Testwiseness: Some Evidence for the Effect of Personality Testing on Subsequent Test Results

Abstract

The assumption is presented of the test-taker as a hypothesis-generating organism who can become "testwise." Testwiseness is defined as a stable skill, acquired by test-taking experiences, by which an individual can make test responses conform to a desired response pattern. Forty-three college students completed two forms of The Personality Research Form (PRF) and a rank ordering of their predicted personality need pattern. Results show significantly higher correlations of PRF predictions in the second administration. Analyses show PRF profiles, not predictions, to have been modified. Furthermore, high testwise subjects had higher needs for Understanding and Nurturance, and lower needs for Aggression and Defendence than low testwise persons. The importance of considering testwiseness, given trends in society encouraging access to psychological records, is discussed.