Effects of Item Arrangement, Sex of the Subject, and Test Anxiety on Cognitive and Self-Perception Scores in a Nonquantitative Content Area

Abstract

Previous research using an examination with a quantitative emphasis revealed a significant sex effect and an item arrangement x sex interaction for a cognitive variable (number right) and an item arrangement effect for self-perception scores pertaining to difficulty, fairness, and anticipated performance on the test. Scores representing number of items right and self-perceptions were analyzed for nonquantitative examination that was assembled into three forms: easy-hard, spiral cyclical, random. Multivariate ANCOVA revealed no significant effects (α = .05) for the cognitive measure. However, significant (α = .05) sex and sex x order effects were found for perceptions scores which were not parallel to those reported previously for a quantitative examination. Implications for the valid interpretation of test scores also are briefly discussed.