ERIC Number: EJ977575
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Jan
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1531-7714
EISSN: N/A
Fixing the c Parameter in the Three-Parameter Logistic Model
Han, Kyung T.
Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, v17 n1 Jan 2012
For several decades, the "three-parameter logistic model" (3PLM) has been the dominant choice for practitioners in the field of educational measurement for modeling examinees' response data from multiple-choice (MC) items. Past studies, however, have pointed out that the c-parameter of 3PLM should not be interpreted as a guessing parameter. This study found logical, empirical evidence showing that neither the "a-", "b-", or "c-" parameters of 3PLM can accurately reflect the discrimination, difficulty, and guessing properties of an item, respectively. This study reconceptualized the problem-solving and guessing processes with a modification of the 3PLM that eliminates ambiguity in modeling the guessing process. A series of studies using various real and simulated data demonstrated that the suggested model, in which the c-parameters were fixed at a computed probability for successful random guessing (i.e., c = 1 / k with k being the number of options), could provide a more feasible, stable, and accurate item estimation solution without sacrificing the model fit compared with a typical 3PLM. (Contains 15 figures, 4 tables and 1 footnote.)
Descriptors: Statistical Analysis, Models, Multiple Choice Tests, Guessing (Tests), Problem Solving, Educational Testing, Goodness of Fit, Error of Measurement, Computation, Item Response Theory, Accuracy, Test Items, Difficulty Level
Center for Educational Assessment. 813 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01002. e-mail: pare@umass.edu; Tel: 413-577-2180; Web site: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/pare
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A

Peer reviewed
