A Rose By Any Other Name: the Influence of Jargon On Teacher Perceptions of Psychological Reports

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate teacher perceptions of psychological reports as a function of the level of jargon utilized. A psychological report was varied such that the same content was conveyed using three levels of jargon: low, medium, and high. The influence of the jargon variable was assessed using the Psychological Report Evaluation Profile (PREP) which contains four dimensions: Usefulness, Understanding and Comprehension, Educational Relevance, and Student Behavioral Characteristics. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) for overall satisfaction indicated a significant effect for the independent variable. Separate univariate analyses of variance (ANOVAs) for each of the separate dimensions of the PREP suggested only the Understanding and Comprehension factor was significant. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for improving the quality and usefulness of psychological reports.

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