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Effects of race and socioeconomic status on the relative influence of education and literacy on cognitive functioning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2009

VONETTA M. DOTSON ,
MELISSA H. KITNER-TRIOLO ,
MICHELE K. EVANS  and
ALAN B. ZONDERMAN
VONETTA M. DOTSON*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Personality and Cognition, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
MELISSA H. KITNER-TRIOLO
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Personality and Cognition, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
MICHELE K. EVANS
Affiliation:
Clinical Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
ALAN B. ZONDERMAN
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Personality and Cognition, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland Clinical Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
*
*Correspondence and reprint requests to: Vonetta M. Dotson, Biomedical Research Center, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Suite 100, Room #04B316, Baltimore, Maryland 21224. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Previous research has shown that reading ability is a stronger predictor of cognitive functioning than years of education, particularly for African Americans. The current study was designed to determine whether the relative influence of literacy and education on cognitive abilities varies as a function of race or socioeconomic status (SES). We examined the unique influence of education and reading scores on a range of cognitive tests in low- and higher-SES African Americans and Whites. Literacy significantly predicted scores on all but one cognitive measure in both African American groups and low-SES Whites, while education was not significantly associated with any cognitive measure. In contrast, both education and reading scores predicted performance on many cognitive measures in higher-SES Whites. These findings provide further evidence that reading ability better predicts cognitive functioning than years of education and suggest that disadvantages associated with racial minority status and low SES affect the relative influence of literacy and years of education on cognition. (JINS, 2009, 15, 580–589.)

Keywords

ReadingIncomeDemographicsEthnicityNeuropsychological testingCognition
Type
Research Articles
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , July 2009 , pp. 580 - 589
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2009

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