Abstract
Psychological career assessment in South Africa is intrinsically laden with harmful
beneficence that promotes social injustice and inequity. This article emerged from a finding of a
desktop study that pointed toward harmful beneficence of career assessment as part of
psychological assessment in South Africa. The article highlights that while psychological career
assessments may appear as benevolent and protective of society, they also may promote inequity
and injustice resulting in harmful beneficence. The article is a narrative review of selected
literature not aiming at the empirical, generalizable results. The article attempts to answer the
question: How can a narrative review of harmful beneficence of psychological career assessment
tools help in bridging the gap between the Afro-Euro-Western worldviews for social justice and
equity? The aim of the article is to increase understanding about bridging the gap of the Afro-
Euro-Western worldview through suggesting ways in which harmful beneficence reduces and
accommodates less resourced populations to access and benefit from psychological career
assessment. Psychological career assessment is inaccessible to the marginalized of most South
African populations. Methods: A narrative review followed the five steps by Arksey and
O’Malley’s framework to guide the study. Harmful benevolence policy position emerged as one
of the five themes and a serious gap in psychological career assessment. Results: This study only
focuses on harmful benevolence of psychological career assessment tools from the lens of social
injustice and inequity. Lack of non-psychological (culture-language sensitive) testing instruments,
and the highly commercialized testing context continue to create a gap in the South African
psychological testing context. The article concludes that expansion of participation in
psychological career assessment may promote inclusive practices likely to address issues of social
justice and equity.