During assessments, what is a common strategy to ensure the engagement of participants?

Introducing new and unseen items during assessments is a common strategy to enhance participant engagement. This approach stimulates curiosity and interest, encouraging individuals to interact more actively with the assessment materials. When participants encounter novel items, they may feel a heightened sense of intrigue, which can lead to increased motivation and attention. This engagement is crucial for collecting accurate data as it allows assessors to observe how participants respond to a variety of stimuli, providing a clearer picture of their skills and preferences.

In contrast, limiting the number of items available could lead to boredom or frustration, making it difficult to assess a participant's full range of skills. Presenting only items from prior assessments might result in familiarity that could dull engagement, resulting in less informative data. Using distracting items alongside assessments might divert focus from the assessment itself, hindering the ability to gather meaningful responses. Therefore, introducing new and unseen items is an effective way to maintain high levels of engagement during assessments.