Internet testing: A natural experiment reveals test score inflation on a high-stakes, unproctored cognitive test

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2009.01.011 Byline: Jane Carstairs (a), Brett Myors (b) Keywords: Internet usage; Cognitive assessment; Achievement measures; Cheating; Educational measurement Abstract: A natural experiment is reported in which the performance of two cohorts of undergraduate students on identical tests of cognitive achievement is compared under differing conditions of proctoring and modes of administration, total N =302. Between-subjects and within-subjects analyses reveal clear effects of test score inflation in the unproctored conditions compared with formal, proctored, examination conditions. These results caution against the use of unproctored cognitive testing in high-stakes situations, including on-line assessment. Author Affiliation: (a) Psychology Department, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV1 1LY, United Kingdom (b) School of Psychology, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4160, Australia