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This study explored the measurement equivalence of 3 commonly used psychological measures across samples of U.S. and Indian male and female respondents. Multiple groups structural equations modeling indicated that locus of control was measured equivalently across U.S. and Indian male and female groups, whereas measurement equivalence of a self-esteem scale and a higher order need strength scale was observed across U.S. men, U.S. women, and Indian men. Baseline models for self-esteem and for higher order need strength failed to fit in the Indian female sample, suggesting basic differences in how respondents from this group conceptualized scale items. The results underscore the potential importance of culture as a factor that may moderate the types of inferences that can be made from test scores in cross-cultural research applications.Recognition of the need for cross-cultural research has stimulated considerable discussion and activity among social scientists from a number of disciplines (Kim, Triandis, Kagitcibasi, Choi, & Yoon, 1994). A major issue raised by researchers studying cross-cultural phenomena is how transportable research methods (e.g., personality inventories, attitude surveys, interviewing techniques) developed in one culture are to another culture (Church & Lonner, 1998;Paunonen & Ashton, 1998;Triandis, 1994). The attractiveness of using methods across multiple cultures can be understood by contemplating the alternative-developing tools from scratch for each culture to be studied. Besides being costly in terms of time and money, this alternative prevents cross-cultural applicability of instruments, a fundamental requirement for establishing universals of human behavior (Church & Lonner, 1998).The decision to use methods cross-culturally, however, presents some daunting challenges. A pivotal issue in being able to transport methods cross-culturally is establishing equivalence of the measures across cultures before drawing

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