Abstract
The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) is a short paper and pencil survey that measures an individual's awareness of, and sensitivity to, cultural differences. Based on Bennett's (1986, 1993) Development Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS), the IDI generates a profile that corresponds to a particular stage of intercultural development, ranging from ethnocentrism, to ethnorelativism. The IDI addresses several of the intellectual goals of a liberal arts education, including an openness to new ideas and perspectives and the ability and desire to think critically about the beliefs, behaviors, values, and positions one might hold. Institutions that highly value the development of intercultural sensitivity and offer programs intended to foster global competence, such as study abroad, diversity, and service-learning programs that push students beyond their comfort zones, will likely find value in using the IDI to measure intercultural development. Despite the many benefits to using the IDI, it requires a considerable commitment of time and resources and is most useful to institutions that provide meaningful cross-cultural opportunities to their students in conjunction with critical reflection and discussion.