A national probability sample of 1774 children examined at 6 to 11 and re-examined at 12 to 17 years of age provided an opportunity to examine in a longitudinal perspective the effect of the fathers' absence on cognitive development. There were no significant differences in fathers' presence or absence in the outcome measures—WISC Vocabulary and Block Design and WRAT Reading and Arithmetic—for either the white or black children. Black children as a group did show a significant decrement in achievement scores while maintaining their intellectual development.
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