In recent decades, the globalization of psychological research and practice has intensified the need for robust and culturally sensitive measurement tools. As psychological constructs are increasingly assessed across diverse linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic groups, questions of comparability and fairness in measurement have become central. Ensuring that instruments function equivalently across contexts is essential for drawing valid scientific conclusions, designing effective interventions, and informing equitable policy decisions. Cross-cultural research now requires advanced methods such as measurement invariance, differential item functioning (DIF), and Item Response Theory (IRT) to evaluate whether observed differences reflect true psychological variation of measurement. This Research Topic responds to the growing demand for methodological clarity, transparency, and innovation in cross-cultural assessment.

The goal of this Research Topic is to gather cutting-edge theoretical, methodological, and applied contributions that advance the science of cross-cultural measurement in psychology. Despite significant methodological progress, many research areas still rely on instruments that have not been systematically validated for cross-group comparability. Problems such as construct inequivalence, translation bias, and culturally dependent response styles continue to threaten validity and limit the generalizability of findings. This Research Topic seeks to address these gaps and promote best practices by bringing together researchers working on measurement invariance testing, DIF detection procedures, IRT modeling for cross-group comparisons, and standardized workflows for translation and cultural adaptation of instruments. We especially encourage submissions that demonstrate how methodological advances can improve psychological assessment in multicultural, multilingual, and global contexts. This collection aims to support more accurate, fair, and inclusive assessments across populations.

We invite manuscripts that contribute to improving cross-cultural assessment through innovative quantitative methodologies or applied validation studies. Topics may include (but are not limited to):

• Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance procedures
• DIF detection using IRT, logistic regression, or modern machine learning approaches
• IRT-based linking and equating across cultural groups
• Translation, adaptation, and validation workflows for psychological instruments
• Response styles, cultural bias, and methodological remedies
• Simulation studies investigating psychometric performance in multicultural contexts
• Applications in clinical, educational, organizational, developmental, or health psychology

We welcome original research, methodological papers, systematic reviews, brief research reports, theoretical perspectives, and applied cross-cultural validation studies. Contributions should clearly articulate methodological decisions, provide reproducible workflows when possible, and emphasize implications for robust and equitable psychological measurement.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Advancing Cross-Cultural Measurement: Invariance Testing, DIF, IRT, and Adaptation Workflows in Psychological Assessment