Effects of Recording Attendance on Grades in Introductory Psychology

We recorded attendance for 57 students in an introductory psychology class by having them sign in at each class meeting. For the remaining 57 students, we counted the number of students attending, but kept no record of individual attendance. Students who signed in attended classes more often (absenteeism decreased by one third), and their grades on weekly multiple-choice quizzes were higher, even on questions based on material covered in the text but not in lectures. Thus, simply recording attendance (without awarding course credit for attendance) increased both attendance and overall academic performance.