Search Results

open access

A Comparison of Traditional Norming and Rasch Quick Norming Methods

Description: The simplicity and ease of use of the Rasch procedure is a decided advantage. The test user needs only two numbers: the frequency of persons who answered each item correctly and the Rasch-calibrated item difficulty, usually a part of an existing item bank. Norms can be computed quickly for any specific group of interest. In addition, once the selected items from the calibrated bank are normed, any test, built from the item bank, is automatically norm-referenced. Thus, it was concluded that the … more
Date: August 1993
Creator: Bush, Joan Spooner
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Comparison of Two Differential Item Functioning Detection Methods: Logistic Regression and an Analysis of Variance Approach Using Rasch Estimation

Description: Differential item functioning (DIF) detection rates were examined for the logistic regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA) DIF detection methods. The methods were applied to simulated data sets of varying test length (20, 40, and 60 items) and sample size (200, 400, and 600 examinees) for both equal and unequal underlying ability between groups as well as for both fixed and varying item discrimination parameters. Each test contained 5% uniform DIF items, 5% non-uniform DIF items, and 5% com… more
Date: August 1995
Creator: Whitmore, Marjorie Lee Threet
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Construct Validation and Measurement Invariance of the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory for Educational Settings

Description: The present study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the revised version of the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI-28), following adjustment of the wording of items such that they were appropriate to assess Coping Skills in an educational setting. A sample of middle school students (n = 1,037) completed the revised inventory. An initial confirmatory factor analysis led to the hypothesis of a better fitting model with two items removed. Reliability of the subscales a… more
Date: May 2017
Creator: Sanguras, Laila Y., 1977-
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Generalization of the Logistic Discriminant Function Analysis and Mantel Score Test Procedures to Detection of Differential Testlet Functioning

Description: Two procedures for detection of differential item functioning (DIF) for polytomous items were generalized to detection of differential testlet functioning (DTLF). The methods compared were the logistic discriminant function analysis procedure for uniform and non-uniform DTLF (LDFA-U and LDFA-N), and the Mantel score test procedure. Further analysis included comparison of results of DTLF analysis using the Mantel procedure with DIF analysis of individual testlet items using the Mantel-Haenszel (… more
Date: August 1994
Creator: Kinard, Mary E.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

An Empirical Comparison of Random Number Generators: Period, Structure, Correlation, Density, and Efficiency

Description: Random number generators (RNGs) are widely used in conducting Monte Carlo simulation studies, which are important in the field of statistics for comparing power, mean differences, or distribution shapes between statistical approaches. Statistical results, however, may differ when different random number generators are used. Often older methods have been blindly used with no understanding of their limitations. Many random functions supplied with computers today have been found to be comparativel… more
Date: August 1995
Creator: Bang, Jung Woong
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Comparison of Three Criteria Employed in the Selection of Regression Models Using Simulated and Real Data

Description: Researchers who make predictions from educational data are interested in choosing the best regression model possible. Many criteria have been devised for choosing a full or restricted model, and also for selecting the best subset from an all-possible-subsets regression. The relative practical usefulness of three of the criteria used in selecting a regression model was compared in this study: (a) Mallows' C_p, (b) Amemiya's prediction criterion, and (c) Hagerty and Srinivasan's method involving … more
Date: December 1994
Creator: Graham, D. Scott
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Determination of the Optimal Number of Strata for Bias Reduction in Propensity Score Matching.

Description: Previous research implementing stratification on the propensity score has generally relied on using five strata, based on prior theoretical groundwork and minimal empirical evidence as to the suitability of quintiles to adequately reduce bias in all cases and across all sample sizes. This study investigates bias reduction across varying number of strata and sample sizes via a large-scale simulation to determine the adequacy of quintiles for bias reduction under all conditions. Sample sizes rang… more
Date: May 2010
Creator: Akers, Allen
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Hierarchical Regression Analysis of the Relationship Between Blog Reading, Online Political Activity, and Voting During the 2008 Presidential Campaign

Description: The advent of the Internet has increased access to information and impacted many aspects of life, including politics. The present study utilized Pew Internet & American Life survey data from the November 2008 presidential election time period to investigate the degree to which political blog reading predicted online political discussion, online political participation, whether or not a person voted, and voting choice, over and above the predication that could be explained by demographic measure… more
Date: December 2010
Creator: Lewis, Mitzi
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Influence of Item Response Theory and Type of Judge on a Standard Set Using the Iterative Angoff Standard Setting Method

Description: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of item response theory and different types of judges on a standard. The iterative Angoff standard setting method was employed by all judges to determine a cut-off score for a public school district-wide criterion-reformed test. The analysis of variance of the effect of judge type and standard setting method on the central tendency of the standard revealed the existence of an ordinal interaction between judge type and method. With… more
Date: August 1992
Creator: Hamberlin, Melanie Kidd
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Stratified item selection and exposure control in unidimensional adaptive testing in the presence of two-dimensional data.

Description: It is not uncommon to use unidimensional item response theory (IRT) models to estimate ability in multidimensional data. Therefore it is important to understand the implications of summarizing multiple dimensions of ability into a single parameter estimate, especially if effects are confounded when applied to computerized adaptive testing (CAT). Previous studies have investigated the effects of different IRT models and ability estimators by manipulating the relationships between item and person… more
Date: August 2009
Creator: Kalinowski, Kevin E.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Factors Influencing Difficult Special Education Referral Recommendations

Description: The present study is concerned with selected factors that may strongly influence classroom teachers to refer young children for possible placement in special classes when the children are functioning near the borderline for placement on the basis of intelligence test scores. Particular attention was given to the contribution of student attributes (i.e., sex, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, and classroom behavior) and teacher attributes (i.e., age, sex, ethnic background and teaching ex… more
Date: August 1975
Creator: Luckey, Robert E.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

How Attitudes towards Statistics Courses and the Field of Statistics Predicts Statistics Anxiety among Undergraduate Social Science Majors: A Validation of the Statistical Anxiety Scale

Description: The aim of this study was to validate an instrument that can be used by instructors or social scientist who are interested in evaluating statistics anxiety. The psychometric properties of the English version of the Statistical Anxiety Scale (SAS) was examined through a confirmatory factor analysis of scores from a sample of 323 undergraduate social science majors enrolled in colleges and universities in the United States. In previous studies, the psychometric properties of the Spanish and Itali… more
Date: August 2017
Creator: Obryant, Monique J
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Convergent Validity of Variables Residualized By a Single Covariate: the Role of Correlated Error in Populations and Samples

Description: This study examined the bias and precision of four residualized variable validity estimates (C0, C1, C2, C3) across a number of study conditions. Validity estimates that considered measurement error, correlations among error scores, and correlations between error scores and true scores (C3) performed the best, yielding no estimates that were practically significantly different than their respective population parameters, across study conditions. Validity estimates that considered measurement e… more
Date: May 2013
Creator: Nimon, Kim
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Outliers and Regression Models

Description: The mitigation of outliers serves to increase the strength of a relationship between variables. This study defined outliers in three different ways and used five regression procedures to describe the effects of outliers on 50 data sets. This study also examined the relationship among the shape of the distribution, skewness, and outliers.
Date: May 1992
Creator: Mitchell, Napoleon
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

An Empirical Investigation of Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference Test with Variance Heterogeneity and Unequal Sample Sizes, Utilizing Kramer's Procedure and the Harmonic Mean

Description: This study sought to determine the effect upon Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) statistic of concurrently violating the assumptions of homogeneity of variance and equal sample sizes. Two forms for the unequal sample size problem were investigated. Kramer's form and the harmonic mean approach were the two unequal sample size procedures studied. The study employed a Monte Carlo simulation procedure which varied sample sizes with a heterogeneity of variance condition. Four thousand ex… more
Date: May 1976
Creator: McKinney, William Lane
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Analysis of the Accumulation of Type II Error in Multiple Comparisons for Specified Levels of Power to Violation of Normality with the Dunn-Bonferroni Procedure: a Monte Carlo Study

Description: The study seeks to determine the degree of accumulation of Type II error rates, while violating the assumptions of normality, for different specified levels of power among sample means. The study employs a Monte Carlo simulation procedure with three different specified levels of power, methodologies, and population distributions. On the basis of the comparisons of actual and observed error rates, the following conclusions appear to be appropriate. 1. Under the strict criteria for evaluation of … more
Date: August 1989
Creator: Powers-Prather, Bonnie Ann
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Comparison of Three Correlational Procedures for Factor-Analyzing Dichotomously-Scored Item Response Data

Description: In this study, an improved correlational procedure for factor-analyzing dichotomously-scored item response data is described and tested. The procedure involves (a) replacing the dichotomous input values with continuous probability values obtained through Rasch analysis; (b) calculating interitem product-moment correlations among the probabilities; and (c) subjecting the correlations to unweighted least-squares factor analysis. Two simulated data sets and an empirical data set (Kentucky Comprehe… more
Date: May 1991
Creator: Fluke, Ricky
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Comparison of Two Criterion-Referenced Item-Selection Techniques Utilizing Simulated Data with Item Pools that Vary in Degrees of Item Difficulty

Description: The problem of this study was to examine the equivalency of two different types of criterion-referenced item-selection techniques on simulated data as item pools varied in degrees of item difficulty. A pretest-posttest design was employed in which pass-fail scores were randomly generated for item pools of twenty-five items. From the item pools, the two techniques determined which items were to be used to make up twelve-item criterion-referenced tests. The twenty-five items also were rank ordere… more
Date: May 1974
Creator: Davis, Robbie G.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Robustness of O'Brien's r Transformation to Non-Normality

Description: A Monte Carlo simulation technique was employed in this study to determine if the r transformation, a test of homogeneity of variance, affords adequate protection against Type I error over a range of equal sample sizes and number of groups when samples are obtained from normal and non-normal distributions. Additionally, this study sought to determine if the r transformation is more robust than Bartlett's chi-square to deviations from normality. Four populations were generated representing norma… more
Date: August 1985
Creator: Gordon, Carol J. (Carol Jean)
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Establishing the utility of a classroom effectiveness index as a teacher accountability system.

Description: How to identify effective teachers who improve student achievement despite diverse student populations and school contexts is an ongoing discussion in public education. The need to show communities and parents how well teachers and schools improve student learning has led districts and states to seek a fair, equitable and valid measure of student growth using student achievement. This study investigated a two stage hierarchical model for estimating teacher effect on student achievement. This me… more
Date: May 2002
Creator: Bembry, Karen L.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Effectiveness of a Mediating Structure for Writing Analysis Level Test Items From Text Based Instruction

Description: This study is concerned with the effect of placing text into a mediated structure form upon the generation of test items for analysis level domain referenced test construction. The item writing methodology used is the linguistic (operationally defined) item writing technology developed by Bormuth, Finn, Roid, Haladyna and others. This item writing methodology is compared to 1) the intuitive method based on Bloom's definition of analysis level test questions and 2) the intuitive with keywords id… more
Date: August 1989
Creator: Brasel, Michael D. (Michael David)
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Comparison of Three Methods of Detecting Test Item Bias

Description: This study compared three methods of detecting test item bias, the chi-square approach, the transformed item difficulties approach, and the Linn-Harnish three-parameter item response approach which is the only Item Response Theory (IRT) method that can be utilized with minority samples relatively small in size. The items on two tests which measured writing and reading skills were examined for evidence of sex and ethnic bias. Eight sets of samples, four from each test, were randomly selected fro… more
Date: May 1985
Creator: Monaco, Linda Gokey
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A comparison of traditional and IRT factor analysis.

Description: This study investigated the item parameter recovery of two methods of factor analysis. The methods researched were a traditional factor analysis of tetrachoric correlation coefficients and an IRT approach to factor analysis which utilizes marginal maximum likelihood estimation using an EM algorithm (MMLE-EM). Dichotomous item response data was generated under the 2-parameter normal ogive model (2PNOM) using PARDSIM software. Examinee abilities were sampled from both the standard normal and unif… more
Date: December 2004
Creator: Kay, Cheryl Ann
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Missing Data Treatments at the Second Level of Hierarchical Linear Models

Description: The current study evaluated the performance of traditional versus modern MDTs in the estimation of fixed-effects and variance components for data missing at the second level of an hierarchical linear model (HLM) model across 24 different study conditions. Variables manipulated in the analysis included, (a) number of Level-2 variables with missing data, (b) percentage of missing data, and (c) Level-2 sample size. Listwise deletion outperformed all other methods across all study conditions in t… more
Date: August 2011
Creator: St. Clair, Suzanne W.
Partner: UNT Libraries
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