Date of Completion

4-29-2026

Degree Type

Honors Thesis

Discipline

Psychology (PSYC)

First Advisor

Dr. Alberto Luis Fernandez

Abstract

In response to prevalent cultural bias in neuropsychological testing, cross-cultural tests (CCTs) were developed for accessibility across cultures through the use of “universal” stimuli. The Multicultural Neuropsychological Scale (MUNS) is a CCT developed to be appropriate across education levels, cost-effective and capable of assessing cognitive functions. The MUNS consists of seven subtests, including the Party subtest, which measures executive functioning by instructing participants to organize a party on a map. During this activity, participants purchase items such as food while remaining mindful of a 100-coin budget and minimizing travel distance. The present study examined whether the Party subtest functions comparably across cross-cultural samples as a culturally sensitive measure of executive functioning. Participants from Argentina (n=19) and U.S. (n=23) completed the MUNS battery and were age- and education-matched, with an age range of 15-26 years of age and possessing higher education levels (at least seven years of schooling). Evidence for the cross-cultural utility of the Party subtest was evaluated by conducting a behavioral item analysis comparing the performances across the two samples. ANOVA tests were conducted across formal scores and non-formal items. Mean differences between groups were largely nonsignificant across all items, with the exception of exceeded coin count. When assessed independently, both samples had high mean scores across the formal scoring criteria of the Party subtest, including block count, incorrect entry index, and number of items purchased. Overall, findings largely support the utility of the Party subtest as a culturally sensitive measure of executive function across cultures.

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