Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 October 2025
How far have we come? What strategies will most likely aid in achieving our goals? What evidence must be gathered to go further? We have focused in the book on how tests provide valuable information when making decisions about who to admit, who to hire, who to license, who to award scholarships to, and so on. Given limited resources, efficiency in selection should be essential. However, tests used for these purposes also reveal race and sex differences that conflict with society’s desire for fairness. How do we make policies and decisions so as to maximize efficiency while also minimizing adverse impact? There is no statistical solution to this problem. We suggest an approach that will get us closer to an acceptable solution than where we currently stand. A first step is to gather all relevant data so that any selection policy can be evaluated as to both kinds of errors. Second, make such data publicly available so that all interested parties can have access and everything is transparent. As mentioned previously, numerous times such data are not made available due to a fear of criticism. Third, causal connections between policies and outcomes should be established. Finally, if considerations other than merit are important, those arguments should be made public and modifications examined to measure the impact of policy adjustments.
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