Performance Patterns of two Culturally Different Populations of Identified Gifted Students on the Ross Test of Higher Cognitive Processes

Abstract

This study examined performance patterns of Mexican American and Anglo gifted students on the Ross test in a two-year repeated measures design. The purpose was to consider specific critical thinking skill characteristics of culturally different students in the context of a program where these skills were an emphasized goal and where efforts were made to identify proportionate numbers of minority students. Significant improvement for both groups suggests program success, but far greater for the Anglos; differences in scores are seen as due to both cultural and socioeconomic status differences, as well as other potentially intervening variables. Discriminant analysis revealed that 96% of all subjects were correctly classified into cultural groups on the basis of Ross scores. The evidence suggests a number of areas of specific strengths and weaknesses which differ for the two groups. Results are interpreted and used to recommend directions for curriculum and further research.