Problem:
The Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG) is a self-report instrument designed to identify symptoms of prolonged or complicated grief that extend beyond what is typically expected following the loss of a loved one. The measure evaluates emotional distress, intrusive thoughts about the deceased, avoidance behaviors, and difficulty adapting to the loss. Although the ICG has demonstrated strong reliability and validity across multiple studies, whether it can be appropriately used with Black adults depends on how its normative sample and cultural considerations are interpreted.
Normative samples are critical because they determine the populations to whom test scores can reasonably be generalized (Anastasi & Urbina, 1997). The original validation of the ICG primarily included treatment-seeking adults and did not fully represent the racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the broader U.S. population. As a result, clinicians should be cautious about assuming that established cutoff scores function identically across all cultural groups.
This consideration is particularly important for Black adults because cultural expressions of grief often include strong spiritual beliefs, ongoing connections with deceased loved ones, and community-based mourning practices that may differ from those reflected in the original normative sample. Without considering these cultural factors, clinicians risk pathologizing culturally normative expressions of grief or overlooking the role that faith and community support play in healthy adjustment. The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing emphasize that test users are responsible for evaluating whether evidence supports score interpretation for the specific population being assessed (AERA et al., 2014).
More recent research suggests that the ICG continues to demonstrate good psychometric properties across diverse populations, but cultural responsiveness remains essential. Rather than relying solely on standardized scores, clinicians should integrate the ICG with culturally informed clinical interviews and collateral information to ensure that grief responses are interpreted within the individual's cultural and social context (Killikelly & Maercker, 2018). In my view, the ICG can be an appropriate assessment for Black adults experiencing bereavement, but only when clinicians recognize the limitations of its normative sample and interpret results through a culturally competent lens.
Respond to at least two of your colleagues' postings in one or more of the following ways:
- Share an insight from having read your colleague's posting.
- Offer and support an opinion.
References:
- nastasi, A., & Urbina, S. (1997). Psychological testing Download Psychological testing(7th ed.). Prentice Hall.
- Chapter 3, "Norms and the Meaning of Test Scores"
- Credit line: Psychological testing, 7th edition by Anastasi, A., & Urbina, S. Copyright 1997 by Prentice Hall. Reprinted by permission of Prentice Hall via the Copyright Clearance Center. Licensed in 2023.
- American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education. (2014). Standards for educational and psychological testing.
- Chapter 5, "Scores, Scales, Norms, Score Linking, and Cut Scores"
- Blanton, H., & Jaccard, J. (2006). Arbitrary metrics in psychology. American Psychologist , 61 (1), 27-41.
- Gibbons, R. D., Weiss, D. J., Kupfer, D. J., Frank, E., Fagiolini, A., Grochocinski, V. J., Bhaumik, D. K., Stover, A., Bock, R. D., & Immekus, J. C. (2008). Using computerized adaptive testing to reduce the burden of mental health assessment. Psychiatric Services, 59 (4), 361-368.
- Thurstone, L. L. (1925).A method of scaling psychological and educational tests. Journal of Educational Psychology , 16 (7), 433-451.
- Young, F. W. (1984). Scaling. Annual Review of Psychology , 35 (1), 55-81.