The Subject-Item Interaction in Itemmetric Research

Abstract

In their investigation of the relationship between item properties and test quality, itemmetricians rely too heavily upon inference about the nature of the subject-item interaction. Itemmetric research can be improved by employing data, specifying variables, and selecting an order of data analysis which are more directly related to this interaction. Some predicted relationships among certain item characteristics, response processes, instability of response, and nearness of subject and item on a trait continuum are used to compare the traditional and proposed approaches. Stronger relationships and clearer interpretations arise from the proposed approach.

An Item Response Theory Model for Incorporating Response Time Data in Binary Personality Items

“…In personality measurement, several authors (e.g., Eisenberg & Wesman, 1941;Kuncel, 1973Kuncel, , 1977Kuncel & Fiske, 1974;Tyler, 1968) have considered the following general hypothesis: The difficulty of responding to an item increases as the distance between the item and the respondent locations on the continuum of the trait that is measured (the person-item distance) decreases. Kuncel (1973) referred to this hypothesis as the ''nearness hypothesis.''…”

“…According to Nowakowska (1983), the difficulty of responding to an item can be objectively measured using two types of indicators: the stability of the response under repetition and the time required to respond to the item. Several studies have assessed the stability of the response under repetition by using a test-retest design (Eaton & Fiske, 1971;Kuncel, 1977;Kuncel & Fiske, 1974;Tyler, 1968). They were all based on the one-parameter logistic (Rasch) IRT model and provided fairly consistent results, which suggested that the item response becomes more unstable under repetition as the person-item distance decreases (Kuncel, 1977;Tyler, 1968).…”

Analysis of rating scales: A pervasive problem in bilingualism research and a solution with Bayesian ordinal models

“…Such tendencies and biases may also vary across tasks, populations, and individuals (Dawes, 2008;Kuncel, 1977;Schwarz, 1999). A striking example is that the relationship between self-ratings and objective measures of proficiency may vary as a function of language dominance and the particular languages used (Tomoschuk et al, 2019).…”

Modeling Asymmetry in the Time–Distance Relation of Ordinal Personality Items

“…For instance, Holden and Fekken (1991) correlated the sum scores of a personality test with the response times of the endorsed items (which are expected to be positive in the case of an inverted-U effect), and with the rejected items (which are expected to be negative in the case of an inverted-U effect). In addition, Ferrando (2006) and Kuncel (1977) used IRT models to estimate the distance between the item and the person, and analyzed the relation between these distances and response times using correlations and the nonparametric sign-test.…”

“…To make inferences about personality, properties of the item statement are separated from the properties of the person. Next, the person and item properties can be quantified on the same underlying personality trait dimension (e.g., Kuncel, 1977 ). Kuiper (1981) demonstrated that the discrepancy between the person and the item is related to the time needed by the subject to answer the item.…”