Item response theory (IRT) is currently the dominant methodological paradigm in educational and psychological measurement. IRT models are based on assumptions about the relationship between latent traits and observed responses, so the accuracy of the methodology depends heavily on the reasonableness of these assumptions. This dissertation consists…

My dissertation research explored responder behaviors (e.g., demonstrating response styles, carelessness, and possessing misconceptions) that compromise psychometric quality and impact the interpretation and use of assessment results. Identifying these behaviors can help researchers understand and minimize their potentially construct-irrelevant…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were significant statistical differences between scores on constructed response and computer-scorable questions on an accelerated middle school math placement test in a large urban school district in Ohio, and to ensure that all students have an opportunity to take the test. Five questions on a…

In educational and psychological assessments, attending to item response process can be useful in understanding and improving the validity of measurement. This dissertation consists of three studies each of which proposes and applies item response theory (IRT) methods for modeling and understanding cognitive/psychological response process in…

Response style, one common aberrancy in non-cognitive assessments in psychological fields, is problematic in terms of inaccurate estimation of item and person parameters, which leads to serious reliability, validity, and fairness issues (Baumgartner & Steenkamp, 2001; Bolt & Johnson, 2009; Bolt & Newton, 2011). Response style refers to…

One way that examinees can gain an unfair advantage on a test is by having prior access to the test questions and their answers, known as preknowledge. Determining which examinees had preknowledge can be a difficult task. Sometimes, the compromised test content that examinees use to get preknowledge has mistakes in the answer key. Examinees who…

Psychologists have become increasingly interested in the intra-individual variability of psychological measures as a meaningful distinguishing characteristic of persons. Assessments of intra-individual variability are frequently based on the repeated administration of self-report rating scale instruments, and extreme response style (ERS) has the…

Data mining has been successfully used by financial and retail companies since the mid-1960's to create predictive models and reveal unexpected relationships. However, it remains underutilized as a tool in educational research. Large-scale standardized assessment programs such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)…

Today's Millennials, the first generation to reach their majority in this millennium, often compartmentalize their faith lives from their social and work lives. MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) offers a course in Spiritual Formation once each spring. The enrollment for this elective course ranges from twelve to eighteen students per class.…

Cross-national comparisons of responses to survey items are often affected by response style, particularly extreme response style (ERS). ERS varies across cultures, and has the potential to bias inferences in cross-national comparisons. For example, in both PISA and TIMSS assessments, it has been documented that when examined within countries,…

The identification of patterned responding in unmotivated test takers was investigated through the formation of a novel method. The proposed method relied on marginal proportions of answer choice options as well as the transitional proportions between responses on item pairs. A chi square analysis was used to determine the degree of significance…

The combination of a weak economy with a corresponding decline in tax revenue has created deficits in state and local budgets which adversely affect the financial stability of community colleges. This leaves community colleges struggling to continue to provide education in support of their missions. To provide a source of alternative revenue,…

Although social justice advocacy has increasingly been acknowledged as important in the field of psychology (e.g., Goodman et al., 2004; Toporek et al., 2006a, Vera & Speight, 2003), there is a dearth of empirical research examining social justice advocacy across graduate psychology students. This mixed-methods study examined demographic and…