Construct · 2 fields · 2 citations

Where does distractor collide?

One name. Different field. Different construct. One map.

● jingle · one word, two constructs Nearest construct by meaning·not indexed
distractor2 CONSTRUCTSAttentional distractorERIKSEN · 1974Item distractorHALADYNA · 2002

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1974Attentional distractor2002Item distractor
2026

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Cognitive psychology

An irrelevant item that competes for attention

In the study of attention, a distractor is an irrelevant stimulus presented alongside a target that the viewer must respond to, used to probe how well attention can be focused and how much the surroundings intrude. Eriksen and Eriksen's 1974 flanker task showed that distractor letters next to a target slowed and biased responses, especially when they were associated with the competing response, revealing that nearby irrelevant items are processed despite instructions to ignore them. The referent is a competing stimulus in a perception or attention experiment, measured by its interference on reaction time and accuracy, and it is a different construct from a wrong option on a test.[1]

Unit
The interference an irrelevant item exerts on responding to a target
Recovery means
Not applicable
Measured by
Quantified by the slowing and errors a distractor induces, as in flanker compatibility effects

Educational assessment

A plausible wrong option on a test item

In educational assessment, a distractor is one of the incorrect answer choices in a multiple-choice item, written to be plausible to a student who has not fully mastered the content so that the item can discriminate between those who know the material and those who do not. Haladyna, Downing, and Rodriguez's review of item-writing guidelines treats the construction and analysis of distractors as central to item quality. The referent is a designed wrong option within a test item, measured by how often and by whom it is chosen, and it is distinct from an irrelevant stimulus competing for attention.[2]

Unit
How effectively a wrong option attracts less-prepared test-takers
Recovery means
Not applicable
Measured by
Evaluated through distractor analysis: the proportion selecting each option and its relation to total score

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Nearby collisions

accuracy3 fields · 6 citationsjingle · one word, three constructsattention5 fields · 10 citationsjingle · one name, five constructsconstruct6 fields · 7 citationsjingle · one name, six constructs

References

  1. Eriksen, B. A., & Eriksen, C. W. (1974). Effects of noise letters upon the identification of a target letter in a nonsearch task. Perception & Psychophysics, 16(1), 143–149. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203267
  2. Haladyna, T. M., Downing, S. M., & Rodriguez, M. C. (2002). A review of multiple-choice item-writing guidelines for classroom assessment. Applied Measurement in Education, 15(3), 309–333. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324818AME1503_5

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