Students Sometimes Change Their Answers on Multiple-Choice Questions

question 40

Multiple Choice

Students sometimes change their answers on multiple-choice questions. Many students believe that the most common outcome is that they change from the correct answer to a wrong answer, despite research that shows that students more often change from an incorrect answer to a correct one. What accounts for the strength of this erroneous belief?

• A)scientific thinking via logical deduction
• B)social cognition biases that distort their beliefs of their experiences
• C)a priori thinking-they reason that it would have been better to go with the first hunch or instinct
• D)none of the above-students in fact believe that they are successful when they change answers

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Definitions:

Environmental Factors

External elements like climate, terrain, and human activities that influence living organisms and the ecosystem.

Epigenetics

Nongenetic influences on a gene’s expression, such as stress, nutrition, and so forth.

Genetic Expression

The process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product, often leading to the manifestation of a particular trait or characteristic.

Early Experiences

Influential events or situations encountered in childhood that can have long-lasting effects on an individual's development and behavior.