Final answer:
Psychologists use the cultural-comparative approach to translate and adapt personality trait questionnaires for use in different cultures, ensuring cultural validity and reliability in diverse populations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The strategy in which psychologists translate existing questionnaires that assess personality traits into other languages and then administer them to native residents in other cultures is known as the cultural-comparative approach. This approach is one of three methodologies used to study personality within a cultural context. The other two methods are the indigenous approach, which develops personality assessments based on culturally relevant constructs, and the combined approach, which integrates elements from both the cultural-comparative and indigenous approaches to accommodate both universal and culture-specific aspects of personality.
Assessment tools like the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) or projective tests may require adaptation to be applicable and valid across different cultures because Western constructs of personality may not fully capture the nuances in other cultures. Adjustments and considerations need to be made for factors such as different cultural norms, values, response styles, and language. The goal of these adapted assessments is to achieve cultural validity and reliability to accurately measure personality traits in diverse populations.