Verbal material used to assess the cognitive abilities of Spanish-speakers in the the United States is frequently of linguistically unacceptable quality. The use of these materials in research settings is thought to pose a serious threat to test validity and hence to the validity of claimed results or conclusions. The authors explain how and why incorrect language finds its way into cognitive tests used in research and other settings and suggest solutions to this serious problem.
Artiola I, Fortuny L, Feldman E, Fernández Barillas H, Garolera M, Hermosillo Romo D, Keefe R, Lemaître MJ, Ortiz Martín A, Mirsky A, Monguió I, Morote G, Parchment S, Parchment LJ, da Pena E, Politis DG, Sedó MA, Taussik I, Valdivia F, de Valdivia LE, Verger Maestre K. Research with spanish-speaking populations in the United States: Lost in the translation. A commentary and a plea. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2005; 27(5): 555-564