Psychometric Principles and Analysis Flashcards
7 cards from real CBT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Psychometric Principles and Analysis flashcards as text
A test developer notices that item difficulty values (p-values) cluster around 0.90 for most items. What is the primary concern?
Answer: Items are too easy, reducing score variance and reliability
When most items have p-values near 0.90, nearly everyone answers correctly, compressing score variance and lowering reliability coefficients.
Which of the following best describes a 'speeded test' in psychometric terms?
Answer: A test where time limits prevent most examinees from attempting all items
A speeded test is one in which the time limit is short enough that few or no examinees complete all items, so speed itself influences scores.
In confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), a chi-square goodness-of-fit test yields p = 0.40. What does this suggest?
Answer: The model fits the data well since the result is non-significant
A non-significant chi-square (p > .05) in CFA indicates the model-implied covariance matrix does not significantly differ from the observed matrix, suggesting acceptable fit.
What is the purpose of an anchor item set in an equating study?
Answer: To provide common reference items that link two different test forms
Anchor items appear on both the old and new test forms and serve as a statistical bridge to place scores from different forms on a common scale.
A researcher reports Cronbach's alpha = 0.55 for a 5-item scale. Which action would most directly increase this reliability estimate?
Answer: Adding more items that measure the same construct
The Spearman-Brown prophecy formula shows that adding parallel items measuring the same construct increases the number of inter-item covariances and raises alpha.
Under Item Response Theory, what does the 'c' parameter in the three-parameter logistic (3PL) model represent?
Answer: Lower asymptote representing guessing probability
The c parameter, or pseudo-guessing parameter, sets the lower asymptote of the item characteristic curve, representing the probability of a correct response for very low-ability examinees.
Which validity evidence type is most directly assessed by examining a test's factor structure?
Answer: Internal structure validity
According to AERA/APA/NCME Standards, evidence based on internal structure (e.g., factor analysis) evaluates whether item relationships align with the proposed construct.