Equity in psychological tests from a gender perspective: Analysis of best practices in psychometrics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70478/apuntes.psi.2025.43.10Keywords:
Psychometrics, Psychological Assessment, Equity, Gender biasAbstract
Psychological tests are key tools for evaluating cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral traits. While the study of the psychometric properties of these tests often addresses evidence of reliability and validity, the analysis of equity, particularly from a gender perspective, remains a challenge. This article examines common practices in addressing gender in the construction and analysis of these instruments. Through a systematic review of 20 studies published in 2023 in specialized journals in the field of psychological assessment, psychometric best practices for addressing gender equity are identified. The results show that, although some studies include differential item functioning (DIF) analyses and tests of factorial invariance, few disaggregate results by gender or implement adequate and systematic measures to address equity. The article offers a series of recommendations to ensure gender equity in psychometrics, highlighting the importance of integrating gender-differentiated analyses at every stage of test development and validation. It concludes that greater attention to gender equity is essential to avoid biases that distort results and to ensure fair assessments.
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