The Differential Formation of Response Sets By Specific Determiners

This investigation was conducted to determine if both position and alternative length specific determiners cause a differential formation of response sets on tests in high and low scoring groups. A 46 item vocabulary test with 10 alternate forms varied by type and frequency of specific determiners was administered to 1000 undergraduate Psychology students. Results indicated that as the frequency of specific determiners increased, they formed increasingly strong but differential guessing response sets in high and low scoring groups; however, the magnitude of the effect was much stronger for position specific determiners. Results were interpreted in terms of differing frequencies of appearance in existing tests and the actual nature of the responses an examinee makes to multiple-choice items.