As part of a discussion on Monte Carlo methods, which outlines how to use probability expectations to approximate the value of a definite integral. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on this technique and then to show several examples using visual basic as a programming tool. It is an interesting method because it combines two branches of…

The performance of methods for detecting publication bias in meta-analysis was evaluated using Monte Carlo methods. Four methods of bias detection were investigated: Begg's rank correlation, Egger's regression, funnel plot regression, and trim and fill. Five factors were included in the simulation design: number of primary studies in each…

The extent to which a scale score generalizes to a latent variable common to all of the scale's indicators is indexed by the scale's general factor saturation. Seven techniques for estimating this parameter--omega[hierarchical] (omega[subscript h])--are compared in a series of simulated data sets. Primary comparisons were based on 160 artificial…

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…

This study compares the classification accuracy of linear discriminant analysis (LDA), quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA), logistic regression (LR), and classification and regression trees (CART) under a variety of data conditions. Past research has generally found comparable performance of LDA and LR, with relatively less research on QDA and…

Seance-room and other large-scale psychokinetic phenomena have fascinated humankind for decades. Experimental research has reduced these phenomena to attempts to influence (a) the fall of dice and, later, (b) the output of random number generators (RNGs). The meta-analysis combined 380 studies that assessed whether RNG output correlated with human…

A Monte Carlo simulation study was conducted to investigate the effects of sample size, estimation method, and model specification on structural equation modeling (SEM) fit indices. Based on a balanced 3x2x5 design, a total of 6,000 samples were generated from a prespecified population covariance matrix, and eight popular SEM fit indices were…

Expected a posteriori has a number of advantages over maximum likelihood estimation or maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation methods. These include ability estimates (thetas) for all response patterns, less regression towards the mean than MAP ability estimates, and a lower average squared error. R. D. Bock and R. J. Mislevy (1982) state that the…

This study focused on the robustness of unidimensional item response theory (UIRT) models in computerized classification testing against violation of the unidimensionality assumption. The study addressed whether UIRT models remain acceptable under various testing conditions and dimensionality strengths. Monte Carlo simulation techniques were used…

A large number of pairwise multiple comparisons (P-MCPs) have been introduced recently to the educational research community. The use of these P-MCPs with single group repeated measures data was studied through an exploratory Monte Carlo study of P-MCPs that have been shown to control different types of Type 2 error and Type 1 familywise error…

A Monte Carlo study was conducted to compare the efficiency of Listwise deletion, Pairwise deletion, Allvalue, and Samemean methods in estimating the correlation matrix from data that had randomly occurring missing values. The four methods were compared in a 3x3x4 factorial design representing sample size, proportion of incomplete records in the…

This study empirically investigated bootstrap bias estimation in the area of structural equation modeling (SEM). Three correctly specified SEM models were used under four different sample size conditions. Monte Carlo experiments were carried out to generate the criteria against which bootstrap bias estimation should be judged. For SEM fit indices,…

The effectiveness of Stout's procedure for assessing latent trait unidimensionality was studied. Strong empirical evidence of the utility of the statistical test in a variety of settings is provided. The procedure was modified to correct for increased bias, and a new algorithm to determine the size of assessment sub-tests was used. The following…

Transformations or equating of raw test scores on two or more forms of the same test are made interchangeable by empirical procedures deriving the standard error of an equipercentile equating for four different situations. Some numerical results are checked by Monte Carlo methods. Numerical standard errors are computed for two sets of real data.…