부산대학교 도서관

Examined agreement statistics (kappas) to assess the extent to which 2 groups of experts (those nominated by important peer scholars as having expertise in cultural competence and therapists with extensive experience and training in working with African Americans) agreed on the specific composition of constructs related to cultural competence. Using items from existing psychotherapy process measures, peer-nominated experts indicated whether each item was relevant to the construct of cultural competence. Therapists with expertise in treating African Americans indicated whether an item fit the same cultural competence categories generated through expert consensus. Peer nominated experts and therapist experts showed poor agreement (kappas) in their classification of which items were relevant to cultural competence. Despite poor overall agreement, however, the groups concurred that a small subset of items were relevant to culturally competent practice with African Americans. These results indicate the need for improved operationalization of the construct of cultural competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]