THE INFLUENCE OF NON1NTELLECTIVE FACTORS ON THE IQ SCORES OF MIDDLE- AND LOWER-CLASS CHILDREN

Abstract

KINNIE, ERNEST J., and STERNLOF, RICHARD E. The Influence of Nonintellective Factors on the IQ Scores of Middleand Lower-Class Children. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1971, 42, 1989-1995. 123 middle-class white, lowerclass white, and lower-class Negro preschool children were used in the study to determine the influence of 3 nonintellective factors on the IQ scores obtained on the WPPSI. It was found that increased WPPSI scores were obtained by familiarizing the children with middle-class adults similar to those administering the tests, with the language and materials used on the WPPSI to elicit a measure of intellective functioning, and with a testlike situation. The increase in WPPSI scores resulted almost entirely fron the performance rather than the verbal subtests and was more marked in the experimental conditions which familiarized the children with middle-class adults and with the test language and materials than in the condition which provided the children with practice in a testlike situation. Contrary to expectations, the scores of the lower-class children did not increase significantly more than the scores of the middle-class children.