Information in Wrong Responses

Under some circumstances the wrong responses S makes on a test may contain important information. In this study, the notion of facet design provided a systematic method for a priori ordering of the distractors on the Coloured Progressive Matrices test as to degree of correctness. A score based on type of distractor chosen was shown to have a moderate degree of test-retest reliability, concurrent and predictive validity, and cross-cultural applicability. The results suggest a re-examination of Sigel's finding that type of error and total score were unrelated.