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Full-Text Articles in Quantitative Psychology
The Effects Of Undesirable Distractors On Estimates Of Ability, Kathryn N. Thompson
The Effects Of Undesirable Distractors On Estimates Of Ability, Kathryn N. Thompson
Masters Theses, 2020-current
Distractors, or the incorrect options, are an important part of the multiple-choice item. Previous literature has supported the inclusion of distractors when estimating abilities. While the effects of well-functioning distractors on estimates of ability have been examined, research has neglected to examine the effects of undesirable distractors on estimates of ability. Undesirable distractors are defined as distractors that are opposite of what test-developers expect or want distractors to behave. For instance, an upper lure distractor is one that high ability examinees select rather than selecting the correct answer. A simulation study was employed to determine these effects by varying undesirable …