On delay and reassessment of retrospective preratings

Investigated to what extent retrospective preratings are affected by a follow-up assessment, conducted 2 wks after posttesting, and a delay of the assessment, conducted 2 wks after treatment. Ss were 92 psychology freshmen. The design consisted of an experimental, a placebo, and a no-treatment control condition. Immediately after training, posttraining instruments were administered to only half of the Ss. All Ss returned after 2 wks and filled out the posttraining instruments. Data indicate that a 2-wk time interval had no effect on readministered nor on postponed retrospective preratings. A significant mean difference between conventional and retrospective preratings was found in the experimental and the placebo control conditions. Since no-treatment control Ss did not show significant differences among conventional pre-, post-, and retrospective preratings, data indicate that Ss' perceptions of the demand characteristics and effort justification may have been operant in the treatment conditions.