Publication Date

2004

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Finkelstein, Lisa M.

Degree Name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Legacy Department

Department of Psychology

LCSH

Mood (Psychology); Educational tests and measurements--Evaluation

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of mood on the production of Angoff cutoff score estimates. The Angoff method asks judges to estimate the probability that minimally competent persons could answer each item correctly on an examination. The effectiveness of Angoff estimates was assessed by examining the reliability (via generalizability theory) and accuracy of the Angoff judgments. The results indicated that mood does have a significant influence on Angoff judgments. Specifically, happy judges provided the most overconfident and generalizable cutoff scores compared to the sad and neutral judges. However, the happy judges provided the least accurate cutoff score judgments compared to the sad and neutral judges, who were both equally accurate in their judgments. Judge-total correlational analysis was also conducted and showed that this technique increased the reliability and accuracy of Angoff data. Post-task perceptions of the Angoff task indicated that the Angoff judges understood the task well and were moderately confident in their estimates, even though the task was perceived to be moderately difficult and somewhat typical and personally relevant. A content analysis of the thoughts listed by Angoff judges indicated that happy judges produced the smallest number of thoughts, sad judges produced the greatest number of thoughts, and neutral judges provided an intermediate number of thoughts. However, there was no difference between mood conditions on the categorizations of the Angoff judges' listed thoughts. The implications of the findings and future research were also addressed.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages [83]-88).

Extent

vi, 112 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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