| Abstract: | Reviews the approaches that have been undertaken to detect cultural, content, predictive, and selection bias in mental tests. This includes analysis of subtle differences in the content of test items to which individuals react differently and the implications of statistical differences in predictions from test scores. It is argued that questions of bias are fundamentally questions of validity. A distinction is made between validity on one hand, and the question of whether a test should be used, even if valid, on the other. It is concluded that although on the technical side many things have been learned about the details of test bias, such research has not provided answers to social policy questions that must be decided regardless of whether tests are involved. (51 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
