Chapter 6

Question 1

Theoretically, all items are randomly chosen from what?

Answer 1

A universe of item content.

Question 2

Give four advantages of the dichotomous format? (4)

Answer 2

Simplicity, ease of administration, and quick scoring.

Question 3

Give two disadvantages of the dichotomous format? (2)

Answer 3

Shades of gray and memorisation.

Question 4

How does the polytomous format work?

Answer 4

A point is given for selecting one of the alternatives.

Question 5

Give another name for polytomous.

Answer 5

Polychotomous.

Question 6

How many choices does each item have in a polytomous format?

Answer 6

More than two.

Question 7

Give an example of a polytomous format.

Answer 7

Multiple choice.

Question 8

What is a distractor?

Answer 8

In a multiple choice test, the incorrect responses.

Question 9

What is the golden amount of multiple choice items?

Answer 9

3.

Question 10

How can poorly written distractors adversely affect the quality of a test?

Answer 10

They enable guessing of the correct answer, reducing reliability and validity.

Question 11

When are students more likely to guess?

Answer 11

When they anticipate a low score on a test.

Question 12

What is the guessing threshold?

Answer 12

The chances that a low-ability test taker will obtain each score.

Question 13

People change ratings depending on what?

Answer 13

Context.

Question 14

What is the Q-Sort used for?

Answer 14

Describing yourself or others.

Question 15

What is item analysis?

Answer 15

A set of methods used to evaluate test items.

Question 16

For a test that measures achievement or ability, how is item difficulty defined?

Answer 16

The number of people who get a particular item correct.

Question 17

What is the first thing a test constructor needs to determine?

Answer 17

The probability that an item could be answered by chance alone.

Question 18

Items in the difficulty range of what maximise information about individual differences?

Answer 18

.30-.70

Question 19

What does assessment of item discriminability determine?

Answer 19

Whether people who have done well on particular items have done well on the whole test.

Question 20

How does the extreme group method work?

Answer 20

It compares people who have done well with those who have done poorly.

Question 21

What is the discrimination index?

Answer 21

The difference between proportions within the extreme group method.

Question 22

How does the point biserial method work?

Answer 22

Find the correlation between performance on an item and performance on the test.

Question 23

What is the correlation between a dichotomous variable and a continuous variable called?

Answer 23

A point biserial correlation.

Question 24

Why is the point biserial correlation problematic on tests with only a few items?

Answer 24

Performance on the item contributes to the total test score.

Question 25

What are the advantages of IRT? (4)

Answer 25

Builds on traditional methods of item analysis, provides information on item functioning, the value of specific items, and the reliability of the scale.

Question 26

What does it mean if a test is peaked conventional?

Answer 26

It has the majority of the items at or near an average level of difficulty.

Question 27

What does it mean if a test is rectangular conventional?

Answer 27

Test items are selected to create a wide range in level of difficulty.

Question 28

What does a criterion-referenced test compare performance with?

Answer 28

Criteria for learning.