Beliefs regarding testing and academic success are shaped by many social influences including parents, teachers, and peers. In the current study, 54 students (M age = 20.7, SD = 3.98, range = 18-30) from a women’s college reported their perceptions of the utility of standardized tests and indicated sources (e.g. parents/ family) of social influence regarding these perceptions. Descriptive analyses revealed that students believe practice influences success on standardized tests, but that these tests do not accurately measure intelligence. The most prominent social influences that contributed to these perceptions are teachers and friends. Future research directions and programming efforts are discussed.

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