ABSTRACT
The impact of culture on neuropsychological variables can be studied in many ways. A cross-cultural perspective can be adopted that examines differences across countries. Cultural differences in sports present a new challenge to neuropsychology because of the ethnic, national, and linguistic differences that exist among athletes. Many international athletes often view sports as their “ticket” to America and the financial prosperity that is expected to come with professional contracts and endorsement deals. The most basic approach to minimizing many of the issues discussed is to conduct baseline testing of each athlete. A possible solution to this challenge is to repeat the baseline testing more frequently for foreign-born athletes. The neuropsychologist must always assess the extent to which the individual athlete differs from the expected cultural norm. The National Hockey League project adjusts the standard battery when testing athletes who are not fluent in English by dropping the two most verbally oriented tests.
