Three experiments were conducted with college psychology students to determine whether the use of filler items in Rotter's I-E scale fulfills its stated objective of obscuring the purpose of the scale. Fillers didn't effect I-E scores, impede subjects from faking good, or obscure knowledge of the scale. (Author/DEP)

Longitudinal studies of test wiseness (TW) investigated: (1) the relationship between TW and grade level; (2) the relationship between TW and sex; and (3) the stability of TW. Results indicated that TW was somewhat stable over the intervals observed. No sex effects and no sex by year interactions were found. (Author/GD C)

A study was conducted to isolate monitoring of test performance from other forms of monitoring and determine the effect of taking a test on expectations about performance. Results were consistent with claims that developmental changes in self-regulation could be tied to developmental changes in monitoring of performance and predicting performance.…

The assumption that the more able student can recognize a correct answer in a multiple choice situation more quickly than the less able student leads to the prediction that higher scores would be associated with shorter test-taking time. Research investigating this prediction have yielded mixed results, suggesting the need to examine other…

Test wiseness was examined with respect to grade differences, grade by sex interaction, and stability. Stem-options, similar-options, and specific-determiners were included. Results indicated significant increases on test wiseness in four of five cases, no sex by grade interaction, and test wiseness as a stable characteristic over the grade levels…

Research on the emergence of sex differences in spatial ability during early adolescence prompted a meta-analysis of 172 spatial ability studies conducted since 1974. The meta-analysis confirmed that there are actually several spatial abilities, that some types of spatial ability show marked sex differences while others show none, and that spatial…

The impact of answer changing on the test scores of students studying educational statistics is investigated. The results show that students who make changes in their original responses significantly improve their overall test performance, and high-scoring students make a greater number of changes than low-scoring students. (Author/GSK)

A total of 108 eleventh and twelfth graders were given a strategy questionnaire and sample Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) math items in an attempt to explain gender differences on this test. Results showed that, although male students performed better on the SAT math items, prior knowledge and strategies explained nearly 50% of the variance. (MDM)

The purpose of this study was to obtain information on both the number of individuals who retest and their patterns of score gain (or decrement) by sex and ability. Individuals who retested only once were found to gain about 26-27 points on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) verbal test and about 23 points on the GRE quantitative test. This…

In order to assess the validity of the technique employed in selecting items for the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI), 58 male and 62 female undergraduates took the BSRI under three different sets of instructions. The results support Bem's assertions that the scales are consistent with widely held sex-role stereotypes. (Author/CTM)

Reports an analyses of ratings on Bayley's Infant Behavior Record and test scores from the Bayley Mental Scale for 60 female and 50 male infants at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of age. Results are discussed in terms of rank-order correlations, behavioral composite scores and study implications. (Author/SDH)

Effects of item arrangement (easy-hard, uniform, and random), test anxiety, and sex on a 48-item multiple-choice mathematics test assembled from items of the American College Testing Program and taken by motivated upper level undergraduates and beginning graduate students were investigated. Four measures of anxiety were used: the Achievement Test…

Prior research with the Professional and Career Administrative Examination (PACE), a multiple abilities test battery for federal candidates, demonstrated practice effects (score gains) on alternate forms of the test parts within one administration of the battery. These effects were largest for those abilities including item types constructed…

Repeated exposure to tests composed of memory items was compared to repeated exposure to tests including higher-level cognitive items and to tests composed of both item types. Other design factors were sex, ability level, subject matter sequence (science and social studies), and learning session. (A sample of 2008 eleventh-grade students…

The effects of incentive conditions on the results of a confidence test were investigated. Two hundred thirty high school subjects were administered a very difficult confidence scored test under two conditions: 1) that the test would count heavily on their grades (incentive condition) and 2) that the test was for research purposes and would not be…