Cumulative deficit is an hypothesis concerning the cause of lower mental test scores of groups considered environmentally deprived. It presupposes a progressive decrement in test scores, relative to population norms, as a function of age. Clarification of the theoretical issues and the methodological problems involved in establishing the…

The eight articles of this special issue explore the retrenchment that has seriously constrained the education of African Americans in California, as in much of the nation. Economic downsizing, genetic theories of racial inferiority, and right-wing attitudes have contributed to undermining the political gains of the 1960s and 1970s. (SLD)

Contents of this compilation of testimony include: (1) statements by L. L. Cavalli-Sforza, professor of genetics, Stanford University; Richard A. Goldsby; Irving I. Gottesman, professor of psychology, University of Minnesota; Arthur R. Jensen; and Jane R. Mercer, associate professor of sociology, University of California, Riverside; (2) such…

Contrary to popular opinion, it is very difficult to find any objective evidence of culture bias that could account for social class and racial differences in performance on current standard tests of intelligence, even those like the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), which give the appearance of being highly culture-loaded. They may be…

Three themes have dominated the sociology of education: the sub-cultural thesis, the socio-cultural advantage thesis, and the biogenetic thesis. With regards to the last, one should try to account for differences in the behavior of identifiable social groups by looking for social causes. The relationship between the strength of the bonds attaching…