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Cognitive skills, test scores, and social stratification: The role of family and school-level resources on racial/ethnic differences in scores on standardized tests (AFQT)

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The Review of Black Political Economy

Conclusion

In this paper I ahve shown that scores on the AFQT are a function of family and school level material resources and investments on individual development. The AFQT is not a measure of “intelligence (IQ),” “ability,” or “cognitive skills.” The AFQT is in large part a measure of access to material resources, social investments, and exposure to the values, experiences, and networks of the white upper middle class.

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  1. Héctor R. Cordero-Guzmán
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Cordero-Guzmán, H.R. Cognitive skills, test scores, and social stratification: The role of family and school-level resources on racial/ethnic differences in scores on standardized tests (AFQT). Rev Black Polit Econ 28, 31–71 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12114-001-1008-2

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