EFFECT OF INCENTIVES UPON APTITUDE SCORES OF WHITE AND NEGRO INMATES

• NCJ Number: 6167
• Journal: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1971) Pages: 53-64
• Author(s): E A WENK; V V ROZYNKO
• Date Published: 1971
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TEST OF HYPOTHESIS THAT NEGROE INMATES, COMPARED TO WHITE INMATES, RECEIVED LOWER NONVERBAL APTITUDE TEST SCORES BECAUSE OF MOTIVATIONAL SUPPRESSION.

Abstract

CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY WARDS ADMITTED TO ONE RECEPTION GUIDANCE CENTER WERE RETESTED UNDER THREE CONDITIONS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF INCENTIVES UPON APTITUDE TEST PERFORMANCE. REWARD IN THE FORM OF MONEY REDEEMABLE AT THE INSTITUTION'S STORE WAS FOUND TO PROVIDE SUPERIOR INDUCEMENT TO TEST SCORE ELEVATION AS COMPARED TO VERBAL ENCOURAGEMENT OR MERE RETEST, BUT THE EFFECTS WERE SLIGHT AND NOT CONTINGENT ON ETHNIC STATUS. RESULTS SUGGEST EITHER THAT INSUFFICIENT INCENTIVE WAS APPLIED OR DIFFERING CULTURAL EXPERIENCES GENERATE SCORE BIASES REGARDLESS OF MOTIVATIONAL STATE. AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED