GROUP-DIFFERENCES IN APTITUDE FACTOR STRUCTURE ON THE ASVAB

Comparisons of aptitude factor structures were made in large, national ly representative samples of young Black, White, and Hispanic men and women who took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Confirmatory factor techniques imposing statistical constraints teste d if the loadings of the tests were the same for sex and ethnic groups on a hierarchical general cognitive ability (g) factor and three resi dualized lower order factors, which included Verbal/Math, Technical Kn owledge, and Speed. Tests that reflected content common in high school curricula such as verbal and math, showed little sex or ethnic differ ences. The most outstanding difference was found between men and women on the lending of the Electronics Information test on g and on the lo wer order Technical Knowledge factor. In both cases, the loading was a lmost zero for females and moderate for males. Patterns in high school course enrollment by sex suggested the reason for the differences. Wo men are much less likely to enroll in courses emphasizing technical kn owledge.