Understanding Pretest and Posttest Reactions to Cognitive Ability and Personality Tests

• Published in: Journal of applied psychology Vol. 83; no. 3; pp. 471 - 485
• Main Authors: Chan, David, Schmitt, Neal, Sacco, Joshua M, DeShon, Richard P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-06-1998; American Psychological Association, etc
• Subjects: Ability tests; Attitudes; Biological and medical sciences; Candidates; Cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Cognition - physiology; Cognitive ability; Cognitive ability tests; Cognitive Assessment; Effects; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Humans; Male; Occupational psychology; Personality; Personality Assessment; Personality Measures; Personality tests; Personnel selection; Psychological tests; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychometrics; Responses c Understanding; Statistical analysis; Studies; Test Performance; Test Taking; Tests; United States > US; Belief; Human; Occupational selection; Personality test; Attitude; Psychometrics; Cognition; Intelligence test; Performance; Reaction
• ISSN: 0021-9010; 1939-1854
• DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.83.3.471

To understand the nature of test reactions and their relationship to test performance, the relationships among belief in tests, pretest reactions, test performance, and posttest reactions were modeled for cognitive ability and personality tests. Results from structural equation models that were fitted to responses from 197 undergraduate examinees supported the hypothesized relationships. On the cognitive ability test, pretest reactions affected test performance and mediated the relationship between belief in tests and test performance. Test performance affected posttest reactions even after taking into account the effect of pretest reactions. On the personality test, belief in tests affected pretest and posttest reactions, but the three variables were unrelated to test performance (Conscientiousness scores). Conceptual, methodological, and practical implications of the findings are discussed in the context of research on test reactions and test performance.