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Dissertation Information for Gary G. Cornwell

NAME:
- Gary G. Cornwell

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Psychology

SCHOOL:
- University of South Florida (USA) (1983)

ADVISORS:
- None

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: TEST-WISENESS, TEST ANXIETY AND RACIAL BIAS IN EMPLOYMENT TESTING

Abstract: An attempt was made to explain the disparity in scores achieved by blacks and whites on multiple-choice employment tests by investigating the effects which test-wiseness and test-anxiety had upon test scores. Subjects were 210 applicants for employment in two jurisdictions: 151 subjects were applicants for social work positions at a state employment agency and 59 subjects were applicants for clerical positions at a city employment agency. After completing employment tests, applicants were given an experimental questionnaire containing a test-wiseness scale which could be answered using test-wiseness principles only, the Test Anxiety Inventory, and the Shipley-Institute of Living Scale, measuring vocabulary and abstract reasoning. Black applicants achieved significantly lower mean scores than whites on employment tests, the Shipley Scale, and the test-wiseness scale, and exhibited significantly higher levels of test anxiety than whites. However, there were no differences in perceived fairness or difficulty of employment tests. Test-wiseness was significantly related to employment test scores for both blacks (r = .259) and whites (r = .296). Test anxiety was significantly related to employment test scores for whites (r = -.213), but not for blacks (r = -.089). After partialling the variance due to intelligence from the correlations, test-wiseness and test anxiety were not significantly related to test scores for both blacks (r = .090, -.069, respectively) and whites (r = .013, -.044). There were no significant differences between black and white correlation coefficients for the test-wiseness - employment test correlations, nor for the test anxiety - employment test correlation, with or without intelligence partialled out. It is suggested that future research be directed at motivational, reinforcement, and developmental factors rather than test content and construction.

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