The Relationship between Cognitive Styles and Performance on Achievement Test of Iranian EFL Learners

Individual differences and complex interaction of learners’ characteristics play an important role on performance on any test. Thus having insight and knowledge of those differences can contribute significantly to reduce sources of error and test bias and also help a lot to the reliability and validity of test scores (Fray and Zimmerman, 1984). The researcher of the study decided to investigate any probable relationship which might exist between EFL learners’ cognitive styles and their achievement test scores. To this end, 97 EFL learners from Payam-e-Noor University of Qom were selected and validated Eysenck Impulsivity questionnaire and validated summative achievement test were estimated. The results of the study revealed that there is a meaningful relationship between learner’s cognitive styles and their performance on achievement test. One of the implications of this study is for test developers to try to control the potential sources of test bias which can endanger the reliability/validity of test scores.