Abstract
The thesis investigated here is that the particular alternatives supplied in a multiple-choice test comprise a powerful determinant of children’s measured achievement. Children listened to sentences under two different instructional sets (imagery rating and sentence repetition) and were later tested with multiple-choice alternatives: (a) either identical or similar in meaning to the originally presented correct items; and (b) either including or not including previously presented irrelevant information. Although the two instructional sets produced different overall levels of performance, the sources of interference anticipated from a theory of recognition memory were in evidence under both instructions. Theoretical and educational implications are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.