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The order effect: reflections on the validity of multiple test presentations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Christopher P. Lucas
Christopher P. Lucas*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine (Children), Clarendon Wing, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds
*
1 Address for correspondence: Dr Christopher P. Lucas, Academic Department of Child Psychiatry, Thorneywood Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Porchester Road, Nottingham NG3 6LF.
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Synopsis

The effect of order has been previously addressed in test–retest studies but its effect on the presentation of more than one test, in the same time, is often underestimated. This study has shown that when two rating scales were given sequentially, each scored lower if received second in the pair, and that this particular form of order effect (occasion effect) was enough to affect markedly agreement on caseness when utilizing standard cut-off scores. It is therefore important that research workers not only adopt design strategies such as counterbalanced presentation, but also analyse their data for the effects of test order and position within such designs.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , February 1992 , pp. 197 - 202
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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