“GAME” VERSUS “TEST” INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE WISC¹

Abstract

“Game” or “test” instructions on either verbal or nonverbal WISC scales were given to 160 third‐ and sixth‐grade children. Ss in one condition were told they were going to take several tests, while Ss in the other condition were told they were going to play several games. Significant differences in performance due to task definition were found only on verbal tasks at the sixth‐grade level with test instructions yielding superior performance. Results at the third‐grade level failed to replicate previous results which suggested game instructions produce superior performance on nonverbal tasks.

The effects of funny and serious task content and expectations of fun versus importance on children's cognitive performance

“…In addition, in the present study there was also a non‐significant trend for better performance in general when children were given instructions emphasising importance, rather than fun. Given the verbal nature of the task used in the present study, this trend is somewhat consistent with Bridgeman et al. (1974) who found that describing verbal tasks as important tests (rather than fun games) improved the performance of Grade 6 children.…”

“…(1974) who found that describing verbal tasks as important tests (rather than fun games) improved the performance of Grade 6 children. Therefore, it may be prudent for researchers administering verbal tasks that rely on children's knowledge (as in Bridgeman et al., 1974) or memory (as in the present study) to describe them as important tests, rather than fun games, especially if the content of the tasks is relatively mundane.…”

“…However, as these three subtests all have game‐like elements (e.g., the use of cartoon pictures and puzzle pieces), the ‘game’ instructions may have conferred the performance benefits of regulatory fit. In contrast, Bridgeman, Strang, and Buttram (1974) found no performance benefit for Grade 3 children in introducing two verbal (information and similarities) and two non‐verbal subtests of the WISC (picture arrangement and object assembly) as games. However, these same authors found that Grade 6 children did better with ‘test’ than with ‘game’ instructions on the two verbal subtests.…”