--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nearly eighty years of research on answer…" description: "\"“Nearly eighty years of research on answer changing shows that most answer changes are from wrong to right, and that most people who change their answe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/joseph-t-hallinan-83991_change_nearly-eighty-years-of-research-on-answe_1661996.jpg" --- # Nearly eighty years of research on answer changing shows… ![“Nearly eighty years of research on answer changing shows that most answer changes are from wrong to right, and that most people who change their answers usually improve their test scores. One comprehensive review examined thirty-three studies of answer changing; in not one were test takers hurt…” quote by Joseph T. Hallinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/joseph-t-hallinan-83991_change_nearly-eighty-years-of-research-on-answe_1661996.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/joseph-t-hallinan-83991_change_nearly-eighty-years-of-research-on-answe_1661996.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/joseph-t-hallinan-83991_change_nearly-eighty-years-of-research-on-answe_1661996.jpg) > ““Nearly eighty years of research on answer changing shows that most answer changes are from wrong to right, and that most people who change their answers usually improve their test scores. One comprehensive review examined thirty-three studies of answer changing; in not one were test takers hurt, on average, by changing their answers. And yet, even after students are told of these results, they still tend to stick with their first answers. Investors, by the way, show the same tendencies when it comes to stocks. Even after learning that their reason for picking a stock might be wrong, they still tended to stick with their initial choice 70 percent of the time.”” [Joseph T. Hallinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-t-hallinan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often cling to initial decisions despite evidence that changing answers improves outcomes, a bias seen in tests and investing. **In simple terms:** People stick to first choices even when changing would help. Key Takeaway Question assumptions; be open to revising decisions. Themes cognitive bias decision making learning investment education Mood analytical pragmatic Type non‑fiction motivational When to use this quote - exams - stock market - business strategy - personal finance Key Concepts confirmation bias overconfidence risk aversion Questions to Reflect On - What evidence would make you reconsider a first decision? - How can you create habits that encourage reassessment? A Different Perspective Changing choices can feel risky and may be socially discouraged. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answer Changes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer-changes-768767/) [Answer Changing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer-changing-768768/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-answers-768769/) [Changing Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-answers-768766/) [Changing Test](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-test-768770/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [People Who Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-who-change/) [Test Takers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/test-takers-217308/) ## Related quotes > [“Questions change; Answers remain the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-leela-pandey/questions-change-answers-remain-the-same/) [Abhishek Leela Pandey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-leela-pandey/) > [“Over our lifespan, the right answer will keep changing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hwang-bo-reum/over-our-lifespan-the-right-answer-will-keep-changing/) [Hwang Bo-Reum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hwang-bo-reum/) > [To take on the jobs of tomorrow, students must become more than good test takers. They need to become makers who design, sketch, build,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/to-take-on-the-jobs-of-tomorrow-students-must-become-more-than-good/) [Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/) > [Affirmative action was designed originally for "women and other minorities" but the phrase has become just another tortured euphemism. Female conscientiousness and eagerness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-king/affirmative-action-was-designed-originally-for-women-and-other/) [Florence King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-king/) > [The greatest masters are the greatest apprentices as well; they are not only greatest givers but also greatest takers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-greatest-masters-are-the-greatest-apprentices-as-well-they-are/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) ## More by Joseph T. Hallinan > [“As a general principle, people feel more responsible for their actions than they do for their inactions. If we are going to err at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-t-hallinan/as-a-general-principle-people-feel-more-responsible-for-their-actions/) [Joseph T. Hallinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-t-hallinan/) > [“Almost everyone is overconfident--except the people who are depressed, and they tend to be realists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-t-hallinan/almost-everyone-is-overconfident-except-the-people-who-are-depressed/) [Joseph T. Hallinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-t-hallinan/) [Explore all 3 Joseph T. Hallinan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-t-hallinan/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Nearly eighty years of research on answer changing shows that most answer changes are from wrong to right, and that most people who change their answers usually improve their test scores. 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