OT: Racially Biased Tests?

[Facepalm]

I know this is a touchy question but I really dont get it.

Exactly how are tests racially biased?

I am trying to understand how exactly a multiple choice test like the SAT or the one given to the New Haven firemen could be racially biased.

I have yet to hear anything convincing on this subject.

When I researched it the example of a biased question was an analogie SAT question.

SEA LION: OCEAN

A)CAR:HIGHWAY
B)MOOSE:FOREST
C)CAMERA:PICTURE
D)ELEVATOR:BUILDING

The answer is B but if someone is from the inner city the article alleges they would have no knowledge of Moose or forests and would think the answer is A because thats something they have experience with.

I just dont buy that. We are all thinking individuals and we should all know that sea lions and moose are both animals and that the ocean and a forest are both where those animals live I dont care how detached from the natural world a person can be.

I would like some help understanding how a multiple choice exam could be racially biased when the subjects are made available to all people taking the test prior to the exam.

[David Jamieson]

What if the test had subjects that only dealt with the intricacies of the pantheon of hindu gods and all questions about agriculture were related to effective management of rice paddies and all questions about wildlife were pertaining only to those species that were indigenous to say, Australasia?

a good example of where it becomes racial or culturally relevant is in the movie 'slum dog millionaire' where we see quite clearly that the questions they ask in the Indian version of -who wants to be a millionaire- are a world apart from the questions they ask on the american version and different again from the british version and so on.

standardized tests must apply to everyone that sits through the curriculum.
If there is a lack of relevance to the person writing the test, then the test has been formed incorrectly because the person writing it should have been exposed to all materials referred to within the regular curriculum.

[hskwarrior]

woooowwwwww.....

and people really asked me what the Hung Mun had to do with southern gung fu

[Facepalm]

well If I knew the test was on Hindu gods and rice paddy agriculture and species from asia before the exam that is what I would study for.

Tests are designed to test you on a certain subject.

In the SATs case, on the very basics of what America expects high school students to have learned in an American public school

In the New Haven firefighters test, Im sure it was on things that firefighters should know.

I can definitely understand that you could deliberately design a test to be biased against people from different parts of the world but especially in the firefighter test where the people had been working firefighters prior to taking a test for promotion. They all had fair access to the information and experiences required to pass it.

In the SAT I know that much care is taken in designing the test to have questions that are pretty cosmopolitan.

Ive heard that it could be in the language of the questions. Does anyone have a good example of this?

Thanks though DJ that really gives me food for thought

[Lucas]

So wait, are you telling me that cars dont live on the highway?

[lkfmdc]

I grew up in a concrete covered city, I never saw a moose, but I would have known as a kid the answer...

[Lucas]

isnt that what all those years of school are for, you know, to teach you about the woods and the oceans. Science class covers that. If people actually pay attention, do their school work, and read a few **** books, they wouldnt have a problem connecting the dots between moose and forest.

i blame michael jackson

[David Jamieson]

Indeed.

If Moose were addressed in teh curriculum, then there is no issue with the question and the person or persons complaining about it are ignorant as stumps.

However, if the subject is never dealt with in the curriculum, then it is an unfair and biased question.

All tests should be formed according to the curriculum that has been studied which is also most likely standardized.

[IronWeasel]

isnt that what all those years of school are for, you know, to teach you about the woods and the oceans. Science class covers that. If people actually pay attention, do their school work, and read a few **** books, they wouldnt have a problem connecting the dots between moose and forest.

i blame michael jackson

Yeah, if you can't connect Moose and Forest, you're not URBAN...you're Retarded.

[lkfmdc]

says the guy from OHIO!

[andyhaas]

When I researched it the example of a biased question was an analogie SAT question.

SEA LION: OCEAN

A)CAR:HIGHWAY
B)MOOSE:FOREST
C)CAMERA:PICTURE
D)ELEVATOR:BUILDING

The answer is B but if someone is from the inner city the article alleges they would have no knowledge of Moose or forests and would think the answer is A because thats something they have experience with.

These things are kindof like ... okay? So you look at the question ... sea lions live in the ocean then come up on land... so a moose lives in the forest, and sometimes goes in t he water ...

A car goes on the highway, and sometimes falls off into the ocean, and sometimes comes up on land ...

A picture comes out of a camera sortof, not the other way around, usually, unless a camera is in a picture (a picture of a camera).

Some buildings have elevators and they usually don't go around ...

So what is the question? It depends ... like if somebody from the inner city doesn't watch T.V. that much or live near the ocean, they might not even know what a sea lion is compared to somebody who lives near the sea.

Therefore, it is sortof socio biased in a way, that depending upon somebody's sociological background, they might have a different answer.

[Lucas]

well the important thing to remember here is; The Alpha Male Sea Lion, has a harrem of wenches.

its true, look it up.

[andyhaas]

BTW, supposedly the New Haven fire-fighters thing:

They didn't give the test for promotion because:

The only guys they figured would have passed at that time were white (the only guys up for promotion), and they were trying to fill racial quotas.

So they didn't even bother giving the test, giving these guys no chance to advance.

That's why it was racist, supposedly.

[David Jamieson]

BTW, supposedly the New Haven fire-fighters thing:

They didn't give the test for promotion because:

The only guys they figured would have passed at that time were white (the only guys up for promotion), and they were trying to fill racial quotas.

So they didn't even bother giving the test, giving these guys no chance to advance.

That's why it was racist, supposedly.

racial quotas as a concept is racist. lol

when you set a criteria based on the colour of someones skin, you are bound to load up on incompetence eventually because corners will be cut to put a visible minority into a position that they very well may not be able to handle effectively.

we have the same kind of crap going on in our city where a specific organization is saying that the corporate executives of many companies are not properly reflecting the diverse population.

Of course, this is nonsense. But nevertheless you have a lot of people who support these things because they aren't comfortable with whatever it is they are uncomfortable with.

Thanks, but I'll take competence over racial quotas any day.

[Mas Judt]

Not true.

The test was given. It was overseen by a racially profiled group of Caucasians, African-Americans and Hispanics. It was specifically designed and managed to NOT be a test where a specific group had an advantage over another.

The test results were thrown out because the minorities performed poorly - except one Hispanic who joined the law suit because he studied hard and did well on the test. And the city was afraid of being sued by the minorities. (what for? not letting those unwilling to apply themselves to be promoted? That has NOTHING to do with race, ad everything to do with the character of the people involved. It is disgusting that this would become a racial issue.)

It is a sad thing that the best, most qualified people are denied the job because of their race or fear of law suits by minorities.

Our politicians are cowardly. They look to curry favor by giving away jobs and largesse - rather than encouraging people to be the best they can be.