Overestimation Bias in Self-reported SAT Scores

• Published in: Educational psychology review Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 443 - 454
• Main Authors: Mayer, Richard E., Stull, Andrew T., Campbell, Julie, Almeroth, Kevin, Bimber, Bruce, Chun, Dorothy, Knight, Allan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer 01.12.2007; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aptitude Tests; College Entrance Examinations; College Students; Correlation; Correlations; Data validity; Females; Influence; Males; Measurement Techniques; Memory; Men; Overestimates; Proportions; Psychological Studies; Rating of; Sampling bias; SAT assessment; Scoring; Self-evaluation; Set (Psychology); Standardized tests; Statistical significance; Students; United States
• ISSN: 1040-726X; 1573-336X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10648-006-9034-z

The authors analyzed self-reported SAT scores and actual SAT scores for five different samples of college students (N=650). Students overestimated their actual SAT scores by an average of 25 points (SD=81, d=0.31), with 10% under-reporting, 51% reporting accurately, and 39% over-reporting, indicating a systematic bias towards over-reporting. The amount of over-reporting was greater for lower-scoring than higher-scoring students, was greater for upper division than lower division students, and was equivalent for men and women. There was a strong correlation between self-reported and actual SAT scores (r=0.82), indicating high validity of students' memories of their scores. Results replicate previous findings (Kuncel, Credé, & Thomas, 2005) and are consistent with a motivated distortion hypothesis. Caution is suggested in using self-reported SAT scores in psychological research.