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National Longitudinal Survey of Mature and Young Women (NLSW)

Aptitude, Achievement & Intelligence Scores (Young Women Cohort)

Various aptitude and intelligence test scores (R00603.00-R00610.00) were collected during the Young Women's 1968 school survey. This survey was designed primarily to gather information on respondents' academic performance and on the characteristics of the secondary school most recently attended by respondents. Part of the survey collected information on the respondent's scores on the most recent scholastic aptitude or intelligence tests taken. A created composite score combines the results from such tests as the Otis/Beta/Gamma, the California Test of Mental Maturity, and the Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Test, as well as the PSAT, SAT, and ACT college entrance examinations. The composite score is referred to as the 'IQ Score' (R00603.00) as described in the appendix to Kohen, 1973 (see Codebook Supplement). Table YW1 lists each test and the number of respondents for whom data are available. Additional information on this survey can be found in the High School Survey & College Information section of this guide.

Table YW1. Aptitude & Intelligence Tests: School Survey

Aptitude/Intelligence Test (R00610.00) Code Category # of Respondents
with Scores
American College Testing Program (ACT/ACTP) 11 43
California Test of Maturity (CTMM/CMM) 2 640
Differential Aptitude Test (DAT) 9 70
Henmon-Nelson Test (HNTMA) 4 178
Iowa Test of Educational Development (ITED) 8 114
Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Test 3 221
National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) 12 17
Otis/Beta/Gamma 1 790
Preliminary & Scholastic Aptitude Tests (PSAT/SAT/CEEB) 7 217
Primary Mental Ability Test (PMA/PMAT) 6 49
School and College Ability Test (SCAT) 10 182
Test of Educational Ability (TEA) 5 45

One assessment, an abbreviated version of the "Knowledge of the World of Work" scale, was directly administered to the Young Women in 1969. This set of questions (R01105.00-R01114.00) asked respondents to pick one of three statements that best described the duties of each of ten jobs commonly held by women. A total score (R01391.00) was calculated by awarding one point for each correct answer.

Survey Instruments & Documentation Survey Instruments & Documentation: A separate instrument called the Survey of Work Experience of Young Men and Women School Survey (1968) collected the school information. Appendix 9 (PDF) in the Codebook Supplement contains useful background information on the 1968 school survey and details certain variable creation procedures. The "Knowledge of the World of Work" scale was administered in the "Knowledge of the World of Work" section of the 1969 questionnaire. Similar versions of the "Knowledge of the World of Work" scale were administered to the Young Men in 1966 and to the NLSY79 in 1979.

Important information about IQ scores

IQ scores were constructed from school records using scores from the tests available; see R00603.00 and Appendix 9 (Kohen 1973) in the Codebook Supplement. While there may be psychometric problems in constructing an IQ measure from a variety of test forms, these constructed variables were designed to keep the user who wishes to construct a unified score from having to repeat the work involved in pooling scores.

References

Kohen, Andrew I. "Determinants of Early Labor Market Success among Young Men: Race, Ability, Quantity and Quality of Schooling." Ph.D. Dissertation, The Ohio State University, 1973.

Light, Audrey. "Notes on the NLS Schooling Data." Columbus, OH: CHRR, The Ohio State University, 1995.