ERIC Number: EJ1432628
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Aug
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1644
EISSN: EISSN-1552-3888
An Illustration of an IRTree Model for Disengagement
Educational and Psychological Measurement, v84 n4 p810-834 2024
Low-stakes test performance commonly reflects examinee ability and effort. Examinees exhibiting low effort may be identified through rapid guessing behavior throughout an assessment. There has been a plethora of methods proposed to adjust scores once rapid guesses have been identified, but these have been plagued by strong assumptions or the removal of examinees. In this study, we illustrate how an IRTree model can be used to adjust examinee ability for rapid guessing behavior. Our approach is flexible as it does not assume independence between rapid guessing behavior and the trait of interest (e.g., ability) nor does it necessitate the removal of examinees who engage in rapid guessing. In addition, our method uniquely allows for the simultaneous modeling of a disengagement latent trait in addition to the trait of interest. The results indicate the model is quite useful for estimating individual differences among examinees in the disengagement latent trait and in providing more precise measurement of examinee ability relative to models ignoring rapid guesses or accommodating it in different ways. A simulation study reveals that our model results in less biased estimates of the trait of interest for individuals with rapid responses, regardless of sample size and rapid response rate in the sample. We conclude with a discussion of extensions of the model and directions for future research.
Descriptors: College Students, Guessing (Tests), Multiple Choice Tests, Item Response Theory, Student Motivation, Academic Ability, Learner Engagement, Test Results, True Scores, Test Validity
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A