The benefits of item response theory (IRT) will only accrue to a testing program to the extent that model assumptions are met. Obtaining accurate item parameter estimates is a critical first step. However, the sample sizes required for stable parameter estimation are often difficult to obtain in practice, particularly for the more complex models.…

It is common to assume during statistical analysis of a multiscale assessment that the assessment has simple structure or that it is composed of several unidimensional subtests. Under this assumption, both the unidimensional and multidimensional approaches can be used to estimate item parameters. This paper theoretically demonstrates that these…

Two strategies, derived from J. P. Schaffer (1986), were compared as tests of significance for a complete set of planned orthogonal contrasts. The procedures both maintain an experimentwise error rate at or below alpha, but differ in the manner in which they test the contrast with the largest observed difference. One approach proceeds directly to…

A major deficiency in classical test theory is the reliance on Pearson product-moment (PPM) correlation concepts in the definition of reliability. PPM measures are totally insensitive to first moment differences in tests which leads to the dubious assumption of essential tan-equivalence. Robinson proposed a measure of agreement that is sensitive…

"Machine controlled adaptive training is a promising concept. In adaptive training the task presented to the trainee varies as a function of how well he performs. In machine controlled training, adaptive logic performs a function analogous to that performed by a skilled operator." This study looks at the ways in which gain-effective time…

A method of typological analysis was applied to computer-generated 96-item questionnaire data for 100 cases, under a variety of conditions to analyze both the item-level and score-level. The results showed a considerable advantage of score-level approach in the number, size, and replicability of clusters recovered. (DEP)

J. Barnette and J. McLean (1996) proposed a method of controlling Type I error in pairwise multiple comparisons after a significant omnibus F test. This procedure, called Alpha-Max, is based on a sequential cumulative probability accounting procedure in line with Bonferroni inequality. A missing element in the discussion of Alpha-Max was the…

In this paper, six statistical tests of stochastic equality are compared with respect to Type I error and power through a Monte Carlo simulation. In the simulation, the skewness and kurtosis levels and the extent of variance heterogeneity of the two parent distributions were varied across a wide range. The sample sizes applied were either small or…

Reports the results of an experiment assessing the effectiveness of two different approaches to using simulation games in a marketing course. In one, the game was used as a supplement to the standard lecture/discussion format; in the other, it was used as the central delivery vehicle. Twenty-one references are listed. (Author/LLS)

A Monte Carlo simulation study compared the power and Type I errors of the Wilks lambda statistic and the statistic of M. L. Puri and P. K. Sen (1971) on transformed data in a one-way multivariate analysis of variance. Preferred test procedures, based on robustness and power, are discussed. (SLD)

The theoretical approaches taken by the LOGIST and BILOG computer programs for estimating the parameters of the three-parameter logistic item response model, and their practical consequences, are compared. Guidelines for choosing between the programs for particular applications are offered. (SLD)

Discusses the use of behavioral simulations to study the processes that underlie strategy formulation and implementation. Seven behavioral simulations that attempt to mirror top management interactions in an organization are described and compared; research measures used are discussed; and implications for studies of strategic processes are…

A simulation study compared the performance of the Mann-Whitney "U" test, Student's "t" test, and the alternate (separate variance) "t" test for two mutually independent random samples from normal distributions, with both one-tailed and two-tailed alternatives. Type I error probabilities were computed with equal and…

Used Monte Carlo simulation to compare the relative measurement efficiency of polytomous modeling and dichotomous modeling under different scoring schemes and termination criteria. Results suggest that polytomous computerized adaptive testing (CAT) yields marginal gains over dichotomous CAT when termination criteria are more stringent. Discusses…

In this paper we discuss an experiment that was carried out with a prototype, designed in conformity with the concept of parallelism and the Parallel Instruction theory (the PI theory). We designed this prototype with five different interfaces, and ran an empirical study in which 18 participants completed an abstract task. The five basic designs…