Ramsay curve item response theory (RC-IRT) was recently developed to detect and correct for nonnormal latent variables when unidimensional IRT models are fitted to data using maximum marginal likelihood estimation. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the performance of RC-IRT for Likert-type item responses with varying test lengths, sample…

Presents minimization and maximization models for parallel test construction under constraints. The minimization model constructs weakly and strongly parallel tests of minimum length, while the maximization model constructs weakly and strongly parallel tests with maximum test reliability. (Author/SLD)

Orlando and Thissen (2000, 2003) proposed an item-fit index, S-X[superscript 2], for dichotomous item response theory (IRT) models, which has performed better than traditional item-fit statistics such as Yen's (1981) Q[subscript 1] and McKinley and Mill's (1985) G[superscript 2]. This study extends the utility of S-X[superscript 2] to polytomous…

Type I error rates for PARSCALE's fit statistic were examined. Data were generated to fit the partial credit or graded response model, with test lengths of 10 or 20 items. The ability distribution was simulated to be either normal or uniform. Type I error rates were inflated for the shorter test length and, for the graded-response model, also for…

Traditionally, the fixed-length linear paper-and-pencil (P&P) mode of administration has been the standard method of test delivery. With the advancement of technology, however, the popularity of administering tests using adaptive methods like computerized adaptive testing (CAT) and multistage testing (MST) has grown in the field of measurement…

Many academic tests (e.g. short-answer and multiple-choice) sample required knowledge with questions scoring 0 or 1 (dichotomous scoring). Few textbooks give useful guidance on the length of test needed to do this reliably. Posey's binomial error model of 1932 provides the best starting point, but allows neither for heterogeneity of question…

In this paper, a mathematical programming approach is presented for the assembly of ability tests measuring multiple traits. The values of the variance functions of the estimators of the traits are minimized, while test specifications are met. The approach is based on Lagrangian relaxation techniques and provides good results for the two…

This paper focuses on mixtures of two binomials with one known success parameter. It is shown how moment estimators can be obtained for the remaining unknown parameters of such mixtures, and results are presented from a Monte Carlo study carried out to explore the statistical properties of these estimators. (PN)

Factor structure of the Reactions to Tests (RTT) scale measuring test anxiety was studied by testing a series of confirmatory factor models including a second-order structure with 636 college students. Results support a shorter 20-item RTT but also raise questions about the cross-validation of covariance models. (SLD)

In this paper, the efficiency of conditional maximum likelihood (CML) and marginal maximum likelihood (MML) estimation of the item parameters of the Rasch model in incomplete designs is investigated. The use of the concept of F-information (Eggen, 2000) is generalized to incomplete testing designs. The scaled determinant of the F-information…

The authors present a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) parameter estimation procedure for the generalized graded unfolding model (GGUM) and compare it to the marginal maximum likelihood (MML) approach implemented in the GGUM2000 computer program, using simulated and real personality data. In the simulation study, test length, number of response…

In the early 1970s A. Constantinople wrote a seminal article that led to the development of the construct of psychological androgyny. The Bem Sex-Role Inventory is a popular measure of the construct, but the measure remains controversial. The construct validity of scores from the measure was explored using confirmatory factor analysis on data from…

The standard error of measurement usefully provides confidence limits for scores in a given test, but is it possible to quantify the reliability of a test with just a single number that allows comparison of tests of different format? Reliability coefficients do not do this, being dependent on the spread of examinee attainment. Better in this…

This study compares the ability of the multiple indicators, multiple causes (MIMIC) confirmatory factor analysis model to correctly identify cases of differential item functioning (DIF) with more established methods. Although the MIMIC model might have application in identifying DIF for multiple grouping variables, there has been little…

Expert systems can be used to aid decisionmaking. A computerized adaptive test is one kind of expert system, although not commonly recognized as such. A new approach, termed EXSPRT, was devised that combines expert systems reasoning and sequential probability ratio test stopping rules. Two versions of EXSPRT were developed, one with random…