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Overconfidence in a Multiple-Choice Test and its Relationship to Achievement

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Abstract

Forty-three students completed a multiple-choice test, and their confidence in the correctness of their chosen responses was assessed. It was found that overconfident students received significantly lower grades as compared with students who were not overconfident. The cognitive mechanisms which may be responsible for the influence of overconfidence on performance in multiple-choice tests are discussed.

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Zakay, D., Glicksohn, J. Overconfidence in a Multiple-Choice Test and its Relationship to Achievement. Psychol Rec 42, 519–524 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03399619

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