Abstract

A major criticism of intelligence tests is that they are biased against ethnic minority groups. The purpose of this study was to examine whether culturally different values affect the performance of ethnic minority students on these standardized tests. The records of 21 White, 34 Black and 18 Hispanic students who had been given the WISC-HI were selected and scores on the timed subtests were compared. No significant differences were found between the White, Black and Hispanic groups on the basis of the overall Performance Scale IQ scores. However, the White students' scores on the Verbal Scale were significantly higher than those of the Black and Hispanic students. Individual analysis of each timed subtest revealed three subtests (Picture Arrangement, Block Design, and Arithmetic) on which White students obtained significantly higher scores than did Black /Hispanic students. The findings were inconclusive and tended to support previous research in finding a lack of evidence for test bias against minority children.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Intelligence levels--Social aspects--Research; Intelligence tests--Social aspects--Research; Test bias--Research; African American children--Intelligence levels--Research; Hispanic American children--Intelligence levels--Research

Publication Date

9-1-1996

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

- Please Select One -

Advisor

Not listed

Comments

Note: imported from RIT’s Digital Media Library running on DSpace to RIT Scholar Works in December 2013.

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

SCPSYC-MS

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