The Effects of Immediate Knowledge of Results and Task Definition on Multiple-Choice Answering

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Abstract
The effects of immediate knowledge of results and task definition (test versus experimental exercise) upon answering multiple-choice questions were evaluated in a group of graduate education students. Regarding immediate ongoing performance, knowledge resulted in a loss of accuracy, and when coupled with defining the task as a test, yielded a lengthening of task completion time. Nervousness in Ss receiving the immediate knowledge was also increased. On a test taken some eight weeks after the administration of the experimental variables, performance of those students having received knowledge on the previous assessment appeared unaffected, while performance of students having been told on the previous assessment that they were completing a no-count experimental exercise was significantly depressed. Such findings cast serious doubt on the advisability of using immediate feedback procedures and task labels indiscriminately in assessment applications.