_____ can occur when participants are overexposed to a measure.

The correct answer is the testing effect, which refers to the phenomenon where repeated exposure to a measure or test can lead to improved performance simply due to familiarity with the test format, questions, or conditions associated with the testing process. In research, particularly in educational settings or psychological assessments, when participants are assessed multiple times without any intervening treatment or change in conditions, they may remember answers or become better at the task because they have practiced it, rather than genuinely improving in the underlying ability or knowledge that the test is intended to measure.

This effect can distort the evaluation of a program's impact because it can falsely suggest that changes in performance are due to the program itself, rather than just the repeated exposure to the measure. Understanding the testing effect is essential for researchers to appropriately assess the true outcomes of their interventions and ensure that the results are valid and reliable.

Other options focus on different concepts; for instance, internal validity relates to the extent that a study accurately establishes a cause-and-effect relationship. Maturation refers to changes in participants over time that may influence the outcome independent of the intervention being tested. Mortality, also known as attrition, pertains to participants dropping out of a study, which can affect the results but does not relate to being overex