, A. M., & Keatley, E. (2014). Secondary trauma and local mental health professionals in post conflict Sierra Leone. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 36(2), 125–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447–013-9197-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allwood, C. M. (2018). The nature and challenges of indigenous psychologies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
American Psychological Association. (2021, May). Psychological practice in Senegal: Challenges and opportunities. Global Insights Newsletter. https://www.apa.org/international/global-insights/psychological-practice-senegalGoogle Scholar
Annan, N. (2014). Violent conflicts and civil strife in West Africa: Causes, challenges and prospects. Stability: International Journal of Security & Development, 3(1), 1–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/sta.daGoogle Scholar
Anum, A. (2014). A standardisation study of the Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices in Ghana. Ife PsychologIA: An International Journal, 22(2), 27–35.Google Scholar
Anum, A., Adjorlolo, S., & Kugbey, N. (2019). Depressive symptomatology in adolescents in Ghana: Examination of psychometric properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Journal of Affective Disorders, 256, 213–218.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anum, A., Adjorlolo, S., Akotia, C. S., & de-Graft Aikins, A. (2021). Validation of the multidimensional WHOQOL-OLD in Ghana: A study among population-based healthy adults in three ethnically different districts. Brain and behavior, 11(8), e02193. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.2193Google Scholar
Appiah, R., Schutte, L., Fadiji, A. W., Wissing, M. P., & Cromhout, A. (2020). Factorial validity of the Twi versions of five measures of mental health and well-being in Ghana. PLoS One, 15(8), e0236707. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236707Google Scholar
Archampong, C. B. K. (2012). Amo’s philosophy of mind and Cartesian epistemology. Journal on African Philosophy, 1(5), 59–76.Google Scholar
Asumeng, M. A. & Opoku, Y. J. (2014). Psychological testing. In Akotia, C. S. & Mate-Kole, C.C. (eds.), Contemporary psychology: Readings from Ghana (pp. 39–49). Accra: Digibooks Ghana Ltd.Google Scholar
Bakare, C. (1972). Social class differences in the performance of Nigerian children on the draw-a-Man Test. In Cronbach, L. J. & Drenth, P. J. D. (eds.), Mental tests and cultural adaptation (pp. 355–363). Netherlands: Mouton.Google Scholar
Betancourt, T. S., Borisova, I. I., Williams, T. P., Brennan, R. T., Whitfield, T. H., de la Soudiere, M., Williamson, J., & Gilman, S. E. (2010). Sierra Leone’s former child soldiers: A follow-up study of psychosocial adjustment and community reintegration. Child Development, 81(4), 1077–1095. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01455.xGoogle Scholar
Betancourt, T. S., Newnham, E. A., McBain, R., & Brennan, R. T. (2013). Post-traumatic stress symptoms among former child soldiers in Sierra Leone: Follow-up study. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 203(3), 196–202. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.112.113514Google Scholar
Davis-Russell, E. (2013). Pan-African psychology: A view from Liberia. Journal of Black Psychology, 39(3), 333–335.Google Scholar
Debrah, L. A. (2002). Standardization of the Multidimensional Aptitude Battery (MAB). Unpublished master’s dissertation, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.Google Scholar
Durojaiye, M. O. A. (1984). The impact of psychological testing on educational and personnel selection in Africa. International Journal of Psychology, 19(1–4), 135–144.Google Scholar
Ebigbo, P. O. & Izuora, G. I. (1981). Draw a person test: Standardization, validation and guidelines for use in Nigeria. Enugu, Nigeria: Chuka Printing Company Ltd.Google Scholar
Edwin, A. K. (2001). Is the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IVUK) applicable? (Unpublished master’s dissertation, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana).Google Scholar
Emasealu, H. U. & Popoola, S. O. (2016). Information needs, accessibility and utilization of library information resources as determinants of psychological well-being of prison inmates in Nigeria. Brazilian Journal of Information Science: Research Trends, 10(2), 29–46. https://doi:10.36311/1981-1640.2016.v10n2.05.p29.Google Scholar
Essuman, J. K. (1999). The History of Guidance and Counselling in Ghana. Ife PsychologIA: An International Journal, 7(2), 22–43. https://doi:%2010.4314/ifep.v7i2.23555Google Scholar
Foxcroft, C. D. (2011). Ethical issues related to psychological testing in Africa: What I have learned (so far). Online Readings in Psychology and Culture 2(2). https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1022CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frempong-Boakye, T. (2017). Validation of the revised quick cognitive screening test in a Ghanaian sample. Unpublished master’s dissertation, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.Google Scholar
Fynn, J. K. (1975). A junior history of Ghana. Accra, Ghana: Sedco.Google Scholar
Ghana Psychological Association. (2020). 5 year strategic plan (2021–2026). Accra, Ghana: Author.Google Scholar
Hamzat, T. K., Samir, M., & Peters, G. O. (2009). Development and some psychometric properties of Twi (Ghanaian) version of the visual analogue scale. American Journal of Biomedical Research, 12 (2), 145–148.Google Scholar
Harris, D., Endale, T., Lind, U. H., Sevalie, S., Bah, A. J., Jalloh, A., & Baingana, F. (2020). Mental health in Sierra Leone. BJPsych International, 17 (1), 14–16. https://doi.org/10.1192/bji.2019.17Google Scholar
Heine, B. & Nurse, D. (2007). African languages: An introduction, In Heine, B. & Nurse, D. (eds.), A linguistic geography of Africa (pp. 1–10). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Holding, P., Anum, A., van de Vijver, F. J., Vokhiwa, M., Bugase, N., Hossen, T., … & Hasan, R. (2018). Can we measure cognitive constructs consistently within and across cultures? Evidence from a test battery in Bangladesh, Ghana, and Tanzania. Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 7(1), 1–13.Google Scholar
Jackson, J. G. (2001). Introduction to African civilizations. New York: Citadel Press.Google Scholar
Karatepe, O. M. (2011). Procedural justice, work engagement, and job outcomes: Evidence from Nigeria. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 20(8), 855–878.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kitsao-Wekulo, P. K., Holding, P. A., Taylor, H. G., Abubakar, A., & Connolly, K. (2013). Neuropsychological testing in a rural African school-age population: Evaluating contributions to variability in test performance. Assessment, 20(6), 776–784.Google Scholar
Kniel, A. & Kniel, C. (2008). The draw a person test for Ghana. Winneba, Ghana: University of Education.Google Scholar
Lenz, A. S., Watson, J.C., Luo, Y., Norris, C., & Nkyi, A. (2018). Cross-cultural validation of four positive psychology assessments for use with a Ghanaian population. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 40, 148–161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447–017-9317-8Google Scholar
Masson, P., and Pattillo, C. (2001). Monetary union in West Africa (ECOWAS): Is it desirable and how could it be achieved? Retrieved from www.imf.org/external/pubs/nft/op/204/Google Scholar
Mayer, S. (2002). Psychology in Nigeria: A view from the outside. Ife PsychologIA: An International Journal, 10(1), 1–8. https://doi:10.4314/ifep.v10i1.23481Google Scholar
Mazzucato, V., Cebotari, V., Veale, A., White, A., Grassi, M., & Vivet, J. (2015). International parental migration and the psychological well-being of children in Ghana, Nigeria, and Angola. Social Science & Medicine, 132, 215–224.Google Scholar
Mensah-Sarbah, C. (2005). An evaluation of various contributions of the nation’s clinical psychologists to health care in Ghana from 1972–2005. Unpublished master’s dissertation, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.Google Scholar
Meshesha, M., and Jawahar, C. V. (2007). Indigenous scripts of African languages. Indilinga: African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, 6 (2), 132–142.Google Scholar
Meyns, C. (2019). Anton Wilhelm Amo’s philosophy of mind. Philosophy Compass 14: e12571. https://doi.org/10.1111/phc3.12571Google Scholar
Miezah, D. (2015). Validation of Wechsler adult intelligence acale-fourth edition (WAIS-IV) in the Ghanaian population. Unpublished master’s dissertation, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.Google Scholar
Mpofu, E. (2002). Psychology in sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges, prospects and promises. International Journal of Psychology 37(3): 179–186.Google Scholar
Mughal, A.Y., Devadas, J., Ardman, E., Levis, B., Go, V. F., & Gaynes, B. N. (2020). A systematic review of validated screening tools for anxiety disorders and PTSD in low to middle income countries. BMC Psychiatry, 20, 338. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888–020-02753-3Google Scholar
Njoku, M. G. C. (2012). Nigerian Psychological Association: The way forward. A Paper Presented at the First Nigerian Psychological Association Southeast Regional Meeting/Professional Development Seminar, Nigeria.Google Scholar
Nsamenang, A.B. (2007). Origins and development of scientific psychology in Afrique Noire. In Stevens, M. J. and Wedding, D. (eds.), under the supervision of John G. Adair. Psychology: IUPsyS Global Resource (2007 ed.). London: Psychology Press. www.psypress.com/iupsys/contents.asp.Google Scholar
Nweze, T. (2009). Management of examinations: Ethical issues. Edo Journal of Counselling, 2(1), 90–102.Google Scholar
Obot, I. S. (1996). Psychologists in the Nigerian health care system: A brief report. Psychology & Health, 12(1), 39–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870449608406919CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olowookere, E. I. (2011). Challenges associated with the development of locally made psychological tests in Nigeria. Journal of Functional Management, 4(1), 48–57.Google Scholar
Omoniyi, M. B. I. (2016). History and development of guidance and counselling: The missing dimension of Nigeria school counselling services. International Journal of Education and Research, 4(11), 413–424.Google Scholar
Opoku, J. Y. (2012). Some theoretical and practical problems associated with using western instruments to measure cognitive abilities on the African continent. In Lauer, H. & Anyidoho, K. (eds.), Reclaiming the Human Sciences and Humanities through African Perspectives (vol. 1, pp. 537–559). Accra, Ghana: Sub-Saharan Publishers.Google Scholar
Oppong Asante, K. & Oppong, S. (2012). Psychology in Ghana. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 22(3), 473–478. https://doi:10.1080/14330237.2012.1082055.Google Scholar
Oppong, S. (2013). Industrial and organizational psychology in Ghana. The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, 50(3), 79–83.Google Scholar
Oppong, S. (2015). A critique of early childhood development research and practice in Africa. Africanus: Journal of Development Studies, 45(1), 23–41. https://doi.org/10.25159/0304-615X/252.Google Scholar
Oppong, S. (2016). The Journey towards Africanizing psychology in Ghana. Psychological Thought, 9(1), 1–14. https://doi:10.5964/psyct.v9i1.128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oppong, S. (2017a). History of psychology in Ghana since 989AD. Psychological Thought, 10(1), 7–48. https://doi:10.5964/psyct.v10i1.195.Google Scholar
Oppong, S. (2017b). Contextualizing psychological testing in Ghana. Psychologie a její kontexty/Psychology & its Contexts, 8(1), 3–17.Google Scholar
Oppong, S. (2019a). Overcoming obstacles to a truly global psychological theory, research and praxis in Africa. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 29(4), 292–300. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2019.1647497Google Scholar
Oppong, S. (2019b). Doing ‘history of psychology’ in Ghana: A long, frustrating, lonely journey without directional signs but rewarding. HAP: Newsletter of History of Applied Psychology, 10, 4–8.Google Scholar
Oppong, S. (2019c). Characterological interpersonal coping styles diagnostics (CICS-D). Department of Social Sciences, William V. S. Tubman University, Liberia. Retrieved from www.academia.edu/38857571/Characterological_Interpersonal_Coping_Styles_Diagnostics_CICS_D_Google Scholar
Oppong, S. (2019d). On becoming a psychologist in Liberia: Career prospects with a degree in psychology. Tubman University Times, III(2), 5–6.Google Scholar
Oppong, S. (2020). When something dehumanizes, it is violent but when it elevates, it is not violent. Theory & Psychology, 30(3), 468–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959354320920942CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oppong, S., Oppong Asante, K., & Kumaku, S. K. (2014). History, development and current status of psychology in Ghana. In Akotia, C. S. & Mate-Kole, C. C. (eds.), Contemporary psychology: Readings from Ghana (pp. 1–17). Accra, Ghana: Digibooks Ghana Ltd.Google Scholar
Osei-Tutu, A., Dzokoto, V. A., Affram, A. A., Adams, G., Norberg, J., & Doosje, B. (2020). Cultural models of well-being implicit in four Ghanaian languages. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1798. https://doi:%2010.3389/fpsyg.2020.01798Google Scholar
Oteng-Yeboah, N. Y. A. (2005). Standardization of the basic personality inventory in Ghana. Unpublished master’s dissertation, University of Ghana, Legon.Google Scholar
Quartey, D. S. (2014). Performance of Ghanaian school children on The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children – Second Edition (KABC-II) – An exploratory validation study. Unpublished master’s dissertation, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.Google Scholar
Secor, A., Macauley, R., Stan, L., Kagone, M., Sidikiba, S., Sow, S., Aronovich, D., … & Sanderson, J. (2020). Mental health among Ebola survivors in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea: Results from a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 10: e035217. https://doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035217Google Scholar
Thalmayer, A. G., Saucier, G., Ole-Kotikash, L., & Payne, D. (2019). Personality structure in East and West Africa: Lexical studies of personality in Maa and Supyire-Senufo. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000264Google Scholar
Triandis, H. C. (2009). The Ibadan conference and beyond. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1002Google Scholar
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019). World population prospects 2019: Volume I: Comprehensive tables. Retrieved from https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_Volume-I_Comprehensive-Tables.pdfGoogle Scholar
Van de Vijver, F. J. R. (2002). Cross-cultural assessment: Value for money. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 51(4), 545–566.Google Scholar
Vinson, G. A. & Chang, Z. (2012). PTSD symptom structure among West African War trauma survivors living in African refugee camps: A factor‐analytic investigation. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 25(2), 226–231. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21681Google Scholar
World Factbook. (2019). Nigeria. CIA. Retrieved from www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/attachments/summaries/NI-summary.pdfGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization. (2017). Culture and mental health in Liberia: A primer. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Yawson, S. (2008). Standardization of the Standard Progressive Matrices: A case study of Accra. Unpublished master’s dissertation, University of Ghana, Legon.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×