ASSESSING INTELLIGENCE CROSS-NATIONALLY - A CASE FOR DIFFERENTIAL ITEM FUNCTIONING DETECTION

Cross-national comparisons of intelligence require the use of measurement instruments that are equivalent across cultural groups. One method for insuring equivalent measures is to use only those test items for which the relationship between ability andand probability of a correct response is the same for both national groups. American and German intelligence tests, based on Thurstone's primary mental abilities, were administered to 205 American and 217 German male and female college students in their native languages. Effects of speed were minimized by examining only those items that the majority of subjects reached. Tests were then examined for items that exhibited differetial item functioning (dif). Group subtest scores were compared before and after dif items and the effects of speed were removed. Ability differences before and after were not the same. The benefits of using a dif analysis and removing the effects of speed in order to establish measurement equivalence in cross-national comparisons of intelligence are discussed. © 1990.