TY - JOUR
T1 - Racial/ethnic subgroup differences in cognitive ability test range restriction
T2 - Implications for differential validity
AU - Berry, Christopher M.
AU - Cullen, Michael J.
AU - Meyer, Jolene M.
PY - 2014/1/1
Y1 - 2014/1/1
N2 - Recent meta-analyses demonstrated that the observed correlation between cognitive ability test scores and performance criteria was lower for Black and Hispanic subgroups than for Asian and White subgroups in college admissions, civilian employment, and military domains (i.e., differential validity). Given mean score differences between racial/ethnic subgroups, these observed validities may have been confounded by subgroup differences in range restriction. The present study draws on data from hundreds of cognitive ability test validity studies including more than 1 million persons to investigate whether Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White subgroups have differed in amounts of range restriction. We first replicated observed differential validity results and also extended them by presenting the first metaanalytic evidence that observed cognitive ability test validity is lower for the Hispanic subgroup in civilian employment settings. All subgroups were approximately equivalently restricted in range in college admissions and civilian employment domains, but the Black subgroup was more restricted in range than the White subgroup in military studies. In all 3 domains, any differences in range restriction could not account for observed validity differences between subgroups. We also provide estimates of range-restriction-corrected validities; Black and Hispanic subgroups' corrected validities were 11.3- 18.0% lower than White corrected validities across domains.
AB - Recent meta-analyses demonstrated that the observed correlation between cognitive ability test scores and performance criteria was lower for Black and Hispanic subgroups than for Asian and White subgroups in college admissions, civilian employment, and military domains (i.e., differential validity). Given mean score differences between racial/ethnic subgroups, these observed validities may have been confounded by subgroup differences in range restriction. The present study draws on data from hundreds of cognitive ability test validity studies including more than 1 million persons to investigate whether Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White subgroups have differed in amounts of range restriction. We first replicated observed differential validity results and also extended them by presenting the first metaanalytic evidence that observed cognitive ability test validity is lower for the Hispanic subgroup in civilian employment settings. All subgroups were approximately equivalently restricted in range in college admissions and civilian employment domains, but the Black subgroup was more restricted in range than the White subgroup in military studies. In all 3 domains, any differences in range restriction could not account for observed validity differences between subgroups. We also provide estimates of range-restriction-corrected validities; Black and Hispanic subgroups' corrected validities were 11.3- 18.0% lower than White corrected validities across domains.
KW - Cognitive ability
KW - Differential prediction
KW - Differential range restriction
KW - Differential validity
KW - Race/ethnicity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84892872540&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84892872540&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/a0034376
DO - 10.1037/a0034376
M3 - Article
C2 - 24188390
AN - SCOPUS:84892872540
SN - 0021-9010
VL - 99
SP - 21
EP - 37
JO - Journal of Applied Psychology
JF - Journal of Applied Psychology
IS - 1
ER -