Multilevel structural equation (MSEM) models allow researchers to model latent factor structures at multiple levels simultaneously by decomposing within- and between-group variation. Yet the extent to which the sampling ratio (i.e., proportion of cases sampled from each group) influences the results of MSEM models remains unknown. This paper…

Recent research has suggested that re-setting the standard for each administration of a small sample examination, in addition to the high cost, does not adequately maintain similar performance expectations year after year. Small-sample equating methods have shown promise with samples between 20 and 30. For groups that have fewer than 20 students,…

Traditional observed variable multilevel models for evaluating indirect effects are limited by their inability to quantify measurement and sampling error. They are further restricted by being unable to fully separate within- and between-level effects without bias. Doubly latent models reduce these biases by decomposing the observed within-level…

The Bayesian way of accounting for the effects of error in the ability and item parameters in adaptive testing is through the joint posterior distribution of all parameters. An optimized Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for adaptive testing is presented, which samples this distribution in real time to score the examinee's ability and optimally…

Temporality-driven covariate classification had limited impact on: the specification of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) by 85 novice analysts (medical undergraduates); or the risk of bias in DAG-informed multivariable models designed to generate causal inference from observational data. Only 71 students (83.5%) managed to complete the…

The finite population correction (FPC) factor is often used to adjust variance estimators for survey data sampled from a finite population without replacement. As a replicated resampling approach, the jackknife approach is usually implemented without the FPC factor incorporated in its variance estimates. A paradigm is proposed to compare the…

Two families of analysis methods can be used for differential item functioning (DIF) analysis. One family is DIF analysis based on observed scores, such as the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) and the standardized proportion-correct metric for DIF procedures; the other is analysis based on latent ability, in which the statistic is a measure of departure from…

This computer simulation study evaluates the robustness of the nonparametric Levene test of equal variances (Nordstokke & Zumbo, 2010) when sampling from populations with unequal (and unknown) means. Testing for population mean differences when population variances are unknown and possibly unequal is often referred to as the Behrens-Fisher…

Traditional psychometric guidelines suggest that at least several hundred respondents are needed to obtain accurate parameter estimates under the Rasch model. However, recent research indicates that Rasch equating results in accurate parameter estimates with sample sizes as small as 25. Item parameter drift under the Rasch model has been…

In this study, the efficiency of various random sampling methods to reduce the number of items rated by judges in an Angoff standard-setting study was examined and the methods were compared with each other. Firstly, the full-length test was formed by combining Placement Test 2012 and 2013 mathematics subsets. After then, simple random sampling…

Within psychology and the social sciences, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression is one of the most popular techniques for data analysis. In order to ensure the inferences from the use of this method are appropriate, several assumptions must be satisfied, including the one of constant error variance (i.e. homoskedasticity). Most of the training…

The aim of this study was to compare, by simulation, the accuracy of mapping a cut-score from one test to another by expert judgement (using the Angoff method) versus the accuracy with a small-sample equating method (chained linear equating). As expected, the standard-setting method resulted in more accurate equating when we assumed a higher level…

Predictability of behavior is an important characteristic in many fields including biology, medicine, marketing, and education. When a sequence of actions performed by an individual can be modeled as a stationary time-homogeneous Markov chain the predictability of the individual's behavior can be quantified by the entropy rate of the process. This…

When an assessment undergoes changes to the administration or instrument, bridge studies are typically used to try to ensure comparability of scores before and after the change. Among the most common and powerful is the common population linking design, with the use of a linear transformation to link scores to the metric of the original…

The analysis of variance (ANOVA) F test is a commonly used method to test the mean equality among two or more populations. A critical assumption of ANOVA is homogeneity of variance (HOV), that is, the compared groups have equal variances. Although it is encouraged to test HOV as part of the regular ANOVA procedure, the efficacy of the initial HOV…