Test Administration Procedures and Their Relationships With Effort and Performance on a College Outcomes Test

• In Event: Measuring College-Level Skills

Abstract

Motivation to perform well on a test is a potentially problematic source of construct-irrelevant variance, especially when there are no stakes attached to performance. This study examines the associations between test administration procedures, students’ self-reported effort, and performance on the Collegiate Learning Assessment, a test of college students’ critical-thinking and writing skills. Results showed that financial and performance-based incentives were positively associated with testing effort and performance. In contrast, mandatory testing was associated with depressed effort and performance. Thus, institutions should solicit student volunteers and offer financial or performance-based incentives for low-stakes testing in order to support the validity of test score interpretations.

Authors

• Jeffrey T. Steedle, Pearson

• Doris Zahner, Council for Aid to Education

• Heather Kugelmass, Princeton University