Wahyu Widhiarso
Abstract
This study expands upon previous investigations regarding factors that affect individual ability to provide accurate responses via self-report measures. Specifically, the present study investigated the relationship between cognitive ability and response inaccuracy (aberrance), the hypothesis being that response inaccuracy on personality self-report was affected by cognitive ability. Cognitive abilities were measured using the Intelligence Structure Test; IST-70 and self-report accuracy was measured using the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI). Both instruments were administered to 11th and 12nd-grade students from 14 schools in Indonesia (N = 1,674). The W-statistic, a person-fit statistic in Rasch modeling, was employed to identify inaccurate response patterns on the CSEI. Logistic regression showed significant effects for cognitive and verbal abilities on individual response accuracy on the CSEI: individuals with higher cognitive abilities were more likely to produce accurate responses than those with lower cognitive abilities. In addition, the consistency of individual response accuracy ranged from low to high depending the characteristics of the specific item. Respondents demonstrated high consistency in their ability to give accurate responses within the same measurement for similar items.
Keywords: Cognitive abilities; Person-fit statistic; Accurate responses