Examiner observations of children's WISC—R test-related behaviors: Possible socioeconomic status, race, and gender effects.

White examiners completed test observations on 311 children between ages 7 and 14 following the administration of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (WISC—R). The children differed by race (White, Black, and Mexican American), social class (middle and lower), and gender. Test observation ratings were employed to predict WISC—R Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs. All 63 correlations between test observations and WISC—R IQs were statistically significant and were reasonably equivalent across gender, social class, and racial groups. Differences in regressions were statistically significant for 23 of the 36 analyses. Although gender differences were not significant, race and social class differences are significant for intercepts, but not for slopes. Thus, given children of the same IQ, White examiners generally observe higher degrees of cooperation, attention, and self-confidence among Black and Mexican American (compared to White) children and among lower-class (compared to middle-class) children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Race, class, and the attributional process.

Two experiments examined the process and content of attributional thinking in Black and White children who differed in socioeconomic status (SES). In Exp I, 171 7th graders subdivided into middle-SES Black, middle-SES White, low-SES Black, and low-SES White groups imagined that they succeeded or failed at an examination, with the cause of the outcome specified. Their perceptions of the dimensional properties of causes (locus, stability, and controllability), expectancy for success, teacher evaluation, and affective reactions were reported. Similar judgments were made in Exp II, with 148 of the Ss from Exp I, in response to actual rather than hypothetical success and failure, and Ss' causal attributions for their performance were reported. Analyses revealed that Blacks did not display a less adaptive attributional pattern than did Whites following actual performance, and no differences existed in Ss' understanding of the meaning (dimensional placement) of causes. A linkage between the locus of causes and affect also was documented in all race?×?SES groups. In contrast, race and class differences occurred in Ss' perceptions of predicted stability–expectancy and controllability–evaluation causal linkages. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unobtrusive measurement of racial bias in job-placement decisions.

Unobtrusively gathered historical data documenting recruit-classification decisions made by the US Navy were utilized to determine whether racial bias exists among classifiers. The nature of the classification procedure resulted in the essentially random assignment of over 27,000 Black and White recruits to 46 Black and White classifiers. This permitted a number of interesting comparisons and obviated numerous problems inherent in racial-bias studies. The major hypothesis that Black and White classifiers would be differentially biased in their treatment of Black and White recruits was not supported. A 2nd hypothesis that classifiers within either racial group would be differentially biased in their treatment of Black and White recruits also was not confirmed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Socioeconomic status, race and life expectancy in Arkansas, 1970-1990

Earlier research found that high socioeconomic populations in Arkansas experienced an increase in mean life expectancy over low socioeconomic populations between 1970 and 1990. The possibility that these findings are spurious because of race is tested in this paper. Using multivariate analysis in conjunction with estimates of life expectancy by race and socioeconomic status (SES) we find that between 1970 and 1990: (1) Black populations with high SES gained more than three additional years of life expectancy over Black populations with high SES; and (2) White populations with high SES gained more than .5 years of life expectancy over White populations with low SES. These findings support earlier findings that SES plays an instrumental role in differential life expectancy. They also suggest that the effects of SES on life expectancy are moderated differentially for Blacks and Whites.     

Multilevel exploration of factors contributing to the overrepresentation of black students in office disciplinary referrals.

Although there is increasing awareness of the overrepresentation of ethic minority students—particularly Black students—in disciplinary actions, the extant research has rarely empirically examined potential factors that may contribute to these disparities. The current study used a multilevel modeling approach to examine factors at the child (e.g., teacher-rated disruptive behavior problems) and classroom or teacher levels (e.g., teacher ethnicity, level of disruptive behavior in classroom) that may contribute to the overrepresentation of minority students in office disciplinary referrals (ODRs). Data come from 6,988 children in 381 classrooms at 21 elementary schools. The analyses indicated that even after controlling for the student's level of teacher-rated behavior problems, teacher ethnicity, and other classroom factors, Black students were significantly more likely than White students to receive ODRs. Results also suggested that ethnic match between students and their teachers did not reduce the risk for referrals among Black students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A cross-cultural comparison of American Indian, Black, and White inpatients on the MMPI and presenting symptoms.

Studied personality differences among 97 Black, 454 White, and 36 American-Indian psychiatric inpatients, aged 16–70 yrs. Comparisons were made both on the total samples and on matched samples of Black–White and American-Indian–White patients according to SES. Data included presenting complaints, diagnoses, demographic information, and the MMPI. Results show that Black inpatients, in both representative and matched comparisons, had significantly higher scores than both other groups on the Validity, Paranoia, Schizophrenia, and Hypomania subscales of the MMPI. Results may reflect actual symptomatic differences between the groups rather than supporting the conclusion that the MMPI "overpathologizes" for Black patients. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of taxonomic encoding categories in different populations.

Assessed the degree of taxonomic category encoding in 160 low-socioeconomic status (SES) Black and middle SES White children. D. D Wickens's (see record 1970-04540-001) release from proactive interference task was used to index categorical encoding of animal and clothing items. Build-up and release from proactive interference was observed for each population at 2 different grade levels (2nd and 4th). The degree of proactive interference build-up and release was not affected by either population membership or grade level. These results provide conclusive evidence of the availability of taxonomic encoding categories in the groups sampled. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's loneliness: A comparison of rejected and neglected peer status.

Administered sociometric and loneliness questionnaires to 200 3rd-6th grade children to assess feelings of loneliness in 2 subgroups of unpopular Ss—those who were sociometrically rejected vs those who were sociometrically neglected. Data on popular, average, and controversial Ss were also collected. One-fifth of the the Ss were from low SES families, one-third were from middle SES families, and the rest were from upper middle or upper SES families. Results indicate that rejected Ss were the most lonely group and that this group differed significantly from other status groups. Neglected Ss did not differ from their higher-status peers. Overall, findings provide evidence of the utility of the distinction between neglected vs rejected status and provide support for earlier conclusions that rejected children are more at risk than are other status groups. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Realism and socioeconomic status (SES) of occupational plans of low SES Black and White male adolescents.

Studied 118 low SES Black and White male high school students to clarify certain definitional problems related to the assessment of the occupational plans of low SES youth (using the Vocational Choice Inventory). Vocational choice realism was defined by the extent to which intelligence (Science Research Associates Pictorial Reasoning Test) corresponded to the intelligence level recommended in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (1965). It was demonstrated that when given the opportunity, the students were able to distinguish between their aspirations and expectations. Further, low SES Blacks were not significantly more unrealistic than Whites in their occupational expectations, and both Blacks and Whites aspired to, preferred, and expected to enter occupations at similar SES levels. Especially with respect to low SES Ss, the importance of distinguishing among different levels of vocational plans on a fantasy-reality continuum is stressed. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developmental and population comparisons of taxonomic and thematic organization in free recall.

Assessed taxonomic and thematic clustering in free recall in 240 7- and 10-yr-olds from Black and White and low- and middle-SES backgrounds. Materials were pictures that were cross classifiable by taxonomic and thematic categories. A free study condition, in which Ss studied the pictures any way they wished, tested the hypothesis that taxonomic clustering would increase with age and thematic clustering would decrease with age. This condition also tested A. R. Jensen's (see record 1969-09740-001) prediction of population differences in clustering and recall. Two conditions were also included that determined whether constraining Ss to sort taxonomically or thematically during the study period would raise recall and clustering. Results for the free study condition indicate that recall and taxonomic clustering increased with age but thematic clustering was low for both ages. This pattern of performance did not vary with ethnicity or SES. The constrained taxonomic condition raised taxonomic clustering for all children but had no effect on recall for either age group. The constrained thematic condition generally raised thematic clustering for all Ss, but the beneficial effect of the constrained thematic condition on recall was limited to the 10-yr-olds. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's comprehension of family role portrayals in televised dramas: Effects of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and age.

578 middle and lower socioeconomic status (SES), Black and White children in Grades 2, 5, and 8 participated in 2 fully-crossed replications of the same design. They viewed 1 of 2 edited television dramas that portrayed either a White middle-class family (Study 1) or a Black working-class family (Study 2) in similar conflict resolution situations. Ss' comprehension of central (plot-essential) and peripheral content and their inferences about actors' emotions and causes of action were assessed. Memory for content was age-related in both studies. However, in Study 1, middle-SES 2nd graders viewing the middle-class family show scored higher than lower-SES 2nd graders. In Study 2 lower-SES 2nd graders who viewed the working-class family show achieved higher scores than their middle-class counterparts. There were no SES effects among 5th- and 8th-grade participants and no consistent effects of ethnicity at any age. Additional analyses indicated that congruence between televised characters and settings and viewers' own experiences, as indicated by SES, facilitated 2nd graders' processing of program content. Implications of age-related processing skills for social effects of TV are discussed. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An initial evaluation of the role of emotion and impulsivity in explaining racial/ethnic differences in the use of corporal punishment.

The authors sought to provide an initial evaluation of the hypothesis that corporal punishment is less strongly associated with parental emotion and impulsivity among African American (“Black”) in contrast to European American (“White”) parents. White–Latino and Black–Latino differences in corporal punishment, emotion, and impulsivity were explored, given the lack of existing theory predicting group differences. Couples with 3- to 7-year-old children were recruited via random digit dialing, and the parents completed questionnaires and an analog parent–child conflict task in the laboratory. Group differences were tested pooling mothers and fathers via dyadic data analyses. Black parents (N = 57) had more positive attitudes toward and used more corporal punishment than White parents (N = 730). Latino American parents' (N = 78) views and use of corporal punishment were similar to those of White parents. By and large, associations of corporal punishment with parents' impulsivity and emotion did not significantly vary by race/ethnicity. The present findings, although preliminary, do not support the emotion-impulsivity hypothesis of racial differences in the use of corporal punishment suggested by K. Deater-Deckard, K. A. Dodge, J. E. Bates, and G. S. Pettit (1996). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of syllables in the perception of spoken Dutch.

Three experiments are reported concerning the role of the syllable in the perception of spoken Dutch. Ss monitored spoken words for the presence of target strings that did or did not correspond to the words' 1st syllable. Effects of syllabic match were obtained for spoken words with unambiguous syllabic structure, as well as for words containing ambisyllabic consonants, which are shared by 2 syllables. For both types of words, monitoring latencies were shorter if the target matched the 1st syllable of the spoken word. Syllable effects were independent of the relation between targets and stem morphemes of the spoken words. Commonalities and differences between these results and those obtained in other languages such as English and French are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intergenerational family predictors of the Black–White achievement gap.

The authors examined intergenerational family predictors of the Black–White achievement gap among 4,406 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. An intergenerational model of the process by which family factors contribute to the achievement gap was also tested. The results showed that the ethnic gaps in socioeconomic status (SES) and achievement had significantly reduced over the past few generations. Moreover, measures of grandparent SES, mothers’ achievement, parent SES, and a comprehensive set of reliable parenting practices explained all of the ethnic differences in achievement scores. Parenting practices such as creating a school-oriented home environment, allowing adolescents to make decisions, and not burdening them with too many chores had particularly important effects on the achievement gap. The authors conclude that adjusting for these differences would eliminate the ethnic achievement gap. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attributions of responsibility in father-daughter incest in relation to gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity, and experiential differences in participants

One hundred and fifty-seven state college undergraduates (84 females and 73 males) answered the Jackson Incest Blame Scale [JIBS] modified to include mother-blaming after reading one of four vignettes about father-daughter incest in high or low SES White or Black families. Responses about incest prevalence (created for this study) in families with different ethnic and SES backgrounds varied with gender and SES of participants. Gender differences include blame of offender, situation, victim, and mother on the modified JIBS. Parents blamed the offender more than non-parents. Participants who knew an incest survivor disagreed significantly more with victim-blaming statements than those who did not know a survivor of incest.     

Further validation of the Problem Inventory for Adolescent Girls: Comparing Caucasian and Black delinquents and nondelinquents.

Administered a roleplaying measure of problem-solving skills—the problem inventory for adolescent girls (PIAG) developed by L. R. Gaffney and the 2nd author (see record 1982-05934-001)—to 59 White and 59 Black female delinquent and nondelinquent 15–17 yr olds. Independent ratings of problem-solving on the PIAG significantly differentiated between adjudicated delinquents and nondelinquents and between Ss reporting high and low levels of delinquent acts but not between White and Black Ss. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Touch interactions in junior high students in relation to sex and race.

Noted the incidence of touching among 321 White females, 241 White males, 205 Black females, and 198 Black males in cafeteria lines in 7 Kansas City junior high schools. Data were analyzed by sex and race and compared to behavior seen in primary school Ss in an earlier study (F. Willis and G. Hoffman, 1975). It was found that about half as much touching occurred among these groups compared to the younger children. Touch was most likely between Black–Black combinations and least likely between White–Black. Black females were significantly more likely to touch others than were White females. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Risk factors for dropping out of treatment among White and Black families.

In this study, the authors examined factors that predicted dropping out of treatment among White and Black children (N?=?279, ages 3–13) and among families attending outpatient treatment for externalizing problems. Multiple factors that increase the burden of participating in treatment are disproportionately distributed among minority families. Consequently, the authors predicted the rate of premature termination would be greater for Black than for White families and that the profile of factors that predicted leaving treatment early would differ. The results indicated that Black families were at greater risk and that several group-specific as well as common factors can be identified that increase risk. Predictors of dropping out can be used for early identification of families at risk and for developing strategies to better engage families in treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exercise as a treatment for hypertension in low-socioeconomic-status Black children.

Low-socioeconomic-status (SES) Black children have a higher mean blood pressure than most other groups. The antihypertensive effects of a 12-week aerobic exercise program were examined on 11 low-SES Black children, ages 8–12, who had blood pressure above the 95th percentile. A multiple baseline across three groups of children with baseline and exercise conditions was conducted. After the introduction of the exercise program, there were significant decreases in diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Cardiovascular fitness improved concurrently. The results suggest that vigorous exercise can decrease the blood pressure of low-SES hypertensive Black children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)