The Relation of Intelligence to Age in Negro Children

Abstract

An attempt was made to determine the median I. Q. of all ages of negroes to show to what extent the inferiority of negroes is dependent on age. One hundred eighty negro children were tested in New Orleans and 63 in Philadelphia. Of the 243 children 129 were boys and 114 girls. Fifty-four were five and six years old (28 boys, 26 girls), 50 seven years old (25 boys, 25 girls), 49 nine years old (25 boys, 24 girls), 40 between ten and fifteen (26 boys, 14 girls). As to social status 33.7 per cent were very inferior, 58 per cent were of inferior, 6.5 per cent were of average, and 1.6 per cent of very superior social status. The Stanford revision of the Binet tests was used. The median I. Q. for negro children decreases with increasing age from age five to ages ten to fifteen combined. At five and six negroes are superior to whites of the same social status. All ages beyond six, negroes are inferior to whites, and this inferiority increases with increasing age. The conclusions are based on the group tested, which is relatively small. From Psych Bulletin 20:09:00987. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)