The rule-space methodology is an application of statistical pattern-recognition techniques to diagnosing the cognitive attributes (knowledge, skills, abilities, strategies, etc.) underlying test performance. The methodology provides diagnostic information on individual test-takers on each of these attributes. We used the methodology to analyze performance on a multiple-choice reading comprehension test. Based on a literature search, we hypothesized a set of 27 potentially important attributes. We carried out 4 rulespace analyses of test results for 5,000 Japanese who had taken the reading section of the TOEIC. We modified the set of attributes, deleted attributes, and identified interactions to arrive at the most parsimonious set with the maximum explanatory power. The final analysis contained 423
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.