Gender and Administration Mode Effects when Pencil-And-Paper Personality Tests are Computerized

Abstract

This study investigated whether gender and administration mode (computer vs. pencil and paper) influenced mean scores on four noncognitive psychological instruments (Equity Sensitivity Instrument, Rosenberg's Measure of Self-Esteem, Mach V Scale, and Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding). Undergraduate participants (N = 874) with previous computer experience voluntarily completed the instruments in either a computer or pencil-and-paper administration. Results indicated no statistically significant interaction effect between gender and administration mode, although statistically significant main effects for both gender and administration mode were found. These results offer promise that with respondents who have computer experience, gender does not appear to interact with administration mode to be a source of unaccounted-for variance when computers are used as an integral part of data collection.