Race, academic achievement, and self-concept of ability

Abstract

In the year-and-a-half since the College Board released detailed tables on SAT scores by race, much of the heated reaction has now abated. This study explores the data behind those tables and seeks a fuller explanation of the observed differences in SAT scores among racial and ethnic segments of college-bound test takers. It highlights a social psychological correlate that mediates between environmental factors and SAT performance, beginning with the finding that blacks at the same level of test performance exhibit greater self-esteem than whites on a series of self-rated abilities. Implications of the analysis are discussed and directions for further research suggested.