Bias Research in The Netherlands: Review and Implications

Abstract

Summary: A comprehensive review of the research on test bias against immigrant children and job applicants in The Netherlands from 1984 to 1999 is provided. Immigrants are mainly from Surinam, The Netherlands Antilles, Morocco, and Turkey. The emphasis is on empirical studies, using tests of intelligence, personality, and elementary cognitive tasks. The data show that tests can be used within culturally homogeneous groups and can be used rather well for comparisons between immigrants and majority group members; analyses of internal bias show that tests strongly measure the same dimensions and that the proportion of biased items is small; analyses of prediction bias show only little differential prediction. So, there is test bias, but its effects are not strong. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.