The effects on Rasch measurement of both response underfit (noise) and overfit (mutedness or superuniformity) are described and illustrated. Misfit is identified by mean-square fit statistics. Person separation and reliability are shown to be deceptive indicators of measurement effectiveness when some items exhibit marked overfit. Theoretical…

F. Samejima (1973) proposed a continuous response model in which item response is on a continuous scale rather than some discrete levels. This model has potential because in many psychological and educational assessments, the responses are on a conceptual continuum rather than on some fixed levels. As a first step toward studying the applicability…

Traditionally, the test score represented by the number of items answered correctly was taken as an indicator of the examinee's ability level. Researchers still tend to think that the number-correct score is a way of ordering individuals with respect to the latent trait. The objective of this study is to depict the benefits of using ability…

The success of applications of item response theory (IRT) depends upon the properties of the estimates of model parameters. Many theoretical properties of these estimates have been extensively studied. However, the properties of estimates obtained empirically from real data depend not only on the theoretical results, but also on the data and the…

Projects to develop an automated item banking and test development system have been undertaken on several occasions at the Air Force Human Resources Laboratory (AFHRL) throughout the past 10 years. Such a system permits the construction of tests in far less time and with a higher degree of accuracy than earlier test construction procedures. This…

In the process of item calibration for a computerized adaptive test (CAT), many well-established calibrating packages show weakness in the estimation of item parameters. This paper introduces an on-line calibration algorithm based on the convexity of likelihood functions. This package consists of: (1) an algorithm that estimates examinee ability…

In this paper it is shown that various violations of the two parameter logistic (2PL) model can be evaluated using the Lagrange multiplier test (J. Aitchison and S. Silvey, 1958) or the equivalent difference score test. The tests focus on violation of local stochastic independence and insufficient capture of the form of the item characteristic…

Seven specific guidelines included in the taxonomy proposed by T. Haladyna and S. Downing (1998) for writing multiple-choice test items were evaluated. These specific guidelines are: (1) avoid the complex multiple-choice, K-type format; (2) state the stem in question format; (3) word the stem positively; (4) avoid the phrase "all of the…

Sequential probability ratio testing (PRT), which usually is applied in situations requiring a decision between two simple hypotheses or a single decision point, is extended to include situations involving k decision points and [(k + 1)-choose-2] sets of simultaneous, simple hypotheses, where k>1. The multiple-decision point or…

Looking beyond the overall effectiveness of sensory stimulation, this study aimed to identify specific aspects of infant behavior most responsive to early stimulation. Subjects were 65 premature infants with a birth weight of less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces and a gestational age under 37 weeks. Experimental group members had completed a multimodal…

Multinomial-response models are available that correspond implicitly to tests in which a total score is computed as the sum of polytomous item scores. For these models, joint and conditional estimation may be considered in much the same way as for the Rasch model for right-scored tests. As in the Rasch model, joint estimation is only attractive if…

This study examines how closely the kernel equating (KE) method (von Davier, Holland, & Thayer, 2004a) approximates the results of other observed-score equating methods--equipercentile and linear equatings. The study used pseudotests constructed of item responses from a real test to simulate three equating designs: an equivalent groups (EG)…

The development and validation of the English-Spanish Verbatim Translation Exam (ESVTE) is described. The test is for use by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the selection of applicants for the positions of Language Specialist or Contract Linguist. The report is divided into eight sections. Section 1 describes the need for the test,…

Three main facets have been postulated to interactively comprise the student achievement complex. These include the student's motivational make-up, study behaviors and strategies, and cognitive and self-management demands with student study activities. This investigation is a subset of a series of studies on personality correlates, study…

A model of test item dependency is presented and used to illustrate the effect that violations of local independence have on the behavior of item characteristic curves. The dependency model is flexible enough to simulate the interaction of a number of factors including item difficulty and item discrimination, varying degrees of item dependence,…