The purpose of this study was to compare PPVT scores of Black children and language delayed White children in order to determine whether the patterning of errors can be differentiated between the two groups. The study involved twenty Black children and twenty language delayed White children between the ages of six years, six months, and seven years, six months. The subjects were from families of lower socioeconomic status. The White subjects were given the Utah Test of Language Development to establish degree of language delay.
The study was designed to determine whether either the language delayed White subjects or the Black subjects would miss any items on the PPVT significantly more often than the other group. The study sought to determine whether either group consistently made the same incorrect choice on items which they miss more frequently than the other group. Finally, the study was conducted to find whether the mean ceiling item reached by the two groups would be significantly different.
The results of the study indicate the patterning of errors cannot be differentiated between the two groups. No significant difference was present between the mean ceiling item reached by the groups, and only two test items were missed significantly more often by the language delayed White subjects than by the Black subjects.
It is postulated that factors which might influence PPVT results in the Black population, as well as the White population, are: 1) the mean level of education of the community; 2) the residential stability of the population; and 3) the regional area from which new residents migrate.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:pdx.edu/oai:pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu:open_access_etds-3129 |
| Date | 10 December 1974 |
| Creators | Cole, Kevin N. |
| Publisher | PDXScholar |
| Source Sets | Portland State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Dissertations and Theses |
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