Educability-and-Group-Differences-1973-by-Arthur-Robert-Jensen

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Culture-biased tests
The claim that intelligence tests are culturally biased in favor of
white middle-class children and are therefore invalid when applied
to minority children (or to lower-class white children) is undoubtedly
the commonest argument against studies of subpopulation
differences. The SPSSI Council (1969) states:
We must also recognize the limitations of present-day intelligence
tests. Largely developed and standardized on white
middle-class children, these tests tend to be biased against
black children to an unknown degree. While IQ tests do predict
school achievement, we cannot demonstrate that they are
accurate as measures of innate endowment. Any generalizations
about the ability of black or white children are very much
limited by the nature of existing IQ tests.
This view has been the basis for moves to abolish all testing in
the public schools. Thus we read in a newspaper: ‘The Board of
Education voted unanimously last night to appoint a special
committee to decide whether all psychological testing of minority
children should be stopped. The resolution came after a score of
black community leaders pleaded for an immediate moratorium on
achievement and intelligence testing of minority children. They
said the tests, designed for middle-class whites, were invalid for
minority groups’ (San Francisco Chronicle, 6 May 1970, p. 18).
The news report quoted a psychologist as saying, ‘Asking a black
child the advantages of having a checking account when most
black families don’t have them is about as fair as asking white