Factors Affecting Response to White Intellectual Standards at Two Negro Colleges

Abstract

Two experiments were done on the effects of the race of an examiner and objective probability of success (P_a) on southern Negro college students' performance at cognitive tasks that were defined as mental tests with white norms. The tasks were arithmetic and digit-symbol substitution. The hypothesis was that Ss would perform better with a Negro tester when P_a was low or medium but as well or better with a white tester when P_a was high. The prediction was confirmed in Exp. I, which was carried out at an academically nonselective institution. Exp. II was a replication at an academically more selective institution. Here S's responded more favorably to the white tester in all P_a conditions. Individual differences in general success-failure orientation were not related to performance.

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