A Behavioral Anchoring Analysis of Three ESL Reading Comprehension Tests

Abstract

This article reports the results of a behavioral anchoring analysis of three ESL reading comprehension tests. For each test, anchor points on a continuum of ability level were selected for analysis. Items that discriminated between adjacent anchor points were batched and analyzed in terms of their relation to the structure of the text, the reader's prior knowledge, and the cognitive processes required to answer the question. The results indicated that for each of three proficiency levels (Levels 2, 3, and 4), the higher ability students could comprehend micropropositions, whereas the lower ability students could not. The higher ability students at Levels 3 and 4 could comprehend questions whose sources of information were implicit, whereas the lower ability students at these levels could not. Higher ability students and lower ability students at all proficiency levels showed competence with linguistic structures that related parts of the text. And finally, the derivational complexity and the readability levels of the texts covaried with an increase in proficiency level.