The Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA) of the APA had concluded that after the publication of The Bell Curve (1994) and the following debate that there were "serious misunderstandings" and "that there was urgent need for an authoritative report on these issues—one that all sides could use as a basis for discussion".
After the release of "The Bell Curve" (1994) and subsequent discussions, the APA's Scientific Affairs Board (BSA) recognized the need for a comprehensive report addressing the issues raised in order to provide a common ground for dialogue between different perspectives.