Performance of Black and White South African Children on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised and the Kaufman Assessment Battery

Abstract

The validity of traditional intelligence tests for cultural groups that differ from those for whom the tests were normed has come under scrutiny. This is particularly the case for the previously disadvantaged black majority in South Africa. The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K–ABC) is reportedly a relatively nondiscriminatory test of intellectual functioning. This study compared the performance of 21 black and 35 white third-grade South African children on the K–ABC and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale–Revised (WISC–R) at two schools for children with learning problems. While the WISC–R Verbal and Full Scale IQ of black children were significantly lower than that of whites, there was no significant difference between these groups on the K–ABC. Teachers' ratings for white and black pupils were acceptably concordant with students' performance on the K–ABC but not on the WISC–R. Support is provided for the usefulness of the K–ABC as a relatively nondiscriminatory alternative to the WISC–R for South African children.