Item Response Theory For Creativity Measurement

This Element aims to provide an overview of classical test theory, an introduction to IRT and its core concepts, a practical strategic approach to IRT modeling, example applications of this strategy from creativity research and the associated advantages and ideas for future work.

Item-response theory (IRT) represents a key advance in measurement theory. Yet, it is largely absent from curricula, textbooks and popular statistical software, and often introduced through a subset of models. This Element, intended for creativity and innovation researchers, researchers-in-training, and anyone interested in how individual creativity might be measured, aims to provide 1) an overview of classical test theory (CTT) and its shortcomings in creativity measurement situations (e.g., fluency scores, consensual assessment technique, etc.); 2) an introduction to IRT and its core concepts, using a broad view of IRT that notably sees CTT models as particular cases of IRT; 3) a practical strategic approach to IRT modeling; 4) example applications of this strategy from creativity research and the associated advantages; and 5) ideas for future work that could advance how IRT could better benefit creativity research, as well as connections with other popular frameworks.

The measurement theories considered in this book fall into a sub-area of psychometrics. These theories are concerned with the specifications of rules for transforming individuals' responses to items on a psychological test or scale into estimates of the trait assumed to underlie the observable responses. Discussed is a particular class of measurement theories generally called item response theory or latent trait theory. This book is designed for those individuals involved in programs of applied testing and measurement whose efforts occasionally bring them into contact with the law and public policy.

Theory and Practice of Creativity Measurement explores important and fascinating topics related to the assessment of creativity. An introductory chapter provides an overview of numerous measures to assess the multiple dimensions of creativity and addresses the parameters to be considered when evaluating the quality of the available instruments, as well as the steps to be taken in their administration and interpretation. The next six chapters each describe an instrument designed to assess a variable related to creativity, such as obstacles to personal creativity, classroom climate for creativity, creativity in mathematics, and creativity strategies at the work setting. These instruments may be used in the school context or in the workplace for diagnostic purposes and for planning intervention strategies to facilitate the development and expression of the capacity to create. The book offers numerous insights that may be a source of inspiration for researchers in the area, unveiling new possibilities for research and promotion of creativity.

This comprehensive Handbook focuses on the most used polytomous item response theory (IRT) models. These models help us understand the interaction between examinees and test questions where the questions have various response categories. The book reviews all of the major models and includes discussions about how and where the models originated, conceptually and in practical terms. Diverse perspectives on how these models can best be evaluated are also provided. Practical applications provide a realistic account of the issues practitioners face using these models. Disparate elements of the book are linked through editorial sidebars that connect common ideas across chapters, compare and reconcile differences in terminology, and explain variations in mathematical notation. These sidebars help to demonstrate the commonalities that exist across the field. By assembling this critical information, the editors hope to inspire others to use polytomous IRT models in their own research so they too can achieve the type of improved measurement that such models can provide. Part 1 examines the most commonly used polytomous IRT models, major issues that cut across these models, and a common notation for calculating functions for each model. An introduction to IRT software is also provided. Part 2 features distinct approaches to evaluating the effectiveness of polytomous IRT models in various measurement contexts. These chapters appraise evaluation procedures and fit tests and demonstrate how to implement these procedures using IRT software. The final section features groundbreaking applications. Here the goal is to provide solutions to technical problems to allow for the most effective use of these models in measuring educational, psychological, and social science abilities and traits. This section also addresses the major issues encountered when using polytomous IRT models in computerized adaptive testing. Equating test scores across different testing contexts is the focus of the last chapter. The various contexts include personality research, motor performance, health and quality of life indicators, attitudes, and educational achievement. Featuring contributions from the leading authorities, this handbook will appeal to measurement researchers, practitioners, and students who want to apply polytomous IRT models to their own research. It will be of particular interest to education and psychology assessment specialists who develop and use tests and measures in their work, especially researchers in clinical, educational, personality, social, and health psychology. This book also serves as a supplementary text in graduate courses on educational measurement, psychometrics, or item response theory.

Theory and Practice of Creativity Measurement explores important and fascinating topics related to the assessment of creativity. An introductory chapter provides an overview of numerous measures to assess the multiple dimensions of creativity and addresses the parameters to be considered when evaluating the quality of the available instruments, as well as the steps to be taken in their administration and interpretation. The next six chapters each describe an instrument designed to assess a variable related to creativity, such as obstacles to personal creativity, classroom climate for creativity, creativity in mathematics, and creativity strategies at the work setting. These instruments may be used in the school context or in the workplace for diagnostic purposes and for planning intervention strategies to facilitate the development and expression of the capacity to create. The book offers numerous insights that may be a source of inspiration for researchers in the area, unveiling new possibilities for promotion of creativity.

This new text provides the most current coverage of measurement and psychometrics in a single volume. Authors W. Holmes Finch and Brian F. French first review the basics of psychometrics and measurement, before moving on to more complex topics such as equating and scaling, item response theory, standard setting, and computer adaptive testing. Also included are discussions of cutting-edge topics utilized by practitioners in the field, such as automated test development, game-based assessment, and automated test scoring. This book is ideal for use as a primary text for graduate-level psychometrics/measurement courses, as well as for researchers in need of a broad resource for understanding test theory. Features: "How it Works" and "Psychometrics in the Real World" boxes break down important concepts through worked examples, and show how theory can be applied to practice. End-of-chapter exercises allow students to test their comprehension of the material, while suggested readings and website links provide resources for further investigation. A collection of free online resources include the full output from R, SPSS, and Excel for each of the analyses conducted in the book, as well as additional exercises, sample homework assignments, answer keys, and PowerPoint lecture slides.

The measurement models employed to score tests have been evolving over the past century from those that focus on the entire test (true score theory) to models that focus on individual test items (item response theory) to models that use small groups of items (testlets) as the fungible unit from which tests are constructed and scored (testlet response theory, or TRT). In this book, the inventors of TRT trace the history of this evolution and explain the character of modern TRT. Written for researchers and professionals in statistics, psychometrics, and educational psychology, the first part offers an accessible introduction to TRT and its applications. The second part presents a comprehensive, self-contained discussion of the model couched within a fully Bayesian framework. Its parameters are estimated using Markov chain Monte Carlo procedures, and the resulting posterior distributions of the parameter estimates yield insights into score stability that were previously unsuspected.