Items

Test fairness is a moral imperative for both the makers and the users of tests. This book focuses on methods for detecting test items that function differently for different groups of examinees and on using this information to improve tests. Of interest to all testing and measurement specialists, it examines modern techniques used routinely to insure test fairness. Three of these relevant to the book's contents are: * detailed reviews of test items by subject matter experts and members of the major subgroups in society (gender, ethnic, and linguistic) that will be represented in the examinee population * comparisons of the predictive validity of the test done separately for each one of the major subgroups of examinees * extensive statistical analyses of the relative performance of major subgroups of examinees on individual test items.

The Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery is a relatively new neurodiagnostic test, and there is a growing demand for material on the more advanced aspects of its interpretation. This book, organized around the theoretical meaning of items, the empirical correlations between items, and the factor structure of the individual scales, is a first response to that demand. It will serve to give greater understanding of the psychological skills that underlie each item on the Luria-Nebraska battery—an understanding prerequisite to the techniques of “syndrome analysis” described in the writings of A. R. Luria—and it will be particularly useful to those who have limited experience with actual case material. The major part of the book is an analysis of each Luria-Nebraska scale, either item by item or as a unit. For each scale the authors examine the theoretical intent of the items and the underlying skills according to Luria’s theory. They then present the results of item interrelations analysis to determine whether the items tap common skills. Finally they describe the factor structure of the various scales, exploring the interrelations of items within each scale. In addition to analyzing the behavioral scales of the Luria-Nebraska battery, the book reviews a number of other empirical scales that further aid interpretation—particularly the experimental localization scales that tap focal deficits in specific areas of the brain. Also included are case histories that illustrate the process of diagnosis in patients who receive a series of Luria-Nebraska batteries over the course of their treatment. Finally, the authors briefly discuss subcortical disorders—an issue often ignored in clinical neuropsychological testing.

Item response theory (IRT) has moved beyond the confines of educational measurement into assessment domains such as personality, psychopathology, and patient-reported outcomes. Classic and emerging IRT methods and applications that are revolutionizing psychological measurement, particularly for health assessments used to demonstrate treatment effectiveness, are reviewed in this new volume. World renowned contributors present the latest research and methodologies about these models along with their applications and related challenges. Examples using real data, some from NIH-PROMIS, show how to apply these models in actual research situations. Chapters review fundamental issues of IRT, modern estimation methods, testing assumptions, evaluating fit, item banking, scoring in multidimensional models, and advanced IRT methods. New multidimensional models are provided along with suggestions for deciding among the family of IRT models available. Each chapter provides an introduction, describes state-of-the art research methods, demonstrates an application, and provides a summary. The book addresses the most critical IRT conceptual and statistical issues confronting researchers and advanced students in psychology, education, and medicine today. Although the chapters highlight health outcomes data the issues addressed are relevant to any content domain. The book addresses: IRT models applied to non-educational data especially patient reported outcomes Differences between cognitive and non-cognitive constructs and the challenges these bring to modeling. The application of multidimensional IRT models designed to capture typical performance data. Cutting-edge methods for deriving a single latent dimension from multidimensional data A new model designed for the measurement of constructs that are defined on one end of a continuum such as substance abuse Scoring individuals under different multidimensional IRT models and item banking for patient-reported health outcomes How to evaluate measurement invariance, diagnose problems with response categories, and assess growth and change. Part 1 reviews fundamental topics such as assumption testing, parameter estimation, and the assessment of model and person fit. New, emerging, and classic IRT models including modeling multidimensional data and the use of new IRT models in typical performance measurement contexts are examined in Part 2. Part 3 reviews the major applications of IRT models such as scoring, item banking for patient-reported health outcomes, evaluating measurement invariance, linking scales to a common metric, and measuring growth and change. The book concludes with a look at future IRT applications in health outcomes measurement. The book summarizes the latest advances and critiques foundational topics such a multidimensionality, assessment of fit, handling non-normality, as well as applied topics such as differential item functioning and multidimensional linking. Intended for researchers, advanced students, and practitioners in psychology, education, and medicine interested in applying IRT methods, this book also serves as a text in advanced graduate courses on IRT or measurement. Familiarity with factor analysis, latent variables, IRT, and basic measurement theory is assumed.

Item response theory (IRT) is a latent variable modeling approach used to minimize bias and optimize the measurement power of educational and psychological tests and other psychometric applications. Designed for researchers, psychometric professionals, and advanced students, this book clearly presents both the "how-to" and the "why" of IRT. It describes simple and more complex IRT models and shows how they are applied with the help of widely available software packages. Chapters follow a consistent format and build sequentially, taking the reader from model development through the fit analysis and interpretation phases that one would perform in practice. The use of common empirical data sets across the chapters facilitates understanding of the various models and how they relate to one another.

Volumes include: Statutory record.