Development of a Self Report Stress Scale Using Item Response Theory-I: Item Selection, Formation of Factor Structure and Examination of Its Psychometric Properties

Prior investigations indicate that the five core personality dimensions (the “Big Five”) are measurable by middle childhood. The aim of this research was to examine the psychometric properties of a short-form self-report measure of the Big Five personality dimensions in children that would be suitable for administration online in large population-based studies. Twenty-five questionnaire items in English, derived from the 65-item Big Five Questionnaire for Children in Italian (Barbaranelli, Caprara, Rabasca, & Pastorelli, 2003), were completed online by 27,415 Australian children in Year 6 (mean age 11.92 years). An item response theory approach evaluated the psychometric properties and resolved a 20-item short-form questionnaire. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the Big Five structure. Construct validity was demonstrated via correlations between Big Five scores and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire subscales (Goodman, 2001). The 20 items provide a brief, reliable, and valid child self-report measure of the Big Five personality dimensions.

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When less is more: reducing redundancy in mental health and psychosocial instruments using Item Response Theory

Global Mental Health ◽

10.1017/gmh.2019.30 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Emily E. Haroz ◽

Jeremy C. Kane ◽

Amanda J. Nguyen ◽

Judith K. Bass ◽

Laura K. Murray ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Item Response Theory ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Item Response ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Self Report ◽

Response Theory ◽

Less Is More ◽

Stress Scale

Abstract Background There is a need for accurate and efficient assessment tools that cover a range of mental health and psychosocial problems. Existing, lengthy self-report assessments may reduce accuracy due to respondent fatigue. Using data from a sample of adults enrolled in a psychotherapy randomized trial in Thailand and a cross-sectional sample of adolescents in Zambia, we leveraged Item Response Theory (IRT) methods to create brief, psychometrically sound, mental health measures. Methods We used graded-response models to refine scales by identifying and removing poor performing items that were not well correlated with the underlying trait, and by identifying well-performing items at varying levels of a latent trait to assist in screening or monitoring purposes. Results In Thailand, the original 17-item depression scale was shortened to seven items and the 30-item Posttraumatic Stress Scale (PTS) was shortened to 10. In Zambia, the Child Posttraumatic Stress Scale (CPSS) was shortened from 17 items to six. Shortened scales in both settings retained the strength of their psychometric properties. When examining longitudinal intervention effects in Thailand, effect sizes were comparable in magnitude for the shortened and standard versions. Conclusions Using Item Response Theory (IRT) we created shortened valid measures that can be used to help guide clinical decisions and function as longitudinal research tools. The results of this analysis demonstrate the reliability and validity of shortened scales in each of the two settings and an approach that can be generalized more broadly to help improve screening, monitoring, and evaluation of mental health and psychosocial programs globally.

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Construction and psychometric properties of a computer memory battery using classical test theory and item response theory

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e578442014-080 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Aristides Ferreira

Keyword(s):

Item Response Theory ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Item Response ◽

Classical Test Theory ◽

Test Theory ◽

Computer Memory ◽

Response Theory ◽

Classical Test

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The Revised Mood Rhythm Instrument: A Large Multicultural Psychometric Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10030388 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 388

Author(s):

Melissa Alves Braga de Oliveira ◽

Euclides de Mendonça Filho ◽

Alicia Carissimi ◽

Luciene Lima dos Santos Garay ◽

Marina Scop ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Factor Analysis ◽

Item Response Theory ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Item Response ◽

Response Theory ◽

Item Response Theory Analysis ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Psychometric Analyses ◽

Self Reporting Questionnaire

Background: Recent studies with the mood rhythm instrument (MRhI) have shown that the presence of recurrent daily peaks in specific mood symptoms are significantly associated with increased risk of psychiatric disorders. Using a large sample collected in Brazil, Spain, and Canada, we aimed to analyze which MRhI items maintained good psychometric properties across cultures. As a secondary aim, we used network analysis to visualize the strength of the association between the MRhI items. Methods: Adults (n = 1275) between 18–60 years old from Spain (n = 458), Brazil (n = 415), and Canada (n = 401) completed the MRhI and the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20). Psychometric analyses followed three steps: Factor analysis, item response theory, and network analysis. Results: The factor analysis indicated the retention of three factors that grouped the MRhI items into cognitive, somatic, and affective domains. The item response theory analysis suggested the exclusion of items that displayed a significant divergence in difficulty measures between countries. Finally, the network analysis revealed a structure where sleepiness plays a central role in connecting the three domains. These psychometric analyses enabled a psychometric-based refinement of the MRhI, where the 11 items with good properties across cultures were kept in a shorter, revised MRhI version (MRhI-r). Limitations: Participants were mainly university students and, as we did not conduct a formal clinical assessment, any potential correlations (beyond the validated SRQ) cannot be ascertained. Conclusions: The MRhI-r is a novel tool to investigate self-perceived rhythmicity of mood-related symptoms and behaviors, with good psychometric properties across multiple cultures.

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AUTOMATED ITEM SELECTION USING ITEM RESPONSE THEORY*

ETS Research Report Series ◽

10.1002/j.2333-8504.1991.tb01375.x ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 1991 (1) ◽

pp. i-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Martha L. Stocking ◽

Len Swanson ◽

Mari Pearlman

Keyword(s):

Item Response Theory ◽

Item Response ◽

Item Selection ◽

Response Theory

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Diagnosing the GOSE: Structural and Psychometric Properties Using Item Response Theory, a TRACK-TBI Pilot Study

Journal of Neurotrauma ◽

10.1089/neu.2018.5998 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (17) ◽

pp. 2493-2505 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jana Ranson ◽

Brooke E. Magnus ◽

Nancy Temkin ◽

Sureyya Dikmen ◽

Joseph T. Giacino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Item Response Theory ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Item Response ◽

Response Theory

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PMH56 FITTING ITEM RESPONSE THEORY MODEL TO DETERMINE THE PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF KESSLER PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS SCALE AMONG WOMEN WHO EXCHANGE SEX

Value in Health ◽

10.1016/j.jval.2020.04.672 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 ◽

pp. S210

Author(s):

O. Mgbere ◽

F. Tabassam ◽

Z. Lopez ◽

M. McNeese ◽

S. Khuwaja ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Item Response Theory ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Item Response ◽

Theory Model ◽

Response Theory ◽

Exchange Sex ◽

Psychological Distress Scale ◽

Distress Scale ◽

Kessler Psychological Distress Scale

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Psychometric Properties of the Shipley Block Design Task: A Study With Jamaican Young Adults

Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment ◽

10.1177/0734282916643439 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 35 (5) ◽

pp. 506-520 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

A. Alexander Beaujean ◽

Darrell M. Hull ◽

Yanyan Sheng ◽

Frank C. Worrell ◽

Judy Bolen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Item Response Theory ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Cognitive Ability ◽

Item Response ◽

Block Design ◽

Response Theory ◽

Design Task ◽

Single Construct ◽

Block Design Subtest

We examined the structure of the new Block Patterns (BP) test from the Shipley Institute of Living Scale–Second Edition in a sample of Jamaican young adults. To date, very little has been published on the properties of this subtest’s items and scores. The BP test is similar in design to the Block Design subtest found in many cognitive ability assessments but uses a matching format that minimizes the need for excess materials and time. We analyzed the BP items using item response theory (IRT) methods. Although designed to measure a single construct, the analyses from this study found that the BP subtest is likely measuring more than a single construct, which confounds the interpretation of the instrument’s scores. Before the subtest is used clinically, more research should be done to purposefully investigate the effects of ancillary variables on its scores.

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