Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)
entry by Julie M. Marx, Global Family Expert at Expat Valley
The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) is a validated, theory-based psychometric instrument that measures an individual or group’s developmental orientation toward cultural difference and commonality along the continuum described in Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS).
Comparable terms
Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (education and research); Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQ, organizational psychology); Intercultural Competence assessments (education and training)
Why this matters
This term matters because the IDI is one of the most widely used assessment tools in international education, global mobility, and intercultural training for diagnosing intercultural development and evaluating the impact of cross-cultural training. For global family professionals, understanding the IDI supports more precise conversations with schools, HR, and consultants about how intercultural competence is measured, where individuals or communities sit developmentally, and how to design growth-oriented interventions.
Cross-references
DMIS (Cultural Adaptation); Intercultural Competence (Cultural Adaptation); Intercultural Sensitivity (Identity & Belonging); Cross-Cultural Training (Cultural Adaptation); Cultural Agility (Cultural Adaptation). The IDI operationalizes the DMIS framework, providing data on intercultural sensitivity and competence that can inform CCT design, cultural agility development, and intercultural work with globally mobile families and school communities.
Sources
Hammer, M.R., Bennett, M.J., Wiseman, R. 2003. Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The Intercultural Development Inventory. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27, 421-443. IDI, LLC. Intercultural Development Inventory: Technical Report and User Guide.
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