Abstract
Several studies showed that some groups of people reached better scores in intelligence tests than the others. The aim of our study was to clarify why Roma children underperformed in this type of test.
This question was solved using a dynamic testing approach (i.e., pretest, training phase, and retest) in two groups – Roma and Czech children. Czech children were more successful both at pretest and retest.
In contrast, the level of improvement (i.e., retest minus pretest) was significantly higher in the group of Roma children. Thus, an innate cognitive inferiority cannot explain the poorer results of the Roma children; rather, the results seem to reflect other factors, such as socio-cultural background.
In summary, Roma children did not realize the potential in the zone of the proximal development. The results of studies which compared the scores in intelligence test between groups of people comes from different background must be considered within scope of specific socio-cultural background of the participants.