Test theory : a unified treatment / Roderick P. McDonald.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McDonald, Roderick P.

Contributor:

Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Psychology--Statistical methods.

Psychology.

Psychometrics.

Social sciences--Statistical methods.

Social sciences.

Physical Description:

xi, 485 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Mahwah, N.J. : L. Erlbaum Associates, [1999]

Summary:

This book introduces the reader to the main quantitative concepts, methods, and computational techniques needed for the development, evaluation, and application of tests in the behavioral/social sciences, including educational tests. Two empirical examples are carried throughout to illustrate alternative methods. Other data sets are used for special illustrations. Self-contained programs for confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis are available on the Web. Intended for students of psychology, particularly educational psychology, as well as social science students interested in how tests are constructed and used, prerequisites include a course on statistics. The programs and data files for this book can be downloaded from www.psypress.com/test-theory/

Contents:

2 Items and Item Scores 17

Item Types 18

Item Scores and Test Scores 26

Some Philosophical Considerations 29

3 Item and Test Statistics 32

Binary Item Statistics 32

Quantitative Item Statistics 45

Test Scores 49

4 The Concept of a Scale 55

5 Reliability Theory for Total Test Scores 62

The True-Score Model for Test Scores 64

Applications of the Model 68

6 Test Homogeneity, Reliability, and Generalizability 76

Homogeneity and the Single-Factor Model 77

The Reliability of a Homogeneous Test 87

Coefficient Alpha and the Spearman-Brown Formula 90

Binary Data 97

Some Principles of Generalizability 103

7 Reliability

Applications 121

Test Length and Reliability 121

Scale and Reliability 126

Estimating and Bounding a True Score 128

Problems of Attenuation 133

Error in Difference Scores 136

8 Prediction and Multiple Regression 141

Bivariate Regression 142

Multiple Regression 145

Some Properties of Estimates 154

Selection of Predictor Variables 156

Partial Covariance and Correlation 157

An Empirical Example 159

9 The Common Factor Model 167

The Multiple-Factor Model

By Example 168

General 177

Higher Order and Hierarchical Factors 188

The Rotation Problem 191

The Analysis of Correlation Matrices 193

10 Validity 197

Item Content and Test Score Validation 200

Internal Psychometric Analysis 206

Convergent and Discriminant Validity 211

Multitrait-Multimethod Matrices 213

Concurrent Validity and Predictive Utility 222

11 Classical Item Analysis 231

Item-Test Relations 231

Test Statistics 239

Item Correlations 243

12 Item Response Models 248

Item Response Functions 249

The Principle of Local Independence 255

Item Factor Analysis 257

Estimating Item Parameters 260

13 Properties of Item Response Models 270

The Concept of a Score 271

Information and the Linear Item Response Model 274

Information and Measurement Error in Item Response Models 280

The One-, Two-, and Three-Parameter Logistic Models 288

Formula Scores and Transformations 298

14 Multidimensional Item Response Models 309

A Multidimensional Item Response Model 310

Information Functions and Measurement Error 315

Measuring Validity of Binary Items 321

15 Comparing Populations 325

Quantitative Responses 329

Binary Items 339

16 Alternate Forms and the Problem of Equating 347

Equivalence of Test Forms 349

Matching Test Forms 351

The Problem of Test Equating 356

17 An Introduction to Structural Equation Modeling 367

Measuring Cause-Effect Relations 368

The Conventions of Structural Equation Modeling 371

Path Analysis Without Common Factors 377

Path Analysis With Common Factors 398

18 Some Scaling Theory 408

Fundamental Properties of Measurements 409

Coombs's Theory of Data 419

Some Scaling Models and Methods 422

19 Retrospective 443

Appendix A. Some Rules for Expected Values 453.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 469-475) and indexes.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

ISBN:

0805830758

OCLC:

40979927