TY - JOUR
T1 - Affective Cues and Processing Strategy
T2 - Color-Coded Examination Forms Influence Performance
AU - Sinclair, Robert C.
AU - Soldat, Alexander S.
AU - Mark, Melvin M.
PY - 1998/4
Y1 - 1998/4
N2 - We argue that external cues provide affective information that influences processing strategy and, therefore, examination performance. Participants completed 2 supposedly different forms of a midterm examination; in fact, randomly assigned participants completed identical midterm examinations printed on either red or blue paper. Blue paper led to superior performance, especially for difficult questions. We note a method for appropriately adjusting scores to control for form effects while maintaining percentile rankings within and across forms. We discuss implications for test administration, examination form effects, and adjustment of scores.
AB - We argue that external cues provide affective information that influences processing strategy and, therefore, examination performance. Participants completed 2 supposedly different forms of a midterm examination; in fact, randomly assigned participants completed identical midterm examinations printed on either red or blue paper. Blue paper led to superior performance, especially for difficult questions. We note a method for appropriately adjusting scores to control for form effects while maintaining percentile rankings within and across forms. We discuss implications for test administration, examination form effects, and adjustment of scores.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032378752&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0032378752&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1207/s15328023top2502_14
DO - 10.1207/s15328023top2502_14
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0032378752
SN - 0098-6283
VL - 25
SP - 130
EP - 132
JO - Teaching of Psychology
JF - Teaching of Psychology
IS - 2
ER -