Content Influences on Sex Differences in Performance on Aptitude Tests.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to examine the April, 1974 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) for item content bias between the sexes. By so doing, this study forms a logical extention of the work.of Coffman (1961) on the '54 SAT, and Donlon (1973), on the '64 SAT. A study of item-sex bias was conducted using the method of delta-plots (Angoff, 1972; Angoff & Stern, 1972). Those items demonstrated to have different piychological meaning were then investigated for patterns of content bias by referencing to the test assembler's classifications: In addition, the test was ,inspected using the criteria established by Tittle, et. al. (1974) and Lockheed -Katz (1973) for deterpining'sex bias. The results of the two methods of analysis were compared.