Testing for Racial Differences in the Mental Ability of Young Children

43 Pages Posted: 9 May 2006 Last revised: 22 Dec 2022

See all articles by Roland G. Fryer

Roland G. Fryer

Harvard University - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); American Bar Foundation; University of Chicago

Steven D. Levitt

University of Chicago; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); American Bar Foundation

Date Written: March 2006

Abstract

On tests of intelligence, Blacks systematically score worse than Whites, whereas Asians frequently outperform Whites. Some have argued that genetic differences across races account for the gap. Using a newly available nationally representative data set that includes a test of mental function for children aged eight to twelve months, we find only minor racial differences in test outcomes (0.06 standard deviation units in the raw data) between Blacks and Whites that disappear with the inclusion of a limited set of controls. The only statistically significant racial difference is that Asian children score slightly worse than those of other races. To the extent that there are any genetically-driven racial differences in intelligence, these gaps must either emerge after the age of one, or operate along dimensions not captured by this early test of mental cognition.

Suggested Citation

Fryer, Roland G. and Levitt, Steven D., Testing for Racial Differences in the Mental Ability of Young Children (March 2006). NBER Working Paper No. w12066, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=888268

Roland G. Fryer (Contact Author)

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