Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
06:58
Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing
Published on: January 24, 2020
Race-related cognitive test bias in the active study: a mimic model approach
Adrienne T Aiken Morgan1, Michael Marsiske, Joseph M Dzierzewski
1Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0165, USA.
Experimental Aging Research
|September 17, 2010
Summary
This study examined race-related test bias in cognitive assessments for the ACTIVE trial. Findings suggest minimal evidence of bias, with most performance differences attributed to construct-level variations rather than specific tests.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Psychometrics
- Clinical trial methodology
Background:
- Previous research indicates test bias against African Americans in cognitive studies.
- Cognitive aging and early life span studies have documented such disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate race-related test bias in cognitive measures within the ACTIVE clinical trial baseline assessment.
- To determine if specific cognitive tests disadvantage or advantage particular racial groups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) models to analyze cognitive test performance.
- Examined baseline assessments from the ACTIVE clinical trial.
Main Results:
- Significant mean performance differences were observed between racial groups.
- MIMIC models indicated most performance differences were at the construct level.
- Little evidence of specific measure-based test bias was found in this sample.
Conclusions:
- The study found minimal evidence of cognitive test bias in the ACTIVE trial sample.
- Observed differences were largely construct-level, not attributable to specific tests.
- Potential biases may have been attenuated by group differences in education, cognitive status, and health.
Related Concept Videos
02:55Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Humans are very diverse and although we share many similarities, we also have many differences. The social groups we belong to help form our identities (Tajfel, 1974). These differences may be difficult for some people to reconcile, which may lead to prejudice toward people who are different. Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling toward an individual based solely on one’s membership in a particular social group (Allport, 1954; Brown, 2010). Prejudice is common against people who are...
01:25Motivational Bias
Cognitive bias results from limitations in thinking and information processing, leading to systematic errors in judgment. Conversely, motivational bias stems from personal desires or emotions, causing distortions in perception to align with self-interest. Motivational bias influences how individuals perceive and attribute causes to events, often shaped by personal needs, goals, and self-esteem preservation. This bias can distort judgment, leading to inaccurate assessments of success, failure,...
01:31Confirmation Biases
The confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that is inconsistent with our expectations. For example, if you think that your professor is not very nice, you notice all of the instances of rude behavior exhibited by the professor while ignoring the countless pleasant interactions he is involved in on a daily basis. Have you ever fallen prey to the confirmation bias, either as the source or target of such bias?
01:13Nonconscious Mimicry
Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.
02:16Stereotype Content Model
The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence categorization, a person will feel...
01:12Hindsight Biases
Hindsight bias leads you to believe that the event you just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn’t. In other words, you knew all along that things would turn out the way they did. Can you relate this to the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20" now?