Neurocognitive evidence for test equity in an academic listening assessment

Abstract

The present study explored the potential of a new neurocognitive approach to test equity which integrates evidence from eye-tracking and functional near-infrared spectroscopy with conventional test content analysis and psychometric analysis. The participants of the study (η = 29) were neurotypical university students who took two tests of English lecture comprehension. Test equity was examined in this study at four levels: the linguistic level (content evidence) and the test scores level which are conventional levels in test equity; and gaze behavior level and neurocognitive level which are novel to this study. It was found that the linguistic features of the two test forms being equated were similar and that there was no significant difference at neurocognitive and behavioral levels. However, there was a significant difference in gaze behaviors, measured by fixation counts and visit counts, although fixation duration and visit duration did not vary across the two tests. Overall, test equity was supported, despite partial counterevidence from the gaze data. We discuss the implication of this approach for future equity research and response process in language assessment.