In international achievement studies, questionnaires typically ask about the presence of particular household assets in students' homes. Responses to the assets questions are used to compute a total score, which is intended to represent household wealth in models of test performance. This study uses item analysis and confirmatory factor analysis…

Outlines a covariance structure analysis approach to the study of parameter trends. Uses the program RAMONA to illustrate the method by fitting a corresponding confirmatory factor analysis model to correlational data from a study involving several psychometric tests and fluid intelligence tasks. (SLD)