Forced choice (FC) measures may be a desirable alternative to single stimulus (SS) Likert items, which are easier to fake and can have associated response biases. However, classical methods of scoring FC measures lead to ipsative data, which have a number of psychometric problems. A Thurstonian item response theory (TIRT) model has been introduced as a way to overcome these issues, but few empirical validity studies have been conducted to ensure its effectiveness. This was the goal of the current three studies, which used FC measures of domains from popular personality frameworks including the Big Five and HEXACO, and both statement and adjective item stems. We computed TIRT and ipsative scores and compared their validity estimates. Convergent and discriminant validity of the scores were evaluated by correlating them with SS scores, and test-criterion validity evidence was evaluated by examining their relationships with meaningful outcomes. In all three studies, there was evidence for the convergent and test-criterion validity of the TIRT scores, though at times this was on par with the validity of the ipsative scores. The discriminant validity of the TIRT scores was problematic and was often worse than the ipsative scores.

Irrational beliefs have been linked to negative unhealthy emotions that can contribute to occupational burnout. Maladaptive cognitive schemas, such as irrational beliefs, are theorized to interfere with an appraisal of the perceived balance of resources and demands. The aim of the current study is to investigate the extent to which irrational beliefs account for occupational burnout among high school teachers when considering school resources, job demands, and teacher characteristics. A sample of 79 high school teachers, primarily from New York and New Jersey, completed self‐report questionnaires measuring burnout, the perception of school demands and availability of resources, and irrational beliefs. Among school‐based characteristics, correlational analyses indicated that burnout was positively related to school demands (i.e., student disrespect and student lack of attentiveness) and negatively related to school resources (i.e., support from the administration and colleagues), supporting previous research findings. Among teacher characteristics, burnout was negatively related to self‐efficacy and positively related to irrational beliefs. Results from regression analyses indicated that, whereas irrational beliefs were predictive of teacher burnout, they did not moderate the relationship between demands and burnout. Implications, limitations, and directions for future directions for research are discussed.