GENDER AND ADMINISTRATION MODE EFFECTS WHEN PENCIL-AND-PAPER PERSONALITY TESTS ARE COMPUTERIZED

This study investigated whether gender and administration mode (comput er vs. pencil and paper) influenced mean scores on four noncognitive p sychological instruments (Equity Sensitivity Instrument, Rosenberg's M easure of Self-Esteem, Mach V Scale, and Balanced Inventory of Desirab le Responding). Undergraduate participants (N = 874) with previous com puter experience voluntarily completed the instruments in either a com puter or pencil-and-paper administration. Results indicated no statist ically significant interaction effect between gender and administratio n mode, although statistically significant main effects for both gende r 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-fo r variance when computers are used as an integral part of data collect ion.