TEST BIAS &

TEST FAIRNESS
Licang Melegrito Vizconde

INTRODUCTION

STATISTICAL
ANALYSES FOR TEST
BIAS

Examples

SAT

IQ Test

Philippine Case

Male vs. Female / NCR vs. Non-NCR (Philippine Aptitude

Classification Test (PACT)) (Gatchalian & Lantano)

Content-Related Biases

Cultural and Language Barriers

Biased items

Approaches used:

Purifying tests by experts

Identify types of items that discriminate against groups to avoid in the future

Differential Item Functioning (DIF) Analysis

Attitude:

There should be continuous scrutiny of test content to purge items that have potential
to be biased

Criterion-Related Sources of Bias

Identical Regression

Different Intercepts

Different Slopes

SUGGESTIONS FOR
SOLUTIONS

Suggestions for Solutions

(Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2001)

Ethical Concerns and the Definition of Test Bias

Finding New Interpretations of Data

Developing Different Criteria

I. Ethical Concerns and the Definition of

Test Bias

There are different views and definitions of test bias and

these definitions represent commitments to ethical
viewpoints about the way one should treat certain groups.

A. Three Ethical Positions

1.

Unqualified Individualism

2.

Quotas

3.

Qualified Individualism

Unqualified Individualism

Tests that selects most qualified individuals.

Indifferent to race or gender.

Goal: Predict who would perform best

Fair: It finds the best candidates for the job or for admission
to school regardless of biases.

Quota

Recognizes race and gender differences.

Fairshare process

Qualified Individualism

Compromise of quota and unqualified individualism

It selects the best qualified individuals while taking into consideration of

race, gender, or religion if it helps in predicting the performance on the
criterion.

In defense, failing to include group characteristics may lead to

differential accuracy in prediction: Overprediction or Underprediction

B. Different Models of Test Bias/Test

Fairness
1.

Regression

2.

Constant Ratio

3.

Cole/Darlington

4.

Quota

Regression
(Cleary, 1968)

This model represents unqualified individualism.

It is fair and unbiased in race and gender.

It ensures highest employee productivity because only

those with the highest estimated level of success/predicted
criterion scores are selected.

Constant Ratio
Thorndike (1971)

Under-prediction of Higher groups

Fair: It best reflects the potential of the lower scoring group

Cole/Darlington
Cole (1973), Darlington (1971, 1978)

Over-prediction of lower groups

Fair: It selects more potentially successful people from the

lower group

Quota

Predetermined proportion of people to be selected from

different groups

Fair: Members of different subgroups are selected based

on their proportions in the community

II. Finding New Interpretations of Data

Test developers and users must be stimulated to think

differently about the problem and see test results in new
ways.

Differential Process Theory: different strategies may lead to

effective solutions for many types of tasks. Strategies
mediate abilities and performance

III. Developing Different Criteria

Most standardized tests are evaluated against other

standardized tests.

Example: using an intelligence test, one may determine or

predict the performance of an individual on a standardized
achievement test.

Criterions for tests must be developed and analyzed to

what best fists or interpret the result.

CHANGING THE SOCIAL

ENVIRONMENT

If the biases and unfairness come from the social

environment such as views on race, gender and religion, it
must be more useful to change the social environment
rather than continuously bickering about the tests.

It is more useful than blaming the tests for a problem it did

not cause because it seems to be shortsighted and
nonproductive.