PUB TYPE Speeches/Conference Papers (150) Reports

A study investigated whether some level of writing apprehension or some expressed attitude toward writing might result in better essay scores. Subjects, 255 freshmen composition students at two campuses of the California State University system, were administered instruments designed to comparatively measure the quality of students ' writing, gauge the level of writing apprehension, and obtain a personal report of attitudes about writing. Sixty-two variables were identified and a series of factor analyses were performed reducing the variables to five components. Further statistical analysis failed to reveal any relationship between writing apprehension and any of the five components until the response category "desire to affect my audience " was added. Then a statistically significant interaction effect of writing apprehension and writing attitude upon essay scores was found. Findings sugges