PA 2 Flashcards
What is CTT?
Classical test theory
What model is CTT based on?
The True Score Model
What are the basic principles of the True Score Model, for an individual and for a population?
Individual: Observed Score (X) = True Score (T) + Error (E)
Population: Total variance = true variance + error variance
Define “error” in CTT
Error is the component of the observed score unrelated to test takers true ability or trait being measured
Define “reliability” in simple terms
Consistency in measurement
Define “reliability” in CTT
Reliability is the proportion of the total
variance attributed to true variance
What is the basic formula for reliability in CTT?
Reliability = True variance / Total variance (True variance + error variance)
Define systematic v random error
Systematic Error: Source of error that is constant, proportionate, predictable.
Random Error: Source of error that is unpredictable, inconsistent, unrelated i.e. noise.
List and define 4 types of possible measurement error
Test Construction: Variation due to differences in items on same test or between tests (i.e. item/content sampling).
Test Administration: Variation due to testing environment:
• Testtaker variables (e.g., stress, discomfort, lack of sleep)
• Examiner variables (e.g., demeanor).
Test Scoring and Interpretation
Sampling Error: representativeness of sample.
Methodological errors: poor training, unstandardized administration, unclear questions, biased questions.
What is IRT?
Item Response Theory
What is the core difference between CTT and IRT?
CTT assumes all item on a test have an equal ability to measure the underlying construct of interest.
IRT provides a way to model the probability that a person with a particular ability level will correctly answer a question that is “tuned” to that ability level.
Define “difficulty” and “discrimination” in IRT
Difficulty relates to an item not being easily accomplished, solved, or comprehended.
• Discrimination refers to the degree to which an item differentiates among people with higher or lower levels of the trait, ability, or construct being measured.
List 4 main types of reliability
Test‐retest reliability
Parallel and Alternate forms reliability
Internal consistency reliability
Interrater/interscorer reliability
What is test-retest reliability and how is it obtained?
An estimate of reliability over time.
Obtained by correlating pairs of scores from the same people doing the same test at different times.
Name situations where the test-retest is not recommended
Unstable variables (e.g. mood v personality) Too long between tests (reliability tends to decrease)
Define and distinguish between Parallel and Alternate Forms Reliability methods
- Parallel forms: Two versions of a test in which the means and variances of the test scores are equal.
- Alternate forms: two similar forms of a test, but they do not meet the strict requirement of parallel forms.
- In both cases, reliability obtained by correlating the scores of the same people using the different forms.
Define Split Half Reliability
Split‐half reliability: a measure of internal consistency, obtained by correlating two pairs of scores obtained from equivalent halves of a single test administered once.
Describe the 3 basic steps of Split Half Reliability method
- Step 1. Divide the test into two halves.
- Step 2. Correlate scores on the two halves of the test.
- Step 3. Generalise the half‐test reliability to the full‐test reliability using the Spearman‐Brown formula.
Define the Spearman‐Brown (S‐B) formula
S‐B formula allows one to estimate internal consistency reliability from a correlation between two halves of the one test, and predict reliability changes based on any number of measurement items
List and define 4 methods of estimating Internal Consistency
- Spearman‐Brown (S‐B) formula: correlation between two halves of the one test
- Inter‐item consistency/correlation: The degree of relatedness of items on a test - able to gauge the homogeneity of a test.
- Kuder‐Richardson formula 20: best choice for determining the inter‐item consistency of DICHOTOMOUS items.
- Coefficient (Cronbach’s) alpha: mean of all possible split‐half correlations, corrected by the Spearman‐Brown formula. The most popular approach for internal consistency. (Values range from 0 to 1)