Introductory Psychology is a popular course at this university, attended by psychology majors as well as non-majors. Participants were 193 students from two sections of an introductory psychology course at Michigan State University, taught by two different instructors (authors of this article). Along with having the opportunity for ACT preparation, students who attend top high schools may also develop stronger study skills than other students. This may be especially true for non-core subjects such as psychology, which is not taught at all high schools. For example, students who attend elite, well-funded high schools may have intensive ACT preparation and may also have had the opportunity to take a wider range of courses, leading to higher levels of motivation, interest, and pre-course knowledge for various subjects once they enter college, compared to students from other high schools. 2006).Īny (or all) of the preceding factors may covary with ACT scores.
2002), while prior knowledge of a topic facilitates new learning by providing a structure for comprehending and integrating new information about that topic ( Hambrick et al. Motivation to succeed in a course and interest in its content predict a range of behaviors related to success such as studying, paying attention in class, taking notes, etc. We also considered course-specific factors: motivation, interest, pre-course knowledge, and studying. These personality and character traits could influence performance in any academic course (for reviews, see Trapmann et al. 2004), whereas grit is defined as persistence toward long-term goals ( Duckworth and Gross 2014). Self-control refers to the capacity to interrupt and override undesirable behaviors ( Tangney et al. We also considered two “character” traits. Conscientiousness (C) is characterized by need for achievement and commitment to work ( Costa and McCrae 1992), and openness (O) by a tendency to seek out new experiences ( McCrae and Costa 1997). Here, using performance in a single course, Introductory Psychology, we tested Coyle and Pillow’s ( 2008) hypothesis, focusing on personality traits that have been shown to correlate with academic performance. If g does not explain the predictive validity of college entrance exams, what does? Coyle and Pillow ( 2008) suggested that, in addition to scholastic skills, these tests may capture personality traits that relate to academic performance. For example, earning a 4.0 in introductory physics probably requires a higher level of cognitive ability than a 4.0 in introductory psychology. GPA can be difficult to interpret across individuals who have taken different courses. The outcome variable in their studies was college GPA rather than grade in a single course. In fact, in 3 of 4 models, the non- g effects were similar in magnitude to the zero-order correlations of SAT and ACT with GPA, indicating g played a somewhat minor role in explaining the relationship between scores on the tests and GPA.īefore proceeding, we note one limitation of Coyle and Pillow’s investigation. Specifically, with a latent g factor comprising either test and independent measures of cognitive ability (e.g., Wonderlic scores), residual terms for SAT and ACT, reflecting non- g variance, positively predicted GPA.
92), the tests predicted GPA after statistically controlling for g. In both university and nationally representative samples, Coyle and Pillow ( 2008) found that although both the SAT and ACT were highly g loaded (factor loadings =. 77 between ACT scores and a g factor extracted from the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (see also Frey and Detterman 2004).Īs much sense as this g hypothesis makes, it may not be entirely correct. For example, in a sample of 1075 college students, Koenig et al. After all, the ACT and SAT are themselves tests of cognitive ability, and scores on the tests correlate highly with independent estimates of g. What explains this predictive validity? The most obvious possibility is general intelligence-or psychometric “ g”-which is highly predictive of academic performance ( Deary et al. 30–.50 range ( Kuncel and Hezlett 2007 Sackett et al. Correlations between scores on the tests and college grade point average (GPA) are typically in the. Nevertheless, the SAT and ACT yield scores that predict performance in the college classroom. More recently, policy changes have followed suit, with some universities abolishing the use of standardized test scores in admissions ( Lorin 2022). Writing in the New York Times, the academic Jennifer Finney Boylan ( 2014) called the use of the SAT to make college admissions decisions a “national scandal”. colleges and universities take the SAT and/or ACT.
Every year, millions of high school students seeking admission to U.S.
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