Abstract:
Performance on standardized cognitive tests among children in low
income or less developed countries have consistently been low. The
difference in test scores usually range between 1 to 2 standard
deviations lower than published norms. Explanations for this difference
have been attributed partly to IQ differences between different
races which has been a subject of debate in scientific and academic
research since the inception of IQ testing in the early 20th century. The
debate about race differences in intelligence concerns the interpretation
of research findings that Caucasian test takers tend on average to
score higher than individuals of African descent. This was followed
subsequently with the finding that test takers of East Asian background
tend to score higher than Caucasians. Part of the explanation
for racial differences in IQ or test scores is the issue of test bias, that is,
test items tend to favor individuals for whom the test was initially
developed. Although tests are standardized on local populations to
address this challenge, significant differences are still found between
groups separated by socioeconomic factors, even on measures that are
supposed to be culture-fair. It therefore appears that differences in
test scores may be explained by other factors apart from cultural
differences.
In the current study, we examined performance on three tests with
varying degrees of cultural bias. We examined the effects of different
socioeconomic factors on test performance and found expected
superior performance for children in high socioeconomic groups on
all tests. The difference in scores however diminished on tests that had
low cultural bias. The findings from this study are discussed in the
light of differences in wealth, parents' influence, and quality of school
and teaching.