Influences on Evaluators of Expository Essays: Beyond the Text

Abstract

This study examines the relative effects on holistic scores given to college students' expository essays of three types of variables - essay variablesy reader variables and environment variables. Sixty-four essays by students at four colleges were judged by four readers using a holistic scale and by two readers using a Diederich-type analytic scale. The essays were on eight topics. Readers were trained by two trainers. Of the three types of variables, the essay contributed most significantly to the variance in the holistic scores (p<.001). One of the environment variables, the trainers, contributed next most significantly (p<.01). Another environment variable, the topic, also affected the holistic scores. The readers judged consistently, their traits not affecting the variance in the scores. Finally, a comparison of ratings on the holistic and analytic scales revealed that the only additional information over the holistic score that the analytic scale yielded was a usage score.