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Item Validity and Response Change Under Two Different Testing Conditions

Author(s):
Schultz, Douglas G.
Publication Year:
1952
Report Number:
RB-52-12
Source:
ETS Research Bulletin
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
14
Subject/Key Words:
College Applicants, College Freshmen, Item Analysis, Response Style (Tests), Social Desirability, Test Validity

Abstract

An attitude-interest inventory was administered to two successive freshman classes at a women's college, in one case shortly after the students had been admitted to college and in the other case as a part of the application procedure for admission. The average response change from the postadmission class to the preadmission class was computed for each item and plotted against the item validity for predicting freshman-grade performance relative to scholastic aptitude. The average item response change was also plotted against the change in item validity from one class to the other. There was only a very slight tendency for the largest item response changes in the direction indicated as desirable by the sign of the item validity coefficient to be associated with items of highest validity. No association was found between drop in item validity from one class to the other and change in mean item response.

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