In this article, we emphasize that the Rasch model is not only very useful for psychological test calibration but is also necessary if the number of solved items is to be used as an examinee's score. Simplified proof that the Rasch model implies specific objective parameter comparisons is given. Consequently, a model check per se is possible. For…

In psychometrics, it is often the case that one encounters data that may not be considered random but selected in a systematic way according to some explanatory variable. In this article, maximum likelihood estimation is considered when data are supposed to arise from a bivariate normal distribution that is truncated in an extreme way. Two methods…

We introduce a family of goodness-of-fit statistics for testing composite null hypotheses in multidimensional contingency tables. These statistics are quadratic forms in marginal residuals up to order "r." They are asymptotically chi-square under the null hypothesis when parameters are estimated using any asymptotically normal consistent…

Work teams sometimes include individuals with low levels of reading proficiency. Traditional team assessment instruments may not be suitable for use with such teams. A well-known teamwork instrument, the Team Excellence survey (LaFasto & Larson, 1987), was simplified to enhance readability. Fifty-two participants completed both the original and…

This is a reaction to Borsboom's (2006) discussion paper on the issue that psychology takes so little notice of the modern developments in psychometrics, in particular, latent variable methods. Contrary to Borsboom, it is argued that latent variables are summaries of interesting data properties, that construct validation should involve studying…

The accurate measurement of examinee test performance is critical to educational decision-making, and inaccurate measurement can lead to negative consequences for examinees. Person-fit statistics are important in a psychometric analysis for detecting examinees with aberrant response patterns that lead to inaccurate measurement. Unfortunately,…

Group-level parametric and non-parametric item response theory models were applied to the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS[R]) 2.0 core items in a sample of 35,572 Medicaid recipients nested within 131 health plans. Results indicated that CAHPS responses are dominated by within health plan variation, and only weakly…

This article provides the first demonstration of a reliable second-order conditioning (SOC) effect in human causal learning tasks. It demonstrates the human ability to infer relationships between a cause and an effect that were never paired together during training. Experiments 1a and 1b showed a clear and reliable SOC effect, while Experiments 2a…

A decision-theoretic approach to the question of reliability in categorically scored examinations is explored. The concepts of true scores and errors are discussed as they deviate from conventional psychometric definitions and measurement error in categorical scores is cast in terms of misclassifications. A reliability measure based on…

By analyzing the Fisher information allotted to the correct response of a Rasch binary item, Huynh (1994) established the response probability criterion 0.67 (RP67) for standard settings based on bookmarks and item mapping. The purpose of this note is to help clarify the conceptual and psychometric framework of the RP criterion.

Items of mental rotation tests can not only be solved by mental rotation but also by other solution strategies. A multigroup latent class analysis of 24 items of the Mental Rotations Test (MRT) was conducted in a sample of 1,695 German pupils and students to find out how many solution strategies can be identified for the items of this test. The…

Ainley and Patrick describe an assessment process designed to "identify self-regulation in action." In the spirit of this goal, the author offers three suggestions for providing a more holistic and contextual view of self-regulation. These suggestions include (a) expanding the definition of self-regulation used in their studies; (b) measuring…

Nine unique meaning constructs were derived from a content analysis of free essays written by 85 mourners in response to the question, "What does the death of your loved one mean to you?" These constructs were then treated as predictor variables in a quantitative analysis of several indices of bereavement adjustment including (a) risk factors of…

The Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) is a five-factor personality trait model designed for assessing personality pathology using quantitative dimensions. Harkness, McNulty, and Ben-Porath developed Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) scales based on the PSY-5 model, and these scales were recently added to the standard…

The psychometric properties of the Acceptance of Coercive Sexual Behavior (ACSB), a multimedia measure of adolescent dating attitudes, were examined. The ACSB is an interactive instrument that uses video vignettes to depict adolescent dating situations. Analyses of the measure's factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and…