Test-taking Effort Research Articles

Is the Rey 15-Item Memory Test II (Rey II) a Valid Symptom Validity Test?: Comparison with the TOMM

The Rey 15-Item Memory Test II (Rey II) is a revised version of the original Rey Memory Test and is used as a measure of test-taking effort. In the present study, the concurrent validity of the Rey II was examined by comparing Rey II test scores to a well-established measure of symptom validity, the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM). Retrospective chart review was conducted using the records of 60 veterans who were referred for outpatient neuropsychological testing and suspected of possible symptom exaggeration. Results of the study suggest that when compared to the TOMM, the Qualitative, as opposed to the Quantitative, scoring method of the Rey II was more discriminative, but showed both positive and negative predictive power that was unacceptably low, falling at .62 and .64, respectively. Clinical implications are discussed.

Predicting student achievement for low stakes tests with effort and task value

We investigated motivation for taking low stakes tests. Based on expectancy-value theory, we expected that the effect of student perceptions of three task values (interest, usefulness, and importance) on low stakes test performance would be mediated by the student’s reported effort. We hypothesized that all three task value components would play a significant role in predicting test-taking effort, and that effort would significantly predict test performance. Participants were 1005 undergraduate students enrolled at four midsize public universities. After students took all four subtests of CBASE, a standardized general education exam, they immediately filled out a motivation survey. Path analyses showed that the task value variables usefulness and importance significantly predicted test-taking effort and performance for all four tests. These results provide evidence that students who report trying hard on low stakes tests score higher than those who do not. The results indicate that if students do not perceive importance or usefulness of an exam, their effort suffers and so does their test score. While the data are correlational, they suggest that it might be useful for test administrators and school staff to communicate to students the importance and usefulness of the test that they are being asked to complete.

Cogniform Disorder and Cogniform Condition: Proposed diagnoses for excessive cognitive symptoms

In neuropsychological practice, individuals often present with evidence of excessive cognitive complaints or invalid test performances indicative of symptom exaggeration; however, clinicians often struggle with how to diagnose these cases once they have been identified. Difficulties in subsuming these individuals within existing DSM-IV diagnoses such as Malingering, Factitious Disorder, and Conversion Disorder are discussed, including: (a) lack of a diagnostic category that adequately targets the specific features of this relatively common condition and (b) the use of criteria that require the clinician to make judgments about internal states that are difficult to evaluate in an objective manner (e.g., intentional versus unintentional production of exaggerated symptoms). Two diagnostic categories – Cogniform Disorder and Cogniform Condition – are proposed as new subtypes of the Somatoform Disorders to encompass cases of excessive cognitive complaints and inadequate test-taking effort in the absence of sufficient evidence to diagnose Malingering. Of the two new categories, Cogniform Disorder is defined as a more pervasive form in which the individual tends to exhibit the excessive cognitive symptoms in widespread areas of his or her life, thereby suggesting a conversion-like adoption of the sick role manifested primarily as cognitive dysfunction. Guidelines for improving the evidence-based diagnosis of these cases, particularly with regards to criteria related to intentionality, secondary gain, and sick role factors, are also discussed.

Response Time Effort: A New Measure of Examinee Motivation in Computer-Based Tests

When low-stakes assessments are administered, the degree to which examinees give their best effort is often unclear, complicating the validity and interpretation of the resulting test scores. This study introduces a new method, based on item response time, for measuring examinee test-taking effort on computer-based test items. This measure, termed response time effort (RTE), is based on the hypothesis that when administered an item, unmotivated examinees will answer too quickly (i.e., before they have time to read and fully consider the item). Psychometric characteristics of RTE scores were empirically investigated and supportive evidence for score reliability and validity was found. Potential applications of RTE scores and their implications are discussed.

Is cooperation testing necessary? An archival study of variables associated with test-taking effort

Is cooperation testing necessary? An archival study of variables associated with test-taking effort

Is cooperation testing necessary? An archival study of variables associated with test-taking effort

Is cooperation testing necessary? An archival study of variables associated with test-taking effort