NARRATIVE VERSUS METAANALYTIC REVIEWS OF RACE DIFFERENCES IN MOTIVATION - A COMMENT ON COOPER AND DORR

Some of the benefits and shortcomings of a meta-analytic approach to r eviewing race differences in need for achievement (Cooper & Dorr, 1995 ) are examined and compared to the narrative approach that I adopted i n a previous review on this topic (Graham, 1994). Among the benefits o f meta-analysis are the calculation of effect sizes for race differenc es (compared to the box score method of my narrative review) and the p resentation of replicable and objective procedures for organizing desc ribing, and comparing study characteristics. Among the perceived limit ations are the meta-analyst's reluctance to distinguish between low- a nd high-quality studies and an overemphasis on quantitative comparison s of substantively disparate literatures. The implications for studyin g race as a psychological variable are also discussed.