Are Speeded Tests Unfair? Modeling the Impact of Time Limits on the Gender Gap in Mathematics

Autor/inn/en	Stoevenbelt, Andrea H.; Wicherts, Jelte M.; Flore, Paulette C.; Phillips, Lorraine A. T.; Pietschnig, Jakob; Verschuere, Bruno; Voracek, Martin; Schwabe, Inga
Titel	Are Speeded Tests Unfair? Modeling the Impact of Time Limits on the Gender Gap in Mathematics
Quelle	In: Educational and Psychological Measurement, 83 (2023) 4, S.684-709 (26 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Stoevenbelt, Andrea H.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0013-1644
DOI	10.1177/00131644221111076
Schlagwörter	Timed Tests; Gender Differences; Item Response Theory; Correlation; Test Validity; Test Reliability; Scores; Test Wiseness; Sex Stereotypes; Bayesian Statistics; Mathematics Tests; Mathematics Skills; High School Students; Undergraduate Students; Foreign Countries; Netherlands + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Geschlechterkonflikt; Item-Response-Theorie; Korrelation; Testvalidität; Testreliabilität; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematics ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Ausland; Niederlande
Abstract	When cognitive and educational tests are administered under time limits, tests may become speeded and this may affect the reliability and validity of the resulting test scores. Prior research has shown that time limits may create or enlarge gender gaps in cognitive and academic testing. On average, women complete fewer items than men when a test is administered with a strict time limit, whereas gender gaps are frequently reduced when time limits are relaxed. In this study, we propose that gender differences in test strategy might inflate gender gaps favoring men, and relate test strategy to stereotype threat effects under which women underperform due to the pressure of negative stereotypes about their performance. First, we applied a Bayesian two-dimensional item response theory (IRT) model to data obtained from two registered reports that investigated stereotype threat in mathematics, and estimated the latent correlation between underlying test strategy (here, completion factor, a proxy for working speed) and mathematics ability. Second, we tested the gender gap and assessed potential effects of stereotype threat on female test performance. We found a positive correlation between the completion factor and mathematics ability, such that more able participants dropped out later in the test. We did not observe a stereotype threat effect but found larger gender differences on the latent completion factor than on latent mathematical ability, suggesting that test strategies affect the gender gap in timed mathematics performance. We argue that if the effect of time limits on tests is not taken into account, this may lead to test unfairness and biased group comparisons, and urge researchers to consider these effects in either their analyses or study planning. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01