Every widely used psychological assessment instrument is under scrutiny in terms of cultural fairness. The expectation of the reduced-language (Nonverbal) section of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition (SB5; Roid, 2003) is that language ought not to be a modifying factor in terms of final score. The purpose of the present study…

Translated and noverbal tests are discussed as techniques for measuring intelligence and language differences in the Chicano child. (NQ)

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, the Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test (NNAT), and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) in selecting for ethnically diverse students who may be gifted. The participants of the study were 175 students enrolled in Grades 3-5 and Grade 8 in a…

Right-handed sixth graders were administered the WISC Block Design and verbal and nonverbal versions of the Rod-and-Frame Test (RFT), measuring field dependence/independence. Results seemed to reflect a right hemisphere processing for the nonverbal RFT and a possible sex bias against girls in its traditional verbal administration. (Author/SJL)

A feedback inventory was administered to 259 seventh graders in Israel immediately following standardized group scholastic ability testing procedures to determine the subjects' attitudes toward the procedures. Few meaningful differences appeared across sociocultural or gender groups. Test attitudes did correlate with scores. (TJH)

This study examined the effectiveness of the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) in identifying gifted black and Hispanic students in a total population of 20,270 students (K-12). Analysis indicated that similar percentages of white (5.6%), black (5.1%), and Hispanic (4.4%) children earned an NNAT score in the 95th percentile rank. (Contains…

The first goal of this article is to discuss the role of nonverbal ability tests in the identification of academically gifted children. I note that most nonverbal tests measure verbally mediated cognitive processes, that they are neither "culture flee" nor "culture fair," and that we have known these facts for a very long time. I show that…

Concern about the possible bias of using only verbal assessments for the identification of intellectually gifted students led to an examination of the effect of incorporating nonverbal assessments of intelligence into the identification process. Two nonverbal instruments (Progressive Matrices and Test of Nonverbal Intelligence) were used in…

The historical development and recent applications are described of the picture sequencing format (PSF), a testing device which requires the subject to designate a complete and correct order for a set of related pictures. The earliest use was by Decroly in 1914 and perhaps the best known use is in the Wechsler intelligence tests. Special…

This report discusses the relationship between bilingualism and mental development of bilingual children. After a review of the relevant literature, a specific study is described. The linguistic background of 648 children from 29 schools, age 10 through 12 inclusive, was measured with the Welsh Linguistic Background Scale. General intelligence was…

The study reviewed the formats and psychometric rationale of several alleged culture-fair tests. Advantages and disadvantages of each instrument were examined and implications for compensatory education were discussed. (Author)

The alternative suggested is comprised of three elements: 1) Working toward changes in attitudes of people and institutions to directly attack discriminatory applications of tests; 2) Emphasizing test validation and development by new test instruments oriented to the needs of disadvantaged applicants; and, 3) Eliminating discriminatory selection…

Questions often raised about intelligence tests are discussed: (1) the definition of intelligence; (2) the definition of intelligence quotient; (3) the kinds of tests available; (4) validity; (5) fairness to minority groups; (6) use made of test results; (7) differences in results among various intelligence tests; (8) differences in scores using…

This package contains articles in three general areas: items covering measurement topics; brief and practical guides on measurement techniques; and professional reading on broader assessment issues. The purpose of these publications by "Set" is to provide research information to teachers. The initial article, "Overview of Issues in…

Random polygons were used as stimuli in a two-choice multiple discrimination learning paradigm designed to test individual learning ability. A nonverbal test was developed in order to avoid the cultural and racial bias which, according to the author, is inherent in verbal tests. Information processing rate (IPR) was used as the measure of learning…