Effect of Multidimensional Ability Differences Across Groups of Examinees on Unidimensional Ability Estimation

Zhang and Stout (1999) have demonstrated that the unidimensional ability composite of a multidimensional test to be a standardized linear combination of multiple abilities. Both simulated test data and real ACT test data were used to investigate the effect on unidimensional ability estimates of a group of examinees that are dimensionally different from other groups of examinees. BILOG was used to estimate examinee abilities for each of the three group datasets separately, and also for the combined dataset. Estimated abilities of the same group of examinees based on separate model calibrations were equated and compared. These equated abilities were used to analyze their differences both at the group and individual level. The results based on simulated data indicate that examinee ability estimates for dimensionally different groups depended on the dataset used for estimation. Such a result may be attributed to the fact that the test dimensionality differed across simulated datasets. On the other hand, for real test data, in addition to examinee ability estimates, the ACT scale score differences were also investigated both at the group level and at the individual examinee level. The ACT scale scores of the examinees based on combined dataset were not much different from the ACT scale scores based on ethnic group specific datasets both at the group and individual level. Such a result may be attributed to the fact that the test dimensionalities did not differ that much across ethnic groups.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Khoju, Madhab Raj

Contributors dc:contributor

• Louis A. Roussos

• Education, Tests and Measurements

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3199044

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/79871