A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Fairness of the Cattell Culture Fair Intelligence Test Using the Rasch Model

Abstract

Logistic models can be used to estimate item pa rameters of a unifactor test that are free of the ex aminee groups used. The Rasch model was used to identify items in the Cattell Culture Fair Intelli gence Test that did not conform to this model for a group of Nigerian high school students and for a group of American students, groups believed to be different with respect to race, culture, and type of schooling. For both groups a factor analysis yielded a single factor accounting for 90% of the test's vari ance. Although all items conformed to the Rasch model for both groups, 13 of the 46 items had sig nificant between score group fit in either the Amer ican or the Nigerian sample or both. These were re moved from further analyses. Bias was defined as a difference in the estimation of item difficulties. There were six items biased in "favor" of the American group and five in "favor" of the Nigerian group; the remaining 22 items were not identified as biased. The American group appeared to per form better on classification of geometric forms, while the Nigerians did better on progressive ma trices. It was suggested that the replicability of these findings be tested, especially across other types of stimuli.