A Comparison of Listening Tests with Standardized Tests

Abstract

A NUMBER OF investigations have been conduct ed to determine relationships between listening tests and standardized tests (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7). How ever, these studies have sought to determine these relationships as a secondary por pose. Their pri mary purpose was the construction ofalistening test. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to study the listening ability of college fresh men by comparing the scores made on certain lis tening tests with the scores made on certain stand ard tests. This was done by comparing the results of listening tests with reading tests, by comparing the results of listening tests with academic aptitude and intelligence tests, by comparing the results of listening tests with grade point averages, by com paring group performances on existing tests of lis tening ability, and by comparing 1 i s t e n i ng ability with results of a measure of personality adjustment. Three listening tests were administered. These were the Brown-Carlson Listening Comprehension Test, Form Am; the Michigan State College Listen ing Test, Form HI; and the Stephens College Test of Listening Comprehension, Form A. Total scores on each of the three listening tests were compared with the sub-test scores of each of the following tests: the ACE Psychological Examina tion, College Level, 1954 Edition; the Cooperative English Test, C-2: Reading Comprehension, (High er Level), Form Y; the Otis Self-administering Tests of Mental Ability, Form A, 20 Minute Norms the Iowa Silent Reading Tests, New Edition, Form Am, (Revised); and the Thurstone Temperament Schedule. One hundred and ten students from the freshman class of Hope College, Holland, M i c higan, served as subjects for this investigation which was carried on during the school year 1955-1956. There were 62 men and 48 women. The students were divided into two groups. Group Aconsisted of students enrolled in the regular freshmen English classes. Group B consisted of students enrolled in the reading improvement course, l? a student happened to be a member of an English class chosen for test ing and was also enrolled in the reading improve ment course, his test data was included in Group B. Each of the groups were further divided accor ding to sex. Raw scores were used as t he basis for all sta tistical computations. Coefficients of corre 1 a t i o n were calculated by means of the Spearman rank dif ferences formula. The table includes coefficients of correlation be tween the three listening tests and five standardized tests. According to these data it appears that the Brown-Carlson test is the most satisfactory of the tests of listening for use with men in Group A. The test seemed to differentiate the members of the