Toward a Definition of the Difficulty of a Personality Item

1973 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. B. Rogers

Convergence among several indices of personality-item difficulty was assessed. Controversiality, item response variance, response time, and difficulty ratings showed consistent convergence, while ambiguity did not. Variance analyses indicated that the usual item-statistic approach (collapsing over Ss) results in the loss of considerable variance from the original item X persons data matrix.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 6048
Author(s):  
Jaroslav Melesko ◽  
Simona Ramanauskaite

Feedback is a crucial component of effective, personalized learning, and is usually provided through formative assessment. Introducing formative assessment into a classroom can be challenging because of test creation complexity and the need to provide time for assessment. The newly proposed formative assessment algorithm uses multivariate Elo rating and multi-armed bandit approaches to solve these challenges. In the case study involving 106 students of the Cloud Computing course, the algorithm shows double learning path recommendation precision compared to classical test theory based assessment methods. The algorithm usage approaches item response theory benchmark precision with greatly reduced quiz length without the need for item difficulty calibration.


2020 ◽  
pp. 026921552098172
Author(s):  
Niall M Broomfield ◽  
Robert West ◽  
Allan House ◽  
Theresa Munyombwe ◽  
Mark Barber ◽  
...  

Objective: To evaluate, psychometrically, a new measure of tearful emotionalism following stroke: Testing Emotionalism After Recent Stroke – Questionnaire (TEARS-Q). Setting: Acute stroke units based in nine Scottish hospitals, in the context of a longitudinal cohort study of post-stroke emotionalism. Subjects: A total of 224 clinically diagnosed stroke survivors recruited between October 1st 2015 and September 30th 2018, within 2 weeks of their stroke. Measures: The measure was the self-report questionnaire TEARS-Q, constructed based on post-stroke tearful emotionalism diagnostic criteria: (i) increased tearfulness, (ii) crying comes on suddenly, with no warning (iii) crying not under usual social control and (iv) crying episodes occur at least once weekly. The reference standard was presence/absence of emotionalism on a diagnostic, semi-structured post-stroke emotionalism interview, administered at the same assessment point. Stroke, mood, cognition and functional outcome measures were also completed by the subjects. Results: A total of 97 subjects were female, with a mean age 65.1 years. 205 subjects had sustained ischaemic stroke. 61 subjects were classified as mild stroke. TEARS-Q was internally consistent (Cronbach’s alpha 0.87). TEARS-Q scores readily discriminated the two groups, with a mean difference of −7.18, 95% CI (−8.07 to −6.29). A cut off score of 2 on TEARS-Q correctly identified 53 of the 61 stroke survivors with tearful emotionalism and 140 of the 156 stroke survivors without tearful emotionalism. One factor accounted for 57% of the item response variance, and all eight TEARS-Q items acceptably discriminated underlying emotionalism. Conclusion: TEARS-Q accurately diagnoses tearful emotionalism after stroke.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunsoo Lee ◽  
Ji Hoon Song ◽  
Soo Jung Kim

Purpose This paper aims to validate the Korean version of the decent work scale and examine the relationship between decent work and work engagement. Design/methodology/approach After completing translation and back translation, the authors surveyed 266 Korean employees from various organizations via network sampling. They assessed Rasch’s model based on item response theory. In addition, they used classical test theory to evaluate the decent work scale’s validity and reliability. Findings The authors found that the current version of the decent work scale has good validity, reliability and item difficulty, and decent work has a positive relationship with work engagement. However, based on item response theory, the assessment showed that three of the items are extremely similar to another item within the same dimension, implying that the items are unable to discriminate among individual traits. Originality/value This study validated the decent work scale in a Korean work environment using Rasch’s (1960) model from the perspective of item response theory.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Fitzgerald Ehrich ◽  
Steven J. Howard ◽  
Sahar Bokosmaty ◽  
Stuart Woodcock

The accurate measurement of the cognitive load a learner encounters in a given task is critical to the understanding and application of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). However, as a covert psychological construct, cognitive load represents a challenging measurement issue. To date, this challenge has been met mostly by subjective self-reports of cognitive load experienced in a learning situation. In this paper, we find that a valid and reliable index of cognitive load can be obtained through item response modeling of student performance. Specifically, estimates derived from item response modeling of relative difficulty (i.e., the difference between item difficulty and person ability locations) can function as a linear measure that combines the key components of cognitive load (i.e., mental load, mental effort, and performance). This index of cognitive load (relative difficulty) was tested for criterion (concurrent) validity in Year 2 learners (N = 91) performance on standardized educational numeracy and literacy assessments. Learners’ working memory (WM) capacity significantly predicted our proposed cognitive load (relative difficulty) index across both numeracy and literacy domains. That is, higher levels of WM were related to lower levels of cognitive load (relative difficulty), in line with fundamental predictions of CLT. These results illustrate the validity, utility and potential of this objective item response modeling approach to capturing individual differences in cognitive load across discrete learning tasks.


Healthcare ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Rantala ◽  
Lina Behm ◽  
Helena Rosén

Quality within all areas of healthcare should be systemically monitored and ensured. However, the definition of quality is complex and diverse. In the ambulance service (AS), quality has traditionally been defined as response time, but this measurement eliminates the possibility of addressing other characteristics of quality, such as the care provided. This study aimed to explore what constitutes quality in the context of the ambulance service as experienced by ambulance clinicians, physicians, and managers. A focus group study was conducted with 18 participants. The three focus groups were analyzed with the focus group method developed by Kreuger and Casey. The participants highlighted patient involvement, information and care, as well as adherence to policies, regulations, and their own standards as representing quality in the AS. This study demonstrates that quality is in the eye of the beholder. As quality seems to be viewed similarly by patients and ambulance clinicians, physicians, and managers, stakeholders should aim for a paradigm shift where patients’ experience of the care is just as important as various time measures.


2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciana Weiler ◽  
Augusto Ferrari ◽  
Jocelia Grazia

Phylogenetic analyses of the 13 species of the subgenusLyciptabased on morphological characters were performed under equal and implied weighting, following the method of Mirande (2009). Species fromDichelops,Ladeaschistus,Proxys,Spinalanx,Euschistus(Euschistus) andEuschistus(Mitripus) were included as outgroups, and the tree rooted onCarpocoris. Sixty-five morphological characters were coded in the data matrix. The cladistic analyses did not recover the monophyly of the subgenusLycipta. A clade was supported based on characters of the pygophore and female ectodermal ducts strengthening a new definition ofEuschistus(Lycipta). One species,Euschistus monrosi, was excluded from the subgenus and transferred to the nominal subgenus.Euschistus(Lycipta) species are distributed in two Neotropical subregions: Brazilian (Pará, Rondônia and Yungas provinces) and Chacoan (Pampean, Atlantic, Parana andAraucariaForests and Puna provinces). Biogeographical analyses of spatial vicariance were performed employing different sets of parameters and allowed to identify five disjunctions nodes.


1999 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis A. Roussos ◽  
Deborah L. Schnipke ◽  
Peter J. Pashley

The present study derives a general formula for the population parameter being estimated by the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) differential item functioning (DIF) statistic. Because the formula is general, it is appropriate for either uniform DIF (defined as a difference in item response theory item difficulty values) or nonuniform DIF; and it can be used regardless of the form of the item response function. In the case of uniform DIF modeled with two-parameter-logistic response functions, the parameter is well known to be linearly related to the difference in item difficulty between the focal and reference groups. Even though this relationship is known to not strictly hold true in the case of three-parameter-logistic (3PL) uniform DIE the degree of the departure from this relationship has not been known and has been generally believed to be small By evaluating the MH DIF parameter, we show that for items of medium or high difficulty, the parameter is much smaller in absolute value than expected based on the difference in item difficulty between the two groups. These results shed new light on results from previous simulation studies that showed the MH DIF statistic has a tendency to shrink toward zero with increasing difficulty level when used with 3PL data.


2001 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl T. Beck ◽  
Robert K. Gable

The benefits of item response theory (IRT) analysis in obtaining empirical support for construct validity make it an essential step in the instrument development process. IRT analysis can result in finer construct interpretations that lead to more thorough descriptions of low- and high-scoring respondents. A critical function of IRT is its ability to determine the adequacy with which the attitude continuum underlying each dimension is assessed by the respective items in an instrument. Many nurse researchers, however, are not reaping the benefits of IRT in the development of affective instruments. The purpose of this article is to familiarize nurse researchers with this valuable approach through a description of the Facets computer program. Facets uses a one parameter (i.e., item difficulty) Rasch measurement model. Data from a survey of 525 new mothers that assessed the psychometric properties of the Postpartum Depresssion Screening Scale are used to illustrate the Facets program. It is hoped that IRT will gain increased prominence in affective instrument development as more nurse researchers become aware of computer programs such as Facets to assist in analysis.


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