AN EMPIRICAL STUDY WAS MADE OF THE ERROR FACTORS IN MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALING (MDS) TO REFINE THE USE OF MDS FOR MORE EXPERT MANIPULATION OF SCALES USED IN EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT. THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH WAS TO GENERATE TABLES OF THE SAMPLING DISTRIBUTIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN ERROR AND NONERROR MDS DIMENSIONS. THE…

Several possible models for use in attitude scaling are defined and discussed in some detail. Unfolding analysis is illustrated. (DG)

The validity of an evaluation model for mastery testing applications was investigated. Three variables were tested in an experiment using 96 third grade subjects--amount of training, number of alternates in an item, and number of items. The concept hierarchy involved an orderly progression from a concept involving one relevant of three varying…

Checking of parametric assumptions is an often ignored step in the inferential process. A misconception regarding symmetry (one aspect of "robustness") is prevalent: that in nonsymmetric distributions the mean and median are always non-coincidental. It is to this fallacious point that the discussion is directed. A generally accepted index of…

This study attempted to determine if there was a change in job attitude among employees of a state institution for the developmentally disabled after a move to new, superior facilities. An attitude scale was constructed and administered in December 1982, prior to the move. A second testing occurred two months later, after Experimental Group I had…

Model identification of time-series data is essential to valid statistical tests of intervention effects. Model identification is, at best, inexact in the social and behavioral sciences where one is often confronted with small numbers of observations. These problems are discussed, and the results of independent identifications of 130 social and…

A version of the randomized response survey unrelated question technique is presented in which the answer to the unrelated question is known to be yes. Raw data become a direct linear transformation of response to the sensitive question and can be used in analysis at the individual level. (SLD)

Changes in information retention resulting from changes in reliability and number of intervals in scale construction were studied to provide quantitative information to help in decisions about choosing intervals. Information retention reached a maximum when the number of intervals was about 8 or more and reliability was near 1.0. (SLD)

Selection of items for analogy tests according to the Rasch item probability of "goodness of fit" to the model is compared with three commonly used item selection criteria: item discrimination, item difficulty, and item-ability correlation. Word, picture, symbol and number analogies in multiple choice format were administered to several…

Bayesian estimation procedures are summarized and numerically illustrated by means of simulation methods. Procedures of data generation for simulation purposes are also delineated and computationally demonstrated. The logistic model basic to the Bayesian estimation procedures is shown to be explicit with respect to the probability distribution…

This paper demonstrates the relationship between the concept of unidimensionality and direction of an item in a multidimensional space. The basic premise is that if items that measure in the same direction are combined to form a test, that test will meet the item response theory requirements of unidimensionality. This will be true even if the…

This research investigated the use of the Rasch simple logistic model in item and test calibration. Tests employing word, picture, symbol, and number analogies were administered to college students, high school students, civil service clerical employees, and clients of the Minnesota Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. The results suggest that…

Various methods used to assess the content of a test are reviewed, and a new procedure designed to improve on these methods is presented. The two tests considered are a professional licensure examination, the auditing section of the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination, and an educational achievement test, a nationally standardized…

Three and one-half years of research on computerized ability testing are summarized. The original objectives of the research were: (1) to develop and implement the stratified computer-based ability test; (2) to compare, on psychometric criteria, the various approaches to computer-based ability testing, including the stratified computerized test,…