Intelligence or Misorientation? Eurocentrism in the WISC-III

Abstract

Intelligence testing with children of African descent has a turbulent history. Cultural biases in test content, administration, and standardization procedures have resulted in inappropriate diagnostic classifications for many African American children. Yet, intelligence testing continues to enjoy widespread clinical practice, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Third Edition (WISC-III) is one of the most popular tests. This article examines the Eurocentric basis of the test and reveals the WISC-III’s antagonistic and incompatible relationship to an Africentric conception of intellectual and mental health.