Description of Test
The test consisted of a series of vocabulary questions. For each question, there were either three or four possible responses; the twin selected a response by clicking on it on the screen. There were 30 items: the questions and responses are tabulated below. A twin taking the test may have been presented with fewer than 30 items, because of the branching and discontinue rules, which are described below.
Each item was presented in two ways: as text on the screen, and as an audio recording. The text and audio file for each item were downloaded immediately before the item was presented. The audio recording was included as an aid to any twins with reading difficulties; this test was not intended to assess reading ability in addition to vocabulary knowledge.
Test Rules
Note that this test did not have an item timeout rule.
- Scoring
For questions 1-8, the correct response is given a score of 2, and any of the two or three incorrect responses is given a score of 0.
For questions 9-30, there are two correct responses; the best response is given a score of 2, and the second-best response is given a score of 1. Each of the other two (incorrect) responses is given a score of 0.
The maximum total score for the test is 60. - Branching rules
- Start at item 5, and proceed to item 6.
- If both items 5 and 6 are correct (scoring 2 each), give credit for items 1-4 (as though they had been answered correctly, gaining a score of 2 for each item), then proceed upwards from item 7.
- If either item 5 or item 6 is incorrect (scoring 0), attempt the
lower items (1-4) in reverse order. Then:
- If any two successive items are correct (e.g. 4 and 3), then give credit for any of items 1-4 not yet attempted; then proceed upwards from item 7. Note that if either item 5 or item 6 is correct, and this is followed by a correct answer for item 4, then this results in an upward branch to item 7 (items 5 and 4 are treated as successive items, as are items 6 and 4, for this rule).
- If no two successive items are correct, the test ends after item 1 has been attempted.
- Discontinue rules
Discontinue the test after three scores of zero in any five consecutive items. This rule applies throughout the test, after three or more items have been attempted.
Item Variables
The item variables relating to the Vocabulary test, as listed in the table below, were generated automatically by programs on the web server during the course of the test. Note that the dataset only includes data for completed tests. If a twin started the test but left it unfinished, then the data for the test were not used.
In most cases the values of these variables have been left unaltered, although some have been recoded during data cleaning as follows. See the web data cleaning page for further details.
- For items skipped due to the discontinue rule, the item response variable is recoded from missing to -2, and the item score is recoded from missing to 0.
- For items skipped and credited due to upward branching, the item response variable is recoded from missing to -3 (the item score is already recorded as 2 on the web server).
- For items that crashed or malfunctioned in any way, the item response variable is recoded from missing to -4, and the item score is recoded from missing to 0.
- For twins identified as random responders in this test, the status flag is recoded from 2 to 4, the data flag is recoded from 1 to 0, and all item variables are recoded to missing (test data deleted)
The test start and end dates and times, and item answer and download times, and item orders, have not been retained in the dataset.
Variables | Explanation | Values |
---|---|---|
jvstat1/2 | Test status: outcome of test | 0=not started, 1=started but not finished, 2=successfully completed, 4=random responses |
jvdata1/2 | Data flag: is test data present in the dataset? | 0=no, 1=yes |
jvstdt1/2 | Start date of the test [not in dataset] | Date values |
jvsttm1/2 | Start time of the test [not in dataset] | Time values |
jvenddt1/2 | End date of the test [not in dataset] | Date values |
jvendtm1/2 | End time of the test [not in dataset] | Time values |
jvsess1/2 | Number of sessions (at the computer) used by the twin to complete the test. | Integer values of 1 or above |
jvtime1/2 | Time taken to complete the test, in seconds | Integer values (number of seconds) |
jv01a1/2 through to jv30a1/2 | Item response (see table of items below for details) | 1=A, 2=B, 3=C, 4=D (items 1-5 only had responses A,B,C). Also -2=discontinued, -3=credited due to upward branching, -4=item crashed. |
jv01s1/2 through to jv30s1/2 | Item score (see table of items below for details) | 0=incorrect, 1=alternative correct response, 2=best correct response (items 1-8 did not have 1-point responses) |
jv01at1/2 through to jv30at1/2 | Answer time: length of time (in seconds) taken by the twin to respond to this item [not in dataset] | Integer values (number of seconds) |
jv01dt1/2 through to jv30dt1/2 | Download time: length of time (in seconds) between the end of the previous item and the start of this item; time needed to download files for this item [not in dataset] | Integer values (number of seconds) |
jv01o1/2 through to jv30o1/2 | Order or sequence of this item in the test; dependent on the branching path taken by the twin through this test [not in dataset] | Integer values of 1 or above |
Test Items
The numbering of the items, shown in the table below, equates to the numbering used in the item variables. Note that this is not the same as the order in which items were presented to twins in the test (see branching rules above).
item | question | response A | response B | response C | response D | 1-point response | 2-point response |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | What is a clock? | A lock | Something with numbers | Something that tells the time | - | - | C |
2 | What is a hat? | Something you wear on your head | Something that stops the rain | A bat | - | - | A |
3 | What is an umbrella? | Something with a curved handle | Something that keeps you dry in the rain | Cinderella | - | - | B |
4 | What is a bicycle? | A spectacle | Something that has wheels | Something you ride on | - | - | C |
5 | What is a cow? | A farm animal | Something that goes moo | A plow | - | - | A |
6 | What is the alphabet? | You sing it | Alpha | All of the letters | Something you read | - | C |
7 | What is a donkey? | An animal that is like a horse | A monkey | Something that has long ears | Something that lives on a farm | - | A |
8 | What is a thief? | A bad person | A robber | Someone in jail | A chief | - | B |
9 | What does leave mean? | Move | Leaf | Goodbye | Go away | A | D |
10 | What does brave mean? | Strong | Fearless | You save someone | Braid | C | B |
11 | What is an island? | An eyelid | A beach with palm trees | Land surrounded by water | A place in the ocean | D | C |
12 | What does ancient mean? | Very old | Out of date | Anxious | History | B | A |
13 | What does nonsense mean? | A lie | Being bad | Silliness | No senses | A | C |
14 | What does absorb mean? | Soak up | Absurd | Dry up | Evaporate | C | A |
15 | What does fable mean? | A true story | A story book | A stable | A story that teaches a lesson | B | D |
16 | What does precise mean? | Correct | Exact | Precious | Efficient | A | B |
17 | What does migrate mean? | Hibernate | Migraine | Fly south | Move seasonally | C | D |
18 | What does mimic mean? | Mystic | Clown around | Copy | Tease | D | C |
19 | What does transparent mean? | Clear | Look through | Opaque | Transplant | B | A |
20 | What does strenuous mean? | Tiring for your muscles | Requiring great effort | Sinuous | Painful | A | B |
21 | What does boast mean? | Praise yourself | Conceited | Burst | Brag | A | D |
22 | What does unanimous mean? | Anonymous | Everyone agrees | The whole group | A majority | C | B |
23 | What does seclude mean? | Leave | Include | Isolate | Alone | D | C |
24 | What does rivalry mean? | A rifle | A competition | An enemy | A fight | D | B |
25 | What is an amendment? | Something extra | Commandment | Government | Revision | A | D |
26 | What does compel mean? | Repel | Threaten | Force | Urge | D | C |
27 | What does affliction mean? | A problem | Affection | Suffering | An injury | D | C |
28 | What does imminent mean? | Immediately | Eminent | Impending | Omnipotent | A | C |
29 | What does aberration mean? | Something different | Deviation | A ghost | Abomination | A | B |
30 | What does dilatory mean? | Energetic | Slow | Dilation | Sluggish | D | B |