“Cumulative Deficit,” a Longitudinal Analysis of Scores on McCarthy Scales

Abstract

Preschool testing of 80 black disadvantaged children with the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities was followed 5 yr. later with reexamination with the same Scales. The attrition rate was only 15%. Published norms were used for 27 children (primary group). Extrapolated norms were used for a supplementary group of 41 older children for whom published norms were not appropriate. A performance drop in the General Cognitive Index, predicted from reports of “cumulative deficit,” was not obtained. For the primary group, no significant decreases on the subscales were obtained. Scores of the supplementary group on the Quantitative and Memory Scales decreased significantly; this may have been due to the extrapolation of norms. Over-all, the data are not consistent with the hypothesis of progressively poorer test performance for black children.