Investigating factors related to score change at retest: Examining promotional assessments

Abstract

While research regarding retesting in the selection process is vast, there is limited research regarding retesting in promotion. Additionally, retesting on in-basket simulations and situational judgement tests is also lacking. This study sought to bridge these gaps in the literature, while also attempting to provide an explanation for the majority of findings that scores do increase at retest. Specifically, the current study assessed the effect of anxiety, motivation and information known on subsequent test scores. Data was collected from Tennessee Highway Patrol’s (THP) annual promotional process. Participants were approximately 451 THP officers who were eligible for promotion over three years. Results indicated that for those applying to the sergeant position, that anxiety had a stronger effect on those without previous experience than those with previous experience. The other moderating variables showed no moderating effect of previous experience on performance. It is the hope that this study acts as a catalyst for the continued research on the explanation for score increases in the retesting domain.