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Rise And Shine: A Comparison Of Item Fit Statistics For The Rasch Model, Glenn T. Waterbury

Dissertations, 2020-current

The Rasch model implies that the relation between examinee ability and the probability of correctly answering an item can be defined solely by a small set of parameters. In the case of Rasch modeling, there are only two parameters: the ability of an examinee and the difficulty of an item. When the data meet the requirements of the Rasch model, it possesses several appealing properties that distinguish it from Classical Test Theory and more complex Item Response Theory models.

However, the desirable properties of the Rasch model only exist when the data meet its strict requirements. Therefore, it is vital …

Screening For Dementia: An Examination Of Subscale Relative Importance, Emily F. Matusz

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Approximately 13 percent of the American population are 65 years of age or older (Vincent & Velkof, 2010). Of these 48 million older adults, roughly 5.3 million have received a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (Alzheimer’s Association, 2017). As the awareness of AD continues to heighten, so does the push for increased cognitive screening to identify signs of abnormal aging. However, important considerations pertaining to scale development or weighting procedures applied during the test development process remain unclear, as they are often not reported in testing manuals. The current study presents a statistically derived scoring algorithm for a brief …

Retrospective Versus Prospective Measurement Of Examinee Motivation In Low-Stakes Testing Contexts: A Moderated Mediation Model, Aaron J. Myers

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Expectancy-value theory applied to examinee motivation suggests examinees’ perceived value of a test indirectly affects test performance via examinee effort. This empirically supported indirect effect, however, is often modeled using importance and effort scores measured after test completion, which does not align with their theoretically specified temporal order. Retrospectively measured importance and effort scores may be influenced by examinees’ test performance, impacting the estimate of the indirect effect. To investigate the effect of timing of measurement, first-year college students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions where (1) importance and effort were measured retrospectively; (2) importance was measured prospectively; …

Addressing Serial-Order And Negative-Keying Effects: A Mixed-Methods Study, Jerusha J. Gerstner

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Researchers have studied item serial-order effects on attitudinal instruments by considering how item-total correlations differ based on the item’s placement within a scale (e.g., Hamilton & Shuminsky, 1990). In addition, other researchers have focused on item negative-keying effects on attitudinal instruments (e.g., Marsh, 1996). Researchers consistently have found that negatively-keyed items relate to one another above and beyond their relationship to the construct intended to be measured. However, only one study (i.e., Bandalos & Coleman, 2012) investigated the combined effects of serial-order and negative-keying on attitudinal instruments. Their brief study found some improvements in fit when attitudinal items were presented …

Gathering Validity Evidence For The Community Service-Learning Assessment Test (Csat), Tanja N. Waugh

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Service-learning grew out of the philosophy that effective education should be experiential in nature (Giles & Eyler, 1994b). Alternative Break programs are steeped in this philosophy. Participation in many Alternative Break programs involves the immersion of students in a week-long service trip during academic breaks. Measurement of student learning outcomes is important in determining the effectiveness of these experiential programs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Community Service-learning Assessment Test (CSAT) and to gather construct validity evidence for the CSAT’s five sub-scales: civic action, interpersonal problem-solving, social justice, interpersonal relationships, and personal competency. …

Measuring Cost: The Forgotten Component Of Expectancy Value Theory, Jessica Kay Flake

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Abstract Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT) (Eccles et al., 1983) offers one of the most influential models for understanding motivation. One component of this theory, cost, can be defined as how much a student has to sacrifice to engage in a task. However, EVT researchers appear to have forgotten the component of cost. Though cost has been theorized as an important component of EVT, empirical work has neglected to measure and study it (Wigfield & Cambria, 2010). As a result, cost and its relationship with student outcomes is largely unknown (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000). The focus of the current study is to …

Examining The Bricks And Mortar Of Socioeconomic Status: An Empirical Comparison Of Measurement Methods, Ross Markle

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on educational outcomes has been widely demonstrated in the fields of sociology, psychology, and educational research. Across these fields however, measurement models of SES vary, including single indicators (parental income, education, and occupation), multiple indicators, hierarchical models, and most often, an SES composite provided by the National Center for Educational Statistics. This study first reviewed the impact of SES on outcomes in higher education, followed by the various ways in which SES has been operationalized. In addition, research highlighting measurement issues in SES research was discussed. Next, several methods of measuring SES were used …

Evaluation Of The Psychometric Properties Of The Emotion Regulation Scale, Bebhinn Martha Timmins

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common childhood disorder effecting 3-7% of school aged children and accounting for 30-50% of mental health referrals. Recent research in the area of emotional regulation has found that youth with ADHD have more difficulty regulating emotion than youth without ADHD. This is unfortunate, as emotional dysregulation has been linked to psychopathology, poor social functioning, substance abuse and suicide. Given this information, it is extremely important that measurement of emotion regulation is adequate because without good measurement it is impossible to improve our understanding of how emotional regulation is developed, maintained and how …