On the Risk of Certain Psychotechnological Response Options in Multiple-Choice Tests

Abstract

Test authors may think about adding the response options “I don’t know the solution” and “none of the other options is correct” in order to reduce a high guessing probability for multiple-choice items. However, in this paper it was expected that different types of personality would use these response options differently, as a consequence of which they would do more or less guessing and, therefore, achieve higher or lower test scores, on average. An experiment was performed based on randomizing participants into two groups, one of them being warned that it is better to admit being unable to solve the item, and the participants were classified according to their personality scores into high-, medium-, and low-scoring. Multivariate analyses of variance (195 pupils between 14 and 19 years) disclosed that only Openness to Experience showed any (moderate) effect, and even this only for a single subtest (Cattell’s culture fair test).