Using the Rasch model for ordered categories, this paper provides a method for qualitative interpretations of data from an affective measure such as an attitude scale. This maximum information approach provides explicit qualitative information about the meaning of a score on the latent trait being assessed. (SLD)

Used a suite of Rasch measurement techniques to meet competing demands in establishing statewide benchmarks relating to the School Opinion Survey carried out over 1,200 government schools in 1 Australian state. Solutions to a variety of measurement and reporting problems were all found within the Rasch family of models. (SLD)

Illustrates incremental item banking using health-related quality of life data collected from two samples of patients receiving cancer treatment (n=1,755 and n=1,544). Results support findings from previous studies that have equated separate instruments by co-calibrating their items. (SLD)

Developed an empirical strategy for transforming ordinal counts and percentages to interval scale measures by recoding them as ordered categories and estimating Rasch model scale parameters. Demonstrated the strategy for a neighborhood construct defined by 8 characteristics of 77 Chicago, Illinois, neighborhoods. (SLD)

Studied the extent to which the INFIT and OUTFIT item fit statistics in WINSTEPS detect violations of the invariance property of Rasch measurement models. The analysis, based on a large number of high school students, shows that relying solely on INFIT and OUTFIT to assess model fit would cause the researcher to miss an important threat to…

Designed a questionnaire and created a scale measuring studying and learning based on motivation with items answered from ideal, "capability," and studying and learning behavior perspectives. Results for 372 Australian college students support the view that striving for excellence, desire to learn, and personal incentives are important academic…

Used Rasch analytic procedures to study item bias or differential item functioning in both dichotomous and scalar items on a test of English for academic purposes. Results for 139 college students on a pilot English language test model the approach and illustrate the measurement challenges posed by a diagnostic instrument to measure English…

Describes a technique for obtaining item parameters of the Rasch model, a technique in which the item parameters are extracted from the eigenvectors of a matrix derived from comparisons between pairs of items. Describes advantages of this technique, which can be applied to both dichotomous and polytomous data. (SLD)

Studied the results provided by two strategies for fitting data to Latent Trait Theory models, Total-Persons-Items (TPI) and Total-Items-Persons (TIP). To assess these strategies, 30 items measuring religious attitudes were administered to 821 persons. Results show that TPI maximizes the number of persons with good fit, and TIP maximizes the…

Compared three developmental stage scoring systems in analyzing judgment interviews with 209 children and adults. Scoring systems were: (1) the Standard Issue Scoring System (A. Colby and L. Kohlberg, 1987); (2) the Good Life Scoring System (C. Armon, 1984); and (3) the Hierarchical Complexity Scoring System (M. Commons and others, 2000).…

Conducted a Rasch analysis of the psychometric qualities of the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP; G. Girolami and S. Campbell, 1994) for the purpose of reducing the length of the test while maintaining its precision as a measurement device. Using scores from 1,732 tests, the TIMP was reduced to 42 items to form a functional motor scale for…

Extended work in comparing item fit statistics and principal component analysis as tools for assessing the unidimensionality requirements of Rasch models and demonstrated methods to explore how violations of the unidimensionality requirement influence person measurement through 2 studies involving simulated rating scale data and responses to a…

Traces the historical development of the understanding of the term "measurement" by researchers in the social sciences, and the development and use of one-way and two-way analysis of variance by researchers in the social sciences are described and evaluated. (SLD)

Used Rasch measurement to study the psychometric properties of data obtained from a newly developed Diabetes Questionnaire designed to measure diabetes knowledge, attitudes, and self-care. Responses of 26 diabetes patients to the English version of the questionnaire and 24 patients to the Spanish version support the cross-form equivalence and…

Presents empirically based item selection guidelines for moving the cut score on equated tests consisting of "n" dichotomous items calibrated assuming the Rasch model. Derivations of lemmas that underlie the guidelines are provided as well as a simulated example. (SLD)