Background. A 10-question screening scale of psychological distress and a six-question short-form scale embedded within the 10-question scale were developed for the redesigned US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Methods. Initial pilot questions were administered in a US national mail survey (N fl 1401). A reduced set of questions was subsequently administered in a US national telephone survey (N fl 1574). The 10-question and six-question scales, which we refer to as the K10 and K6, were constructed from the reduced set of questions based on Item Response Theory models. The scales were subsequently validated in a two-stage clinical reappraisal survey (N fl 1000 telephone screening interviews in the first stage followed by N fl 153 face-to-face clinical interviews in the second stage that oversampled first-stage respondents who screened positive for emotional problems) in a local convenience sample. The second-stage sample was administered the screening scales along with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). The K6 was subsequently included in the 1997 (N fl 36116) and 1998 (N fl 32440) US National Health Interview Survey, while the K10 was included in the 1997 (N fl 10641) Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being. Results. Both the K10 and K6 have good precision in the 90th‐99th percentile range of the population distribution (standard errors of standardized scores in the range 0‐20‐0‐25) as well as consistent psychometric properties across major sociodemographic subsamples. The scales strongly discriminate between community cases and non-cases of DSM-IV}SCID disorders, with areas under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve of 0‐87‐0‐88 for disorders having Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores of 0‐70 and 0‐95‐0‐96 for disorders having GAF scores of 0‐50. Conclusions. The brevity, strong psychometric properties, and ability to discriminate DSM-IV cases from non-cases make the K10 and K6 attractive for use in general-purpose health surveys. The scales are already being used in annual government health surveys in the US and Canada as well as in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. Routine inclusion of either the K10 or K6 in clinical studies would create an important, and heretofore missing, crosswalk between community and clinical epidemiology.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/F141675CCD0E08C0FB98E01C006B4E0D/S0033291702006074a.pdf/div-class-title-short-screening-scales-to-monitor-population-prevalences-and-trends-in-non-specific-psychological-distress-div.pdf

Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress.

A primary goal of scale development is to create a valid measure of an underlying construct. We discuss theoretical principles, practical issues, and pragmatic decisions to help developers maximize the construct validity of scales and subscales. First, it is essential to begin with a clear conceptualization of the target construct. Moreover, the content of the initial item pool should be overinclusive and item wording needs careful attention. Next, the item pool should be tested, along with variables that assess closely related constructs, on a heterogeneous sample representing the entire range of the target population. Finally, in selecting scale items, the goal is unidimensionality rather than internal consistency ; this means that virtually all interitem correlations should be moderate in magnitude. Factor analysis can play a crucial role in ensuring the unidimensionality and discriminant validity of scales.

/pdf/constructing-validity-basic-issues-in-objective-scale-336bh0ucpv.pdf

Constructing validity: Basic issues in objective scale development

Contents: Preface. Part I: R. Barr, Society and Literacy. S.B. Heath, The Sense of Being Literate: Historical and Cross-Cultural Features. P. Foster, A. Purves, Literacy and Society with Particular Reference to the Non-Western World. R.L. Venezky, The Development of Literacy in the Industrialized Nations of the West. J.T. Guthrie, V. Greaney, Literacy Acts. R-M. Weber, Linguistic Diversity and Reading in American Society. J.S. Chall, J.R. Squire, The Publishing Industry and Textbooks. P. Shannon, Politics, Policy, and Reading Research. Part II: M.L. Kamil, Task and Format Variables in Reading Research. A. Graesser, J.M. Golding, D.L. Long, Narrative Representation and Comprehension. S. Bovair, D.E. Kieras, Toward a Model of Acquiring Procedures from Text. C.A. Weaver, III, W. Kintsch, Expository Text. R.J. Tierney, T. Shanahan, Research on the Reading-Writing Relationship: Interactions, Transactions, and Outcomes. R. Calfee, E. Hiebert, Classroom Assessment of Reading. D. Reinking, L. Bridwell-Bowles, Computers in Reading and Writing. R. Waller, Typography and Discourse. Part III: P.B. Mosenthal, Constructs of Reader Process. L.C. Ehri, Development of the Ability to Read Words. K.E. Stanovich, Word Recognition: Changing Perspectives. R. Beach, S. Hynds, Research on Response to Literature. T.P. McNamara, D.L. Miller, J.D. Bransford, Mental Models and Reading Comprehension. M. Daneman, Individual Differences in Reading Skills. K.K. Wixson, M.Y. Lipson, Perspectives on Reading Disability Research. F.R. Vellutino, M.B. Denckla, Cognitive and Neuropsychological Foundations of Word Identification in Poor and Normally Developing Readers. S.G. Paris, B.A. Wasik, J.C. Turner, The Development of Strategic Readers. M. Hegarty, P.A. Carpenter, M.A. Just, Diagrams in the Comprehension of Scientific Texts. L. Mikulecky, R. Drew, Basic Literacy Skills in the Workplace. R.C. Anderson, W.E. Nagy, Word Meanings. Part IV: P.D. Pearson, Literacy and Schooling. E. Sulzby, W. Teale, Emergent Literacy. C. Juel, Beginning Reading. I. Beck, M. McKeown, Conditions of Vocabulary Acquisition. P.D. Pearson, L. Fielding, Comprehension Instruction. L.R. Roehler, G.G. Duffy, Teachers' Instructional Actions. R. Barr, R. Dreeben, Grouping Students for Reading Instruction. J.V. Hoffman, Teacher and School Effects in Learning to Read. D.E. Alvermann, D.W. Moore, Secondary School Reading. P. Johnston, R. Allington, Remediation. Epilogue: P.B. Mosenthal, M.L. Kamil, Understanding Progress in Reading Research.

Handbook of Reading Research

Pedagosko i psiholosko testiranje i procjenjivanje spadaju među najvažnije doprinose znanosti o ponasanju nasem drustvu i pružaju temeljna i znacajna poboljsanja u odnosu na ranije postupke. Iako se ne može ustvrditi da su svi testovi dovoljno usavrseni niti da su sva testiranja razborita i korisna, postoji velika kolicina informacija koje ukazuju na ucinkovitost kvalitetnih instrumenata u onim situacijama u kojima je njihovo koristenje potkrijepljeno validacijskim podacima. Pravilna upotreba testova može dovesti do boljih odluka o pojedincima i programima nego sto bi to bio slucaj bez njihovog koristenja, a također i ukazati na put za siri i pravedniji pristup obrazovanju i zaposljavanju. Međutim, losa upotreba testova može dovesti do zamjetne stete nanesene ispitanicima i drugim sudionicima u procesu donosenja odluka na temelju testovnih podataka. Cilj Standarda je promoviranje kvalitetne i eticne upotrebe testova te uspostavljanje osnovice za ocjenu kvalitete postupaka testiranja. Svrha objavljivanja Standarda je uspostavljanje kriterija za evaluaciju testova, provedbe testiranja i posljedica upotrebe testova. Iako bi evaluacija prikladnosti testa ili njegove primjene trebala ovisiti prvenstveno o strucnim misljenjima, Standardi pružaju okvir koji osigurava obuhvacanje svih relevantnih pitanja. Bilo bi poželjno da svi autori, sponzori, nakladnici i korisnici profesionalnih testova usvoje Standarde te da poticu druge da ih također prihvate.

Standards for educational and psychological testing

Objectives: Lao Juan (LJ, 劳倦) is a syndrome described in Chinese medicine (CM) that manifests with : Lao Juan (LJ, 劳倦) is a syndrome described in Chinese medicine (CM) that manifests with fatigue, fever, spontaneous sweating, indigestion, work-induced pain, weakness of the limbs, and shortness of breath. fatigue, fever, spontaneous sweating, indigestion, work-induced pain, weakness of the limbs, and shortness of breath. The present study was conducted to examine the reliability and validity of a Lao Juan Questionnaire (LJQ). The present study was conducted to examine the reliability and validity of a Lao Juan Questionnaire (LJQ). Methods: A total of 151 outpatients and 73 normal subjects were asked to complete the LJQ. Seventy-three normal subjects A total of 151 outpatients and 73 normal subjects were asked to complete the LJQ. Seventy-three normal subjects were additionally asked to complete the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS). Twelve clinicians determined whether the were additionally asked to complete the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS). Twelve clinicians determined whether the 151 outpatients exhibited LJ or not. The internal consistency and construct validity for the LJQ were estimated using 151 outpatients exhibited LJ or not. The internal consistency and construct validity for the LJQ were estimated using data from the outpatient subjects. The CFS data were used to examine the concurrent validity of the LJQ. Total LJQ data from the outpatient subjects. The CFS data were used to examine the concurrent validity of the LJQ. Total LJQ scores and the clinicians' diagnoses of the outpatients were used to perform receiver operating characteristics (ROC) scores and the clinicians' diagnoses of the outpatients were used to perform receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses and to defi ne an optimum cut-off score for the LJQ. curve analyses and to defi ne an optimum cut-off score for the LJQ. Results: The 19-item LJQ had satisfactory internal : The 19-item LJQ had satisfactory internal consistency (α=0.828) and concurrent validity, with signifi cant correlations between the LJQ and the CFS subscales. consistency (α=0.828) and concurrent validity, with signifi cant correlations between the LJQ and the CFS subscales. In the test of construct validity using principal component analysis, a total of six factors were extracted, and the overall In the test of construct validity using principal component analysis, a total of six factors were extracted, and the overall variance explained by all factors was 59.5%. In ROC curve analyses, the sensitivity, specifi city, and area under the variance explained by all factors was 59.5%. In ROC curve analyses, the sensitivity, specifi city, and area under the curve were 76.0%, 59.2%, and 0.709, respectively. The optimum cut-off score was defi ned as six points. curve were 76.0%, 59.2%, and 0.709, respectively. The optimum cut-off score was defi ned as six points. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the LJQ is a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating LJ. Our results suggest that the LJQ is a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating LJ. KEYWORDS Chinese medicine, chronic fatigue syndrome, Chinese medicine-pattern Chinese medicine, chronic fatigue syndrome, Chinese medicine-pattern

Development and Validation of A

Background Concepts, Models, and Features Ability and Item Parameter Estimation Assessment of Model-Data Fit The Ability Scale Item and Test Information and Efficiency Functions Test Construction Identification of Potentially Biased Test Items Test Score Equating Computerized Adaptive Testing Future Directions of Item Response Theory

Fundamentals of Item Response Theory

Fundamentals of Item Response Theory.

Item Response Theory

1 Some Background to Item Response Theory.- 2 Assumptions of Item Response Theory.- 3 Item Response Models.- 4 Ability Scales.- 5 Estimation of Ability.- 6 Information Function and Its Application.- 7 Estimation of Item and Ability Parameters.- 8 Approaches for Addressing Model-Data Fit.- 9 Examples of Model-Data Fit Studies.- 10 Test Equating.- 11 Construction of Tests.- 12 Item Banking.- 13 Miscellaneous Applications.- 14 Practical Considerations in Using IRT Models.- References.- Author Index.

Item Response Theory: Principles and Applications

A logistic regression model for characterizing differential item functioning (DIF) between two groups is presented. A distinction is drawn between uniform and nonuniform DIF in terms of the parameters of the model. A statistic for testing the hypothesis of no DIF is developed. Through simulation studies, it is shown that the logistic regression procedure is more powerful than the Mantel-Haenszel procedure for detecting nonuniform DIF and as powerful in detecting uniform DIF.

Hariharan Swaminathan

Papers

Fundamentals of Item Response Theory

Fundamentals of Item Response Theory.

Item Response Theory

Item Response Theory: Principles and Applications

Detecting Differential Item Functioning Using Logistic Regression Procedures