Developed a sample-based nonanalytical degrees-of-freedom correction factor for situations sampling both subjects and conditions with measurement data departing from essentially parallel form. Assessed the application of this correction factor through a simulation study involving data sets with a range of design characteristics and manifesting…

Studied the effect of item parameter estimation for computation of linking coefficients for the test response function (TRF) linking/equating method. Simulation results showed that linking was more accurate when there was less error in the parameter estimates, and that 15 or 25 common items provided better results than 5 common items under both…

Structural aspects that relate the trivial machine, nontrivial machine, and the actor system are discussed. The term rationalism is discussed in terms of discourses that include or exclude those who participate in the debate. Subsequently, the author elaborates on the notion of reality and the meaning of the real world in relation to gaming,…

Discussion of computer-based simulations for business focuses on adding transparency through system dynamics techniques. Describes an experiment that evaluated the relevance and the effects of providing structural transparency to users of business simulators and suggests further research. (Contains 51 references.) (LRW)

Evaluated the use of Mallow's C(p) and Wherry's adjusted R squared (R. Wherry, 1931) statistics to select a final model from a pool of model solutions using computer generated data. Neither statistic identified the underlying regression model any better than, and usually less well than, the stepwise selection method, which itself was poor for…

Presents a Bayesian method for obtaining an interval estimate of the population squared multiple correlation from an incomplete multivariate normal data set. Estimates were constructed using Gibbs sampling. Simulation studies indicate that the method can yield accurate interval estimates of the population squared multiple correlation. (SLD)

Investigated the usefulness of multidimensional scaling (MDS) for assessing the dimensionality of dichotomous test data. Focused on two MDS proximity measures, one based on the PC statistic (T. Chen and M. Davidson, 1996) and other, on interitem Euclidean distances. Simulation results show that both MDS procedures correctly identify…

Presents and evaluates three estimators for "p," the proportion of success in predicting variable "Y," with nominal measurement, using predictor variables that also have nominal measurement. Showed through simulation that one estimator is always biased upward, and then proposed another possible estimator that involves using…

Considers the estimation of polynomial structural models and shows a limitation of an existing method. Introduces a new procedure, the generalized appended product indicator procedure, for nonlinear structural equation analysis. Addresses statistical issues associated with the procedure through simulation. (SLD)

Discusses problems in detecting nonlinear associations and investigates the use of two statistics for this purpose. Simulation results suggest that the Cramer-von Mises form of the test statistic is generally better than the Kolmogorov-Smirnov form. Discusses the power of this method. (SLD)

Examines the use of sample weights in latent variable models in the case where a simple random sample is drawn from a population containing a mixture of strata through a bootstrap simulation study. Results show that ignoring weights can lead to serious bias in latent variable model parameters and reveal the advantages of using sample weights. (SLD)

Investigated Type I error performances of the SIBTEST and Mantel-Haenszel procedures for detecting differential item functioning (DIF) using simulation. Results of small sample simulation show no large differences in Type I error performances for the two techniques. Discusses results of a second simulation which shows some advantages for SIBTEST.…

Examined the sampling distributions of equating coefficients produced by the characteristic curve method for tests using graded and nominal response scoring using simulated data. For both models and across all three equating situations, the sampling distributions were generally bell-shaped and peaked, and occasionally had a small degree of…

Considers P. Schonemann's simulation study in light of the multigroup principal component analysis model and interprets it as a study of the specificity of Spearman correlations, given model violations. Asserts that the Spearman correlation is a suboptimal test of Spearman's hypothesis and contends that an explicit model-based approach should be…

The shape of the latent trait distribution can be of considerable theoretical and methodological importance. A simulation study was performed to examine the distribution of the likelihood ratio statistic that was used to test for normality via Johnson curves, the power to detect deviations from normality, and the estimation properties of the item…