The Effects of Feedback from Aptitude Tests in College Courses on Students’ Academic Self-Perceptions and Planning

Shaffer, Emma

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

The Effects of Feedback from Aptitude Tests in College Courses on Students’ Academic Self-Perceptions and Planning Public Deposited

Analytics

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/5712m826x

Abstract

It is well documented that there are gender disparities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Problems with self-efficacy and belonging are established as potential causes of this gap. Previous literature demonstrated that low self-efficacy correlated with high procrastination and, thus, performance. Therefore, it was hypothesized that manipulating feedback on an aptitude test would cause changes in self-efficacy and expected procrastination in undergraduate students. Four hundred eighty-one undergraduate students at the University of Colorado Boulder were recruited and took an aptitude test for a hypothetical class, received manipulated feedback, saw a syllabus for that class, and then answered questions about expected procrastination, self-efficacy, belonging, expected effort, and anticipated grade. Contrary to the hypothesis, results indicated that negative feedback decreased expected procrastination. Further, expected effort mediated the relationship between feedback condition and procrastination, such that participants who received negative feedback on the aptitude test expected greater effort in the class and then planned to procrastinate less. It was also found that students experienced low self-efficacy and belonging in response to negative feedback, but positive feedback did not boost self-efficacy or belonging as compared to no feedback. These effects were amplified in women. Further research in an ecologically valid environment is necessary to affirm the present study’s findings, such as an intervention to remove feedback from aptitude tests administered by professors before they teach course material. This could boost self-efficacy and belonging for students starting with less knowledge of the material, without negatively impacting students who are familiar with the material.

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