NO MORE THAN SKIN DEEP - ETHNIC AND RACIAL SIMILARITY IN DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS

Many studies adduce evidence of ethnic or racial dissimilarities in de velopmental outcomes (e.g., delinquency and achievement). Many researc hers fail to distinguish between group average levels and developmenta l processes (correlations). Evidence is reviewed that developmental pr ocesses are nearly identical for U.S. Black, Hispanic, White, and Asia n ethnic and racial groups. Using diverse and representative data sour ces, covariance matrices were computed for these ethnic groups and the n compared by using a LISREL goodness-of-fit test. Not only were these matrices nearly identical but they also were no less alike than covar iance matrices computed from random halves within 1 ethnic or racial g roup. This article documents the importance of accepting ethnic and ra cial similarity of developmental processes. Thus, group avenge level d ifferences may result from different levels of developmental anteceden ts;working through common developmental pathways.