This inquiry had 2 components: (1) the first was substantive and focused on the comparability of paper-based and computer-based test forms and (2) the second was a within-study comparison wherein a quasi-experimental method, propensity score matching, was compared with a credible benchmark method, a within-subjects design. The tests used in the…

Differential item functioning (DIF) occurs when an item on a test or questionnaire has different measurement properties for 1 group of people versus another, irrespective of mean differences on the construct. This study focuses on the use of multiple-indicator multiple-cause (MIMIC) structural equation models for DIF testing, parameterized as item…

Cattell's scree test and Bartlett's chi-square test for the number of factors to be retained from a factor analysis are shown to be based on the same rationale, with the former reflecting subject sampling variability, and the latter reflecting variable sampling variability. (Author/JKS)

Demonstrates the use of the well-known Bayes factor in the Bayesian literature for hypothesis testing and model comparison in general two-level structural equation models. Shows that the proposed method is flexible and can be applied to situations with a wide variety of nonnested models. (SLD)

A general statistical model for the multivariate analysis of mean and covariance structures is described. Matrix calculus is used to develop the statistical aspects of one new special case in detail. This special case separates the confounding of principal components and factor analysis. (DEP)

Suppose P to the subpower of 1 and P to the subpower of 2 are two competing discrimination procedures. To compare the relative discriminatory power of both procedures, test statistics are suggested for the hypothesis that P to the subpower of 1 and P to the subpower of 2 performed no better than random assignment versus the alternative that P to…

Five methods for testing the hypothesis of independence between two sets of variates were compared through simulation. Results indicate that two new methods, based on robust measures reflecting the linear association between two random variables, provide reasonably accurate control over Type I errors. Drawbacks to rank-based methods are discussed.…

The empirical performance under null/alternative hypotheses of the likelihood ratio difference test (LRDT); Lagrange Multiplier test (evaluating the impact of model modification with a specific model); and Wald test (using a general model) were compared. The new tests for covariance structure analysis performed as well as did the LRDT. (RLC)

To assess problems in hypothesis testing and model comparisons based on normed indices caused by latent class models with sparse contingency tables, a simulation was carried out investigating the distributions of the likelihood ratio statistic, the Pearson statistic chi-square, and a new goodness of fit statistic. (SLD)

A quantitative ethogram was developed for the zebra finch, using one-zero focal animal sampling on an ethologically comprehensive checklist of 52 behavioral items, and it was assessed for interobserver reliability and construct validity. Applying the quantitative methods of psychometrics allows verification of ethological theory and testing of…

The approximate degrees of freedom Welch-James (WJ) and Brown-Forsythe (BF) procedures for testing within-subjects effects in multivariate groups by trials repeated measures designs were investigated under departures from covariance homogeneity and normality. Empirical Type I error and power rates were obtained for least-squares estimators and…