scholarly journals The Role of Non-Cognitive Factors in the SAT Remains Unclear: A Commentary on Hannon (2019)

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Andrew R. A. Conway ◽  
Han Hao
Keyword(s):  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Hispanic Students ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Sufficient Evidence ◽  
European American ◽  
American Students ◽  
Multiple Issues ◽  
The Impact

In the current issue of the Journal of Intelligence, Hannon (2019) reports a novel and intriguing pattern of results that could be interpreted as evidence that the SAT is biased against Hispanic students. Specifically, Hannon’s analyses suggest that non-cognitive factors, such as test anxiety, contribute to SAT performance and the impact of test anxiety on the SAT is stronger among Hispanic students than European-American students. Importantly, this pattern of results was observed after controlling for individual differences in cognitive abilities. We argue that there are multiple issues with Hannon’s investigation and interpretation. For instance, Hannon did not include an adequate number or variety of measures of cognitive ability. In addition, the measure of test anxiety was a retrospective self-report survey on evaluated anxiety rather than a direct measure of situational test anxiety associated with the SAT. Based on these and other observations, we conclude that Hannon’s current results do not provide sufficient evidence to suggest that non-cognitive factors play a significant role in the SAT or that they impact European-American and Hispanic students differently.

scholarly journals Not All Factors Contribute Equally to European-American and Hispanic Students’ SAT Scores

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Hannon
Keyword(s):  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Hispanic Students ◽  
Family Background ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Metacognitive Awareness ◽  
European American ◽  
Sat Scores ◽  
Background Factors ◽  
European Americans ◽  
American Students

This exploratory study shows that the contributions of cognitive, metacognitive awareness, performance avoidance, test anxiety, and socioeconomic family background factors to SAT scores (i.e., overall SAT, SAT-V, SAT-M) may vary as a function of ethnicity (i.e., European-American, Hispanic). Four hundred and fifty-seven students, 282 European-American and 175 Hispanic, completed multiple measures of cognitive, metacognitive awareness, social/personality (i.e., test anxiety, performance avoidance, academic self-efficacy), and socioeconomic family background factors, which were used in regression analyses predicting overall SAT, SAT-V, and SAT-M scores. The results show that most factors contributed significantly to overall SAT, SAT-M, and SAT-V scores. In addition, the ethnicity X test anxiety interaction was significant for all three SAT measures, a finding that suggests ethnic differences in the contributions of test anxiety to overall SAT, SAT-M, and SAT-V scores. For European-American students, test anxiety had no influence on overall SAT and SAT-M scores, whereas for Hispanic students test anxiety had a negative influence on overall SAT and SAT-M scores. For SAT-V scores, interpreting the ethnicity X test anxiety interaction was more complicated because both the significant main effect of test anxiety and the ethnicity X test anxiety interaction must be interpreted together. Whereas test anxiety negatively influenced European-Americans’ SAT-V scores, this negative influence was less than the influence it had on Hispanic students’ SAT-V scores. Indeed, for Hispanic students with high test anxiety, this negative influence was profound. Taken as a whole, these results suggest that any theory explaining the SAT may need to take into account multiple predictors as well as the possibility that the contributions of these predictors may vary as a function of ethnicity.

Electromyographic Response to Evaluative Stress in Test Anxiety

1982 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-416
Author(s):  
Richard L. Hughes ◽  
Dickie A. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Performance Measures ◽  
Muscle Tension ◽  
Tracking Task ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Tracking Performance ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Frontalis Muscle ◽  
Relative Success

High and low test-anxious subjects performed a challenging tracking task after receiving instructions designed to maximize or minimize their evaluative apprehension. Electromyographic measures of frontalis muscle tension were recorded during the task. Actual tracking performance, subjective tension, and estimates of relative success on the task were also assessed. There were no statistically significant differences between high and low test-anxious subjects on either the physiological or the performance measures. There were, however, significant differences on the two self-report measures, suggesting a primary role for cognitive factors in test anxiety. Highly test-anxious subjects described themselves as more tense, and they more harshly evaluated their own performance.

The Stereotype Threat Effect

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Moritz ◽  
Insa Happach ◽  
Karla Spirandelli ◽  
Tania M. Lincoln ◽  
Fabrice Berna
Keyword(s):  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Neuropsychological Performance ◽  
Neurocognitive Deficits ◽  
Online Study ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Threat Effect ◽  
Efficacy Expectations ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Neurocognitive deficits in patients with mental disorders are partially due to secondary influences. “Stereotype threat” denotes the phenomenon that performance is compromised when a participant is confronted with a devaluing stereotype. The present study examined the impact of stereotype threat on neuropsychological performance in schizophrenia. Seventy-seven participants with a self-reported diagnosis of schizophrenia were randomly assigned to either an experimental condition involving stereotype threat activation or a control condition in an online study. Participants completed memory and attention tests as well as questionnaires on motivation, self-efficacy expectations, cognitive complaints, and self-stigmatization. Contrary to our prediction, the two groups showed no significant differences regarding neuropsychological performance and self-report measures. Limitations, such as a possibly too weak threat cue, are discussed and recommendations for future studies are outlined.

Research Participation Experiences of Informants of Suicide and Control Cases

Crisis ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 238-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W. C. Wong ◽  
Wincy S. C. Chan ◽  
Philip S. L. Beh ◽  
Fiona W. S. Yau ◽  
Paul S. F. Yip ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Research Participation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Initial Contact ◽  
Psychological Autopsy ◽  
Autopsy Study ◽  
The People ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Background: Ethical issues have been raised about using the psychological autopsy approach in the study of suicide. The impact on informants of control cases who participated in case-control psychological autopsy studies has not been investigated. Aims: (1) To investigate whether informants of suicide cases recruited by two approaches (coroners’ court and public mortuaries) respond differently to the initial contact by the research team. (2) To explore the reactions, reasons for participation, and comments of both the informants of suicide and control cases to psychological autopsy interviews. (3) To investigate the impact of the interviews on informants of suicide cases about a month after the interviews. Methods: A self-report questionnaire was used for the informants of both suicide and control cases. Telephone follow-up interviews were conducted with the informants of suicide cases. Results: The majority of the informants of suicide cases, regardless of the initial route of contact, as well as the control cases were positive about being approached to take part in the study. A minority of informants of suicide and control cases found the experience of talking about their family member to be more upsetting than expected. The telephone follow-up interviews showed that none of the informants of suicide cases reported being distressed by the psychological autopsy interviews. Limitations: The acceptance rate for our original psychological autopsy study was modest. Conclusions: The findings of this study are useful for future participants and researchers in measuring the potential benefits and risks of participating in similar sensitive research. Psychological autopsy interviews may be utilized as an active engagement approach to reach out to the people bereaved by suicide, especially in places where the postvention work is underdeveloped.

The Impact of Neurotherapy on College Students' Cognitive Abilities and Emotions

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista K. Fritson ◽  
Theresa A. Wadkins ◽  
Pat Gerdes ◽  
David Hof
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
The Impact

The Impact of Mobile Gadget in EFL Learning: Perceptions of EFL Undergraduates

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Imam - Fauzi
Keyword(s):  
Self Report ◽  
Fourth Generation ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Advanced Country ◽  
Innovative Methods ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Efl Learning

AbstractMost of young people are enthusiasticin having the most recent mobile gadgets just to boast among their peers. They likely utilize them to make phone calls, take pictures, listen to songs, watch videos, or surf the internet access for learning or just entertainment. In a technologically advanced country like Indonesia, the third and fourth generation (3G, 4G) mobile devices are available at affordable prices, and people of all streams find it necessary to own a mobile gadget for connecting and communicating.  Moreover, it has become a common trend among undergraduates to carry a mobile gadget to the classroom as well.In this paper, the researcher emphasize the potential of mobile gadgets as a learning tool for students and have incorporated them into the learning environment.The present study examines the application of mobile gadgetin EFL learning and investigates the perceptions of EFL students about mobile gadget in learning activity.  A field study was conducted on thirty undergraduatestudents majoring in accounting study Serang Raya University.  The methodology of data collection included a self-report for students and teachers’ and students’ questionnaire. Findings of the research are significant for EFL teachers and researchers for introducing innovative methods and helpful materials for the English classroom.Keywords: Mobile gadget, students’ perception, teachers’ perception..

Friends from Home: Asset and Liability to African American Students Attending a Predominantly White Institution

NASPA Journal ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Guiffrida
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Predominantly White ◽  
Student Development ◽  
African American Students ◽  
Predominantly White Institution ◽  
Student Affairs Practitioners ◽  
Student Departure ◽  
American Students ◽  
The Impact

The importance of connections with peers to student development and retention has been highlighted in Astin's (1984) Theory of Student Involvement and Tinto's (1993) Theory of Student Departure, which are two of the most widely referenced and validated models in student affairs literature. However, recent research has questioned the applicability of these models to African American students who attend predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Although prior research has indicated that the models should be modified to recognize the importance of students’ relationships with their families, research has failed to understand the impact of relationships with friends from home. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the conditions under which friends from home were perceived as assets or liabilities to 99 African American undergraduates who attended a PWI. The results provide a link for broadening the applicability of Astin’s and Tinto's models and offer student affairs practitioners deeper insight into African American students' experiences at PWIs.

Test Anxiety in Potential First-Generation Students: A Longitudinal Examination of the Role of Psychological Needs

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-49
Author(s):  
Natalie Spadafora ◽  
Emily L. Murphy ◽  
Danielle S. Molnar ◽  
Dawn Zinga
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Test Anxiety ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Basic Psychological Needs ◽  
Self Report ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
School Students ◽  
Post Secondary

It is estimated that 15-22% of students have high levels of test anxiety (von der Embse, Jester, Roy, & Post, 2018), which can be associated with greater academic stress and poorer educational performance (e.g., Steinmayr, Crede, McElvany, & Withwein, 2016). First-generation students (where neither parent has completed post-secondary education) are a critical group to study given that they are at higher risk for poorer educational attainment and being unsuccessful at the post-secondary level. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the link between basic psychological needs and test anxiety in a sample of first-generation Ontario high school students across two points in time (N = 147;  Mage = 14.82, SD = 1.28). Self-report data was collected as a part of an on-going longitudinal study focusing on students attending a high school with specialized programming to enhance the transition to post-secondary institutions. Results from cross-lagged path analyses indicated that being older, female, and having higher levels of needs frustration significantly predicted higher levels of test anxiety over time within this sample. Our results highlight important educational implications, emphasizing the importance of fostering classroom environments where students perceive their psychological needs to be met, particularly within this unique population of students.

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