Advantages and Disadvantages of Separate Norms for African Americans

Limitations of neuropsychological measures and normative data are exposed as use of these measures among culturally and linguistically different people expands in clinical and research settings. Several different tactics to solve the problem of poor specificity of cognitive measures among ethnic minorities have emerged in the literature; however, the development of separate racial/ethnic group norms has been the predominant approach. This commentary addresses the advantages and disadvantages of establishing separate norms for African Americans. Another approach, involving the deconstruction of race and education, may help to clarify the independent influences of race, culture, quality of education, and socioeconomic status on cognition and neuropsychological test performance.