BLACK-WHITE DIFFERENCES IN MEMORY TEST-PERFORMANCE AMONG CHILDREN ANDADOLESCENTS

Racial differences on mental test scores are some of the most well-doc umented findings in the study of individual differences, yet only in t he past 10 years have neuropsychologists undertaken serious examinatio n of ethnic and related demographic concomitants of neuropsychological test performance. The present study examined performance differences for blacks and whites on 14 separate measures of short-term memory. Us ing a nationally stratified (gender race, age, SES, region, and commun ity size) population proportionate sampling plan, 168 black and 983 wh ite children and adolescents (ages 5 years to 19 years) were tested. A ge corrected deviation scaled scores (mean of 10 and SD of 3) were cal culated at 1 year intervals using the method of rolling weighted avera ges. In sharp contrast to typical findings with intellectual and most other aptitude measures, only one significant difference occurred acro ss race on any of the 14 measures of memory. (C) 1997 National Academy of Neuropsychology.