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Performance Determinants in Undergraduate Economics Classes: The Effect of Cognitive Reflection

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  • Alexei G. Orlov

    () (Radford University)

  • John Roufagalas

    (Radford University)

Abstract

Economics classes claim to develop students' "analytical" abilities and "problem-solving" skills. Assessment of such claims is rather difficult, since it requires measurement of advanced thinking processes. Aptitude tests, such as the SAT, ACT (standardised tests for college admissions in the U.S.), and GRE (a standardised test for post-graduate admissions), purport to provide measures of such processes, but their questions refer to relatively simple thinking processes. Frederick (2005) has developed the "Cognitive Reflection Test" (CRT) to measure human ability to think deeper. The test contains questions whose apparent answers are incorrect and therefore further reflection is needed to arrive at the correct answers. Many economic problems fall into such a category. Our results suggest that CRT scores are higher and have a significant positive effect on exam performance in upper-level economics classes. In these classes, students with the highest CRT score outperform, on average, students with the lowest CRT score by more than half a letter grade, everything else the same.

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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by Economics Network, University of Bristol in its journal International Review of Economics Education.

Volume (Year): 11 (2012)
Issue (Month): 2 ()
Pages: 28-45

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Handle: RePEc:che:ireepp:v:11:y:2012:i:2:p:28-45

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Postal: University of Bristol, BS8 1HH, United Kingdom
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  1. Arulampalam, Wiji & Naylor, Robin A. & Jeremy Smith, 2007. "Am I missing something? The effects of absence from class on student performance," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 820, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
  2. W. Lee Hansen, 2001. "Expected Proficiencies for Undergraduate Economics Majors," Journal of Economic Education, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 231-242, January.
  3. Daniel R. Marburger, 2001. "Absenteeism and Undergraduate Exam Performance," Journal of Economic Education, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 32(2), pages 99-109, January.
  4. Siegfried, John J & Fels, Rendigs, 1979. "Research on Teaching College Economics: A Survey," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 17(3), pages 923-69, September.
  5. Robb, R.E. & Robb, A.L., 1996. "Gender and the Study of Economics: The Role of Gender of the Instructor," Papers 1996-05, York (Canada) - Department of Economics.
  6. Shane Frederick, 2005. "Cognitive Reflection and Decision Making," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 19(4), pages 25-42, Fall.
  7. Charles L. Ballard & Marianne F. Johnson, 2004. "Basic Math Skills and Performance in an Introductory Economics Class," Journal of Economic Education, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 3-23, January.
  8. Florian Hoffmann & Philip Oreopoulos, 2009. "A Professor Like Me: The Influence of Instructor Gender on College Achievement," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 44(2).
  9. Mary O. Borg & Harriet A. Stranahan, 2002. "Personality Type and Student Performance in Upper-Level Economics Courses: The Importance of Race and Gender," Journal of Economic Education, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 33(1), pages 3-14, January.
  10. Jonathan D. Cohen, 2005. "The Vulcanization of the Human Brain: A Neural Perspective on Interactions Between Cognition and Emotion," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 19(4), pages 3-24, Fall.
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