Dissertation Abstract

An Analysis of Selected Admission Criteria as Predictors of Success on the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

A study conducted to determine which admission variable, or combination of variables, best predict success on the national registry examination for radiologic technologists. The seven predictor variables studied were (1) subject age; (2) high school grade point average; (3) ACT Composite; (4) ACT Mathematics; (5) ACT Natural Sciences; (6) ACT English; and (7) ACT Social Sciences. The dependent variable used was the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Data were collected from the records of student graduates from 1973 through 1981 from a small midwestern community college which sponsors an AMA approved program, and awards the Associate of Applied Science degree, in radiologic technology. The statistical procedures performed were Stepwise Forward Inclusion Multiple Regression and Pearson product-moment correlation.

The Pearson product-moment correlation resulted in significant positive correlations between all predictors under study and the national registry examination, with the exception of subject age, which correlated negatively, but not significantly, with the other predictors studied. High school grade point average, ACT Composite scores, and subject age were entered into the regression equation and resulted in significant F-ratios. The combined variance for the three predictors was 48.0%. The contributions of the remaining independent variables did not increase R('2) significantly and were not reported. Therefore, the best combination of predictors was found to be high school grade point average, ACT Composite, and subject age. ACT Composite was deleted from the regression analysis, and high school grade point average, subject age, and ACT subtest scores were entered into the analysis. High school grade point average, ACT Natural Science, subject age, and ACT Mathematics were determined to be the best combination of predictors, being significant at the .05 level. The contributions of the remaining predictor variables did not increase R('2) significantly and were not reported. The combination of these four predictors resulted in a total variance of 47.5%. As a result of these analyses, the study concluded that the best single predictor of success on the national registry examination for radiologic technologists were high school grade point average.

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