| Abstract: | Hypothesized that multiple-choice exams load higher on Level II ability (g) than on Level I ability (rote memory). Study 1 confirmed this notion by correlating multiple-choice exams with the Cognitive Abilities Test, Nonverbal Battery (CAT; r?=?.35), an index of Level II, and the Forward Digit Span Test (FDS; r?=?.17), and index of Level I. Large racial differences were also found, with 20 Black and 31 Mexican American students scoring significantly lower than 85 White and 42 Asian students on multiple-choice exams and CAT but not on FDS. Study 2 showed that essay tests are more highly correlated with multiple-choice test (r?=?68) than either test score is with true–false tests (r?=?.37 and .39), and that 48 White and 18 Asian students scored significantly higher on essay and multiple choice than 30 Black students but did not differ from them on true–false. These results successfully extend A. R. Jensen's theory (1973) to the college classroom. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
