Why Is There No Study of Cultural Equivalence in Standardized Cognitive Ability Testing?
Author(s)
Helms, Janet E.
Abstract
Black-White differences in performance on cognitive ability tests (CABTs) typically have been explained by assumptions inherent in the implicit biological or environmental philosophical perspectives. It is argued that these perspectives are based on deficient conceptualizations of culture. Consequently, neither can provide useful information about the cultural equivalence (meaning) of test scores across racial or ethnic groups. The culturalist perspective is presented as an alternative for investigating racial cultural influences on CABTs using Eurocentric and Afrocentric cultural dimensions. Implications and recommendations for examining cultural equivalence in CABTs from a culturalist perspective are discussed.
