This study examines cultural bias in the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Results indicated no evidence of specific factors peculiar to Blacks v Whites, and rank order of item difficulties was similar in both groups. Race differences were due to differences in mental maturity rather than to test bias. (Author/RD)

This paper reports a study of conformity reactions of white and black children to the unanimous and incorrect judgment of children from either their own or other ethnic groups. Experimental groups comprised four subjects of the same sex and grade level. Groups representing all Negro were used; all variables were completely crossed. The subjects…

This document comprises three presentations made on March 23 at a symposium sponsored by the Southern Regional Council focusing on Human Intelligence, Social Science and Social Policy. The first of the three parts of the document is the text of the principal presentation, made by Dr. Leon Kamin, Chariman of the Department of Psychology at…

Contrary to popular opinion, it is very difficult to find any objective evidence of culture bias that could account for social class and racial differences in performance on current standard tests of intelligence, even those like the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), which give the appearance of being highly culture-loaded. They may be…

Examines Black social scientists' intellectual efforts, starting in the 1920s, to challenge research conclusions about the innate mental inferiority of Blacks, disclaim the validity of intelligence tests used, and demonstrate the influence of environment on test performance. Finds irony in Black intellectuals' use of the mental tests they…

Swedish longitudinal studies of twins support Scarr-Salapatek's explanation of nature-nurture influences on intelligence. This model predicts more genetic variance in test results for advantaged than disadvantaged groups. Jensen's work, however, suggests equal amounts of variance among different social classes. (Author/CP)

This article summarizes the thesis of "The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life," noting its rejection of educational intervention to solve social problems correlated to low IQ. It critiques the book for its failure to consider important research findings, and addresses the race issue, urging that the book's…

Relationship between ability tests and race and issues of famous lawsuits concerning possible bias in intelligence tests are summarized. Reasons for the origins of ethnic and racial differences in general intellectual ability are considered. Prospects for the reduction of group differences and conflicts are discussed. (SLD)

Using methods employed by Chaikin et al (1974) and Chaikin and Derlega (1978) to determine when tutors are susceptible to expectancy effects and whether expectancies lead to discrimination against low ability students, black undergraduates (N=76) taught a lesson on fire safety at home to a 10-year-old boy. Two black male and two white male…

Since their beginning, intelligence tests have favored the higher social classes. Despite federal mandates to the contrary, bias in assessment is likely to remain a problem. Claims of test bias can be categorized as popular (naive); clinical (intuitive); statistical (predictive); and psychometric (construct and content). A literature review has…

INFLUENCES WHICH HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS PERCEIVE AS AFFECTING THEIR OCCUPATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS WERE INVESTIGATED. GROUP-ADMINISTERED INTERVIEW SCHEDULES WERE COMPLETED BY 1,068 SENIORS IN 12 HIGH SCHOOLS BASICALLY ATTENDED BY WHITE STUDENTS AND 11 HIGH SCHOOLS PREDOMINANTLY ATTENDED BY NEGRO STUDENTS. DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTIONS WERE…

Three themes have dominated the sociology of education: the sub-cultural thesis, the socio-cultural advantage thesis, and the biogenetic thesis. With regards to the last, one should try to account for differences in the behavior of identifiable social groups by looking for social causes. The relationship between the strength of the bonds attaching…

Literature relative to the economically disadvantaged and their personal characteristics has, to a great extent, centered on urban dwellers in recent years. The research reported in this book grew out of the belief that the impoverished in the rural areas no less than those in the city deserve serious attention. The research involved utilized…

This paper deals with the issue of black-white differences in cognitive skills. Some authorities attribute these differences to differences in the environments of black and white homes. Others state that the differences are due to differences in genes, i.e., heredity. Scholars holding these two opposing views have become more or less entangled in…

This book starts with a review of the evolution of the notion of intelligence in its first chapter. In 1969, an article by psychologist Arthur R. Jensen suggested that there may be innate differences in intellectual potential between blacks and whites, and, if so, these differences should be taken into account in educational planning. The…