| Summary: | Literature reports that test anxiety may have an influence on aptitude test
performance for some racial groups and therefore serves as a source of bias
(Zeidner, 1998). Testing organisations have also found that individuals from
African groups perform poorly on measures of fluid intelligence, putting them
at a disadvantage when these scores are used for selection and training
purposes. The current study examines a model defining the relationship
between test anxiety, attentional resources and fluid intelligence in the
following manner: an increase in test anxiety will result in a decrease of
attentional resources as well as a decrease in fluid intelligence. With a
decrease in attentional resources we will see a negative influence on fluid
intelligence and test performance for different racial groups. Twenty-five African individuals and twenty-five individuals from Caucasian
racial groups have set the stage to answer the question if certain groups
experience higher test anxiety and thus perform poorly on fluid intelligence
measures. Significant relationships were found, within and between groups,
for attentional resources and fluid intelligence. Meanwhile, other factors, such
as test anxiety, were not strongly associated with fluid intelligence
performance. Future research into reasons why certain racial groups display
lower overall attention in testing situations is suggested in order to ensure that
tests for selection and training and aptitude tests are fair to all racial groups. === Psychology === M.A. Soc. Sc.(Psychology)
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