Near identity of cognitive structure in sex and ethnic groups

Abstract

Comparisons of aptitude factor structures were made in large samples of young Americans who took a multiple aptitude test battery. The factor model that was used had been statistically confirmed. It included hierarchical g and five lower-order factors representing Verbal, Math, Spatial, Technical Knowledge, and Perpetual Speed. The model showed good fit for both the sexes (male and female) and ethnic group (White, Black, Hispanic, Asian-American, and Native-American) comparisons. The proportions of total and common variance accounted for by g and the five lower-order factors were similar for men and women and for all five ethnic groups. Confirmatory factor techniques that imposed statistical constraints tested if the loadings of the tests were the same for both sexes and for Whites vs each of the other ethnic groups. Although many of the tests of the differences in the loadings were statistically significant, most differences were small in magnitude (less than 0.05). The most notable differences occurred for a test of aviation knowledge. It had a lower loading for men than for women on both hierarchical g and on the lower-order Technical Knowledge factor. It also had a lower loading for Whites than for Blacks and Asian-Americans on the lower-order Technical Knowledge factor. Correlations between factor loadings for the sex groups and for all pairs of ethnic groups were very high, approaching r = 1.0. Regressions between pairs of groups indicated that there was no mean difference in loadings between males and females and among the ethnic groups. These findings, along with previous research, present a consistent picture of near identity of structure of intellect for sex and ethnic groups.