Testing for Racial Differences in the Mental Ability of Young Children
Open accessAbstract
On tests of intelligence, Blacks systematically score worse than Whites, whereas Asians frequently outperform Whites.Some have argued that genetic differences across races account for the gap.Using a newly available nationally representative data set that includes a test of mental function for children aged eight to twelve months, we find only minor racial differences in test outcomes (0.06 standard deviation units in the raw data) between Blacks and Whites that disappear with the inclusion of a limited set of controls.The only statistically significant racial difference is that Asian children score slightly worse than those of other races.To the extent that there are any geneticallydriven racial differences in intelligence, these gaps must either emerge after the age of one, or operate along dimensions not captured by this early test of mental cognition.
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Cites
Understanding the Black-White Test Score Gap in the First Two Years of School
Fryer, R. G., & Levitt, S. D. (2004) · Review of Economics and Statistics · doi:10.1162/003465304323031049 · Cited by 936 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Black-White Test Score Gap Through Third Grade
Fryer, R. G. (2006) · American Law and Economics Review · doi:10.1093/aler/ahl003 · Cited by 422 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Fryer, R., & Levitt, S.
- Affiliations
- National Bureau of Economic Research (US)
- ORCID
- Fryer, Roland
- Venue
- National Bureau of Economic Research
- Publisher
- National Bureau of Economic Research
- Published
- 2006-03
- OpenAlex
- W2145629725
- Cited by
- 64
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2024: 17 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2016: 8 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 5
- Type
- report
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- National Bureau of Economic Research (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Harvard University
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Race, Genetics, and Society
- Keywords
- racial differences in intelligence, early childhood cognitive development, black-white gap, Asian children, young children
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