Habits of Study and Test Performance

Abstract

A study habits inventory was administered to ninth- and tenth-grade students. The data were factor-analyzed to yield three constituents of study practices: distractibility, compulsiveness, and inquisitiveness. These factors satisfactorily replicated factors found in previous research and accounted for over 50% of the total variation of the items in the inventory. Tests of hypothesized relationships between habits of study and test performance suggest that test performance is monotonically related to study behaviors associated with inquisitiveness, particularly for studying as part of homework preparation. Compulsivity is also related to performance but only in the distinction between “A” students and those receiving other test scores. Distractibility, though it was the most reliable study habits scale, bears virtually no relationship to test performance. Possible explanations for all results are explored and implications for teaching are drawn.

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