distractors
Focus-stealing false options
Distractors are the wrong answers in a multiple-choice question—options designed to seem plausible enough to distract test-takers from the correct answer.
Good distractors reflect common misconceptions or errors: The distractors were too obviously wrong, making the test easy.
The term appears mainly in educational testing and assessment contexts.
Lifelike substitute figure
- lureThing that tempts
- baitLure for prey
- decoyFalse target for misdirection
- trapDevice for catching animals
red herring · foil · feint · ploy · ruse · false lead · wrong answer · filler
Barely connected to main point
- extraneousNot pertinent or essential
- superfluousExceeding what suffices
- irrelevantNot pertinent
- immaterialLacking physical form; unimportant
peripheral · incidental · off-topic · beside the point · unrelated · nonessential · digression · sidetrack
Dexterous trickery
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- diversionRedirection of attention
- smokescreenConcealment through misdirection
bluff · feint · illusion · deception · misleading · obfuscation · camouflage · disguise
State of being baffled
- perplexityMental state of confusion
- disorientationLoss of spatial awareness
- muddleDisordered, bewildered state
- bafflementMental state of confusion
puzzlement · uncertainty · fog · haze · blur · jumble · chaos · disarray
Concentrated attention point
- concentrationSustained single-minded attention
- mindfulnessAwareness of the present
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
- vigilanceState of keen awareness
alertness · attentiveness · engagement · absorption · immersion · presence · watchfulness · heedfulness
dummy
Lifelike substitute figure
trap · red herring · foil · feint · ploy · ruse · false lead · wrong answer · filler · multiple choice
tangential
Barely connected to main point
- extraneousNot pertinent or essential
- superfluousExceeding what suffices
- irrelevantNot pertinent
immaterial · peripheral · incidental · off-topic · beside the point · unrelated · nonessential · digression · sidetrack · interruption
sleight
Dexterous trickery
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- diversionRedirection of attention
smokescreen · bluff · feint · illusion · deception · misleading · obfuscation · camouflage · disguise · maneuver
bewilderment
State of being baffled
- perplexityMental state of confusion
- disorientationLoss of spatial awareness
- muddleDisordered, bewildered state
bafflement · puzzlement · uncertainty · fog · haze · blur · jumble · chaos · disarray · mental clutter
focus
Concentrated attention point
- concentrationSustained single-minded attention
- mindfulnessAwareness of the present
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
vigilance · alertness · attentiveness · engagement · absorption · immersion · presence · watchfulness · heedfulness · cognition
- examsexam, test, quiz, final exam, midterm
- psychometricsvalidity, reliability, item response theory, measurement error, dimensionality
distractorstargets
Intended aims or marks
focal points · concentrators · cues · prompts · guides