Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-h6jzd Total loading time: 0.001 Render date: 2025-02-27T02:37:58.559Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Validity of a Persistence Test

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2025

John W. French
John W. French*
Affiliation:
Educational Testing Service
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In order to raise the predictive efficiency of its college entrance test battery, the Educational Testing Service is working on the development of non-academic measures to supplement the standard aptitude and achievement examinations. A test of difficult number series problems was set up to measure persistence by tempting the students to give up early; the students were informed that some of the problems had no solution, and that full credit would be received by so marking them. This test was tried out and found to have some correlation with grades, while having no correlation with the other tests. Adding this test to the battery showed an appreciable rise in the battery's multiple correlation with grades.

Type
Original Paper
Information
Psychometrika , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , December 1948 , pp. 271 - 277
Copyright
Copyright © 1948 The Psychometric Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Howells, T. H. An experimental study of persistence. J. abnorm. soc. Psychol., 1933, 28, 14–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryans, D. G. A study of the observed relationship between persistence test results, intelligence indices, and academic success. J. educ. Psychol., 1938, 29, 573–580.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rethlingshafer, D. The relation of tests of persistence to other measures of continuance of action. J. abnorm. soc. Psychol., 1942, 37, 71–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryans, D. G. The measuring of persistence. J. gen Psychol., 1938, 19, 79–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thornton, G. R. A factor analysis of tests designed to measure persistence. Psychol. Monog., 1939, 51(229), 42–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar