Persistence of multiple-choice errors is driven by faulty reasoning that integrates the error into knowledge rather than by mere familiarity of lures¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2007 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Errors that persisted were those endorsed on the initial test; students rarely selected the correct answer first and then produced a lure. → Marsh 2007 q3 i? Guessed errors rarely persisted (15%), while errors from faulty reasoning persisted more often (36% from reasoning with supporting knowledge; 67% from personal experience). → Marsh 2007 (2)

Evidence¶

Marsh 2007¶

Marsh, E. J., Roediger, H. L., III, Bjork, R. A., & Bjork, E. L. (2007). The memorial consequences of multiple-choice testing. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14(2), 194-199. https://doi.org/10.3758/bf03194051

q2 · i? · review · r2

Analysis of the relationship between students' answers on the two tests (Butler, Marsh, Goode, & Roediger, 2006; Roediger & Marsh, 2005) showed persistence was limited to previously endorsed lures, which argues against an illusory-truth familiarity account; no effect size is printed.

"Rarely did students select the correct answer on the initial test and then produce a lure on the final test. Nor were students likely to select Lure A on the first test and then produce Lure B on the final test."

Marsh 2007 (2)¶

Marsh, E. J., Roediger, H. L., III, Bjork, R. A., & Bjork, E. L. (2007). The memorial consequences of multiple-choice testing. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14(2), 194-199. https://doi.org/10.3758/bf03194051

q2 · i? · review · r2

In a study (Huelser & Marsh, 2006) where half the subjects explained their answer choices, a coding scheme classified explanations into eight categories; persistence was 15% for guessed errors, 36% for errors reasoned from supporting information, and 67% for errors from personal experience; these are descriptive percentages, not standardized effect sizes.

"Guesses were unlikely to persist to the final test (15% were reproduced as answers on the final general knowledge test), whereas errors resulting from faulty reasoning were much more likely to persist."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Taking initial multiple-choice tests without feedback can lead students to later produce the incorrect lure answers they selected, even when an overall retrieval practice benefit occurs — related
• Providing feedback after initial multiple-choice tests cut lure intrusions on final short-answer tests roughly in half, with immediate and delayed feedback equally effective — related
• Incorrect information learned from a multiple-choice test is applied and reasoned with on conceptually related transfer questions — related