Assessing Cognitive Similarities among Young Children of Different Ethnic/Cultural Backgrounds

Abstract

This study used a multisample structural equations model to examine whether the underlying structure of a cognitive screening test was equivalent for African American, Hispanic, and White/NonHispanic preschool (N = 395) and kindergarten (N = 474) children. The results indicated that young children, regardless of their ethnic/cultural background, showed similar response patterns on the screening test. In addition, analyses found factor structures for male and female participants also to be similar. These results suggest that the screening test measures the same constructs across different ethnic/cultural backgrounds and for both genders.