Fairness in psychometric testing refers to the considerations taken, and evidence gathered, to ensure that the measure is sensitive to individual characteristics of the intended audience, and the intended use and interpretation of scores are valid and equitable across relevant subgroups (typically defined by demographic characteristics). According to the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, “fairness is a fundamental validity issue and requires attention throughout all stages of test development and use” (American Educational Research Association [AERA], American Psychological Association [APA], & National Council on Measurement in Education [NCME], 2014, p. 49). Evidence for the fairness of the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale 2nd Edition (CAARS™ 2) comes from many sources (both qualitative and quantitative) throughout the creation of the assessment; for example, the flexibility of the response format (e.g., printable or digital forms, accessible across multiple platforms) is discussed in chapter 3, Administration and Scoring. The considerations taken during early development phases to ensure cultural sensitivity in the item content (see chapter 6, Development) also provides evidence for the fairness of the CAARS 2.

This chapter summarizes the evidence for fairness from a psychometric perspective, focusing on the absence or reduction of measurement bias in terms of the CAARS 2 Content Scales, Associated Clinical Concern Items, and Impairment & Functional Outcome Items (note that items on the DSM Symptom Scales are subsumed under the Content Scales and are not examined separately within this chapter). Multiple indicators of fairness are provided for the CAARS 2 including measurement invariance, differential functioning, and mean group differences with regard to the demographic characteristics of the rated individuals’ gender, race/ethnicity, country of residence, and education level (EL).