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Test equating is a statistical procedure to ensure that scores from different test forms can be used interchangeably. There are several methodologies available to perform equating, some of which are based on the Classical Test Theory (CTT) framework and others are based on the Item Response Theory (IRT) framework. This article compares equating transformations originated from three different frameworks, namely IRT Observed-Score Equating (IRTOSE), Kernel Equating (KE), and IRT Kernel Equating (IRTKE). The comparisons were made under different data-generating scenarios, which include the development of a novel data-generation procedure that allows the simulation of test data without relying on IRT parameters while still providing control over some test score properties such as distribution skewness and item difficulty. Our results suggest that IRT methods tend to provide better results than KE even when the data are not generated from IRT processes. KE might be able to provide satisfactory results if a proper pre-smoothing solution can be found, while also being much faster than IRT methods. For daily applications, we recommend observing the sensibility of the results to the equating method, minding the importance of good model fit and meeting the assumptions of the framework.

This article is based on a paper given on August 16 at the seminar “Losing my Religion” held in connection with the 14th International Congress for Luther Research: Word and World. It offers a heuristic analysis of different attacks on the reformer Martin Luther and Lutheran theology, both internally and externally, with a focus on the generalizing critique of what is at times labeled “the traditional (Protestant) confrontation perspective” by the so-called new—or even radical—Paul New Testament scholars. It is demonstrated that the Paul readings, foremost Paul's letter to the Romans, by the new Paul perspective scholars can be aligned with the Paul readings made by radical feminist New Testament scholars, as both groups read the bible as history from an essentialist angle. By contrast, the attacked “traditional (Protestant) perspective” can be aligned with revisionist feminist New Testament scholars, as these latter groups read the bible as theology from a constructivist angle.

The overall aim of this study was to examine the different self-reported students’ socioeconomic status (SES) measures in the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in comparison to national SES measures obtained from Swedish official registers. A further aim was to determine if the same conclusions could be drawn if different student measures were used to define SES when modelling the students’ TIMSS mathematics achievement. The overall results showed that the choice of SES measures matters. The home educational resource index and books at home from the TIMSS data base were good indicators of SES. We conclude that when one has access to SES information from official registers it is recommended to use it because these measures have less missing information compared with the TIMSS variables.

Kernel equating uses kernel smoothing techniques to continuize the discrete score distributions when equating test scores from an assessment test. The degree of smoothness of the continuous approximations is determined by the bandwidth. Four bandwidth selection methods are currently available for kernel equating, but no thorough comparison has been made between these methods. The overall aim is to compare these four methods together with two additional methods based on cross-validation in a simulation study. Both equivalent and non-equivalent group designs are used and the number of test takers, test length, and score distributions are all varied. The results show that sample size and test length are important factors for equating accuracy and precision. However, all bandwidth selection methods perform similarly with regards to the mean squared error and the differences in terms of equated scores are small, suggesting that the choice of bandwidth is not critical. The different bandwidth selection methods are also illustrated using real testing data from a college admissions test. Practical implications of the results from the simulation study and the empirical study are discussed. Originally included in thesis in manuscript form.

Background: Because of all the serious consequences of major depressive disorder (MDD), it is important to screen for MDD in adolescents. The aim of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the newly developed self-report depression scale MADRS-Y for adolescents in a normative Swedish sample. Methods: The study included 620 adolescents in the age range of 12–20 years old. The normative sample was randomly split into two equal parts, to perform principal component analysis (PCA) on sample one and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on sample two. We investigated the psychometrics. Results: The result from the PCA suggested that all 12 potential items should be used, and the items loaded on the same construct of depression. The CFA supported the one-factor structure with good fit indices. Measurement invariance was confirmed, allowing interpretation regardless of gender or age differences. Reliability was good, α.89, for both samples separately. Test-retest reliability was good to excellent (intraclass correlation coefficients =.87 and.91). Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity was shown. Conclusions: The results in the current study suggest that the MADRS-Y is a brief, reliable, and valid self-report questionnaire of depressive symptoms for adolescents in the general population.

The main aim of the current paper is to propose Item Response Theory (IRT) models derived from the nondecomposable measurement theories presented in Fishburn (1974). More specifically, we aim to: (i) present the theoretical basis of the Rasch model and its relations to psychophysics’ models of utility; (ii) give a brief exposition on the measurement theories presented in Fishburn (1974; 1975), some of which do not require an additive structure; and (iii) derive IRT models from these measurement theories, as well as Bayesian implementations of these models. We also present two empirical examples to compare how well these IRT models fit to real data. Despite our main concern being the derivation of new IRT models that can be used to generate fundamental measures of the respondents’ true scores that not depend on additive structures, theoretical interpretations of the models are also discussed. The manuscript ends with prospects for future studies and practical implications.

This study explores the usefulness of covariates on equating test scores from nonequivalent test groups. The covariates are captured by an estimated propensity score, which is used as a proxy for latent ability to balance the test groups. The objective is to assess the sensitivity of the equated scores to various misspecifications in the propensity score model. The study assumes a parametric form of the propensity score and evaluates the effects of various misspecification scenarios on equating error. The results, based on both simulated and real testing data, show that (1) omitting an important covariate leads to biased estimates of the equated scores, (2) misspecifying a nonlinear relationship between the covariates and test scores increases the equating standard error in the tails of the score distributions, and (3) the equating estimators are robust against omitting a second-order term as well as using an incorrect link function in the propensity score estimation model. The findings demonstrate that auxiliary information is beneficial for test score equating in complex settings. However, it also sheds light on the challenge of making fair comparisons between nonequivalent test groups in the absence of common items. The study identifies scenarios, where equating performance is acceptable and problematic, provides practical guidelines, and identifies areas for further investigation.

Diagnostic scales are essential to the health and social sciences, and to the individuals that provide the data. Although statistical models for scale data have been researched for decades, it remains nearly universal that scale scores are sums of weights assigned a priori to question choice options (sum scores), respectively. We propose several modifications of psychometric testing theory that together demonstrate remarkable improvements in the quality of rating scale scores. Our model represents performance as a space with a metric structure by transforming probability into surprisal or information. The estimation algorithm permits the analysis of data from tens and hundreds of thousands of test takers in a few minutes on consumer level computing equipment. Standard errors of performance estimates are shown to be as small as a quarter of those of sum scores. Open access software resources are presented.

The aim of the current study is to present three assumptions common to psychometric theory and psychometric practice, and to show how alternatives to traditional psychometrical approaches can be used to improve psychological measurement. These alternatives are developed by adapting each of these three assumptions. The assumption of structural validity relates to the implementation of mathematical models. The process assumption which is underlying process generates the observed data. The construct assumption implies that the observed data on its own do not constitute a measurement, but the latent variable that originates the observed data. Nonparametric item response modeling and cognitive psychometric modeling are presented as alternatives for relaxing the first two assumptions, respectively. Network psychometrics is the alternative for relaxing the third assumption. Final remarks sum up the most important conclusions of the study.

I denne artikel gives et portræt af den norske idéhistoriker og feministteolog, Kari E. Børresen (1932-2016), og der indføres i hendes særlige bidrag til kønsforskningen. Artiklens særlige fokus er Børresens kritiske afkodning af traditionel romersk-katolsk teologis påstand om, at patriarkatet kirkeligt og socialt er en essentiel konstans, og at forandring af denne ville stride mod kristen ortodoksi. Det demonstreres, hvordan Børresen påviser, at en patriarkalsk androcentrisme netop ikke er en konstans, men at man tværtimod kan finde "feministiske" tendenser blandt de oldkirkelige fædre.

Paperet giver en kritisk læsning af Richard Cross' udlægning af Luthers brug af figuren "communicatio idiomatum", udvekslingen af guddommelige og menneskelige egenskaber i Kristus forstået som en person med to naturer. Dels gøres der analytisk rede for, at Luther ikke regrederede til skolastikkens abstracta i sin kristologi - men at Luther i sin kristologi derimod gik bagom skolastikken og var stærkt inspireret af Bernhard af Clairvaux. Dels gøres der analytisk rede for, at Luther - også imod skolastikken, især den dominikanske skolastik - arbejdede i et inklusivt sprog for dermed kristologisk at understrege Guds menneskelige side (ikke en mandlig) i et net af relationer. Luthers brug af communicatio idiomatum figuren kan således egentlig oversættes til den moderne term intersektionalitet.

Reduction of graphs is a class of procedures used to decrease the dimensionality of a given graph in which the properties of the reduced graph are to be induced from the properties of the larger original graph. This paper introduces both a new method for reducing chain graphs to simpler directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), that we call power chain graphs (PCG), as well as a procedure for structure learning of this new type of graph from correlational data of a Gaussian graphical model. A definition for PCGs is given, directly followed by the reduction method. The structure learning procedure is a two-step approach: first, the correlation matrix is used to cluster the variables; and then, the averaged correlation matrix is used to discover the DAGs using the PC-stable algorithm. The results of simulations are provided to illustrate the theoretical proposal, which demonstrate initial evidence for the validity of our procedure to recover the structure of power chain graphs. The paper ends with a discussion regarding suggestions for future studies as well as some practical implications.

This study presents the situational optimization function analysis (SOFA) and has three aims. First, to develop a Bayesian implementation of SOFA. Second, to compare this implementation with three other maximum likelihood-based models in their accuracy to estimate true scores. The third aim is to show how joint modeling can be used for validity research. A simulation study was used to examine the second aim, while an empirical example was used to illustrate the third aim. The simulation study used three data generating processes, with varying degrees of deviation from linear models and with different sample sizes. Results of the simulation study showed that the Bayesian implementation supersedes the other models. In the empirical example, data collected from 66 participants using an iterated prisoner dilemma and a scale measuring cooperation-competition attitudes were used. Results showed that joint modeling is the best fitting model, also increasing the correlation between the true scores of both measures (deviations from the iterated prisoner dilemma and the scale). Finally, implications, limitations and future studies are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Dette er en akademisk respons på en akademisk anmeldelse af min bog The Alternative Luther: Lutheran Theology from the Subaltern (Fortress Academic/Rowman and Littlefield 2019). Den amerikanske professor, Jennifer Hockenbery Dragseth, har skrevet en meget detaljeret anmeldelse af bogen i det internationale tidsskrift, Dialog, hvor hun diskuterer bogens teologiske tilgang. Hun er positiv over for det postkoloniale perspektiv på Luther som "precarious" og "subaltern", samt på luthersk teologi, der herved giver mange flere aktører en stemme og ser klassiske lutherske begreber på en ny og frisk måde. I mit svar lægger jeg vægt på Luthers opgør med det imperiale (kejser Karl V over det tysk-romerske rige, inkl. Spanien) og romersk-koloniale overherredømme (den pave-kirkelige hierarkiske struktur og udnyttelse af almindelige mennesker), som den tysktalende befolkning led under, både økonomisk og samfundsstrukturelt. Dertil kommer det opgør, vi i bogen har med den parallelle anglo-amerikanske kolonisering af store dele af verden, sprogligt og kulturelt.

The aim of this study was to examine the association between students’ TIMSS (Trends in Mathematics and Science Study) science achievement, and students’ school achievements, in terms of national tests and grades from school years 6 and 9. Further to examine the association with TIMSS science achievement and different subgroups of students based on their home background. The study is based on a unique possibility to analyse TIMSS 2015 data together with register data of the Swedish students’ national test results from school years 6 and 9 and their science subject grades from school years 6 and 9. The overall results show that there were moderate associations between TIMSS science achievement and school achievement measures. The association between grades and the high-stakes national tests were stronger than between grades and TIMSS. The students’ home background had a clear impact on the results as students with highly educated mothers, who comes from homes with many books and are nonimmigrants had on average higher TIMSS science achievements.

This article examines Martin Luther's perception of gender and ministry in relation to what may be coined his radical incarnation theology, the Word incarnate in Jesus Christ, in-fleshed in human b...

The aim of this paper is to describe, analyze, and discuss how Swedish schools and the national tests in schools, university teaching and examination, and the college admissions test, Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (SweSAT), have been affected by the COVID-19 situation. A further aim is to discuss the challenges in schools, universities and in the admissions test process in Sweden which are due to the COVID-19 situation. Contrary to many other countries, Swedish schools remained open, except for upper secondary school and universities where teaching went online. However, the spring administrations of the national tests and the high-stake college admission test, SweSAT, were cancelled, which had impact on admissions to universities in the fall. By using documentation from the news, school, and university authorities, as well as governmental reports of the events and a student survey, challenges are discussed. The novelty of this study includes a discussion of the events and their upcoming challenges. A discussion of what could be learned and what to expect in the close future is included, as well as conclusions which can be drawn from this situation.

Bogen sættes ind i konteksten af forskningen på området siden Kari Børresen og Caroline Walker Bynum udgav deres første banebrydende bøger om kvinders rolle i den kristne tradition. Der er ofte en blindhed i feministisk/kønsforskning selv af religiøse kvinder over for den bibeltekst, som deres hovedpersoner skriver ud fra eller hentyder til, direkte og indirekte. Denne bog har i lighed med et par andre forudgående europæiske bøger blik for bibelens betydning i kampen for folkesproglige oversættelser af "det hellige", som "hellige" mænd (sacerdos) ellers havde eneret til, samt for kvinders værdighed og ret til at læse og/eller lære ud fra bibelen oversat til deres folkesprog. Review of the French-Italian book on women and the Bible from late medieval to early modern times.

Equating test scores from nonequivalent groups requires to separate the effect of differences in ability from differences in test form difficulty between the test forms. The gold standard for this purpose is to use common items, however, not all testing programs have such items available. There might be other useful information available, and this paper studies the use of covariates in equating as a substitute for common items. To gain further insight about how to best incorporate covariates in equating this paper studies the propensity score, a scalar function of the covariates. The sensitivity of the propensity score as a proxy for ability is studied to investigate if bias is introduced in the estimated equated scores if the propensity score estimation model is misspecified. By considering an incorrect link function, leaving out a covariate and leaving out a second-order term from the estimation model, common misspecifications are studied. The results show that equating with respect to the propensity score is relatively robust to model misspecification, especially modeling nonlinearity with a linear model and leaving out second-order terms.

Mixed-format tests contain items with different formats such as dichotomously scored and polytomously scored items. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of item discrimination, sample size, and proportion of polytomously scored items on item response theory (IRT) kernel equating of mixed-format tests under the equivalent groups design. A simulation study was performed to examine the aim. The results from the simulation study showed that the percent relative errors were low and stable for all conditions, whereas differences in standard errors and equated values where found for the conditions with different sample sizes and item discriminations. Also, the standard errors were higher when the proportion of polytomously scored items in the test where higher.

When test forms are administered to different non-equivalent groups of examinees and are scored by item response theory (IRT), it is necessary to put item parameters estimated separately on two groups on the same scale. In the IRT models which include covariates about the examinees, we have two parameters which model uniform and non-uniform differential item functioning (DIF) and that have to be put on the same scale. The aim of this study is to propose conversion equations, which are used to put the uniform and non-uniform DIF parameters on the same scale. To estimate the coefficients of the conversion equations we will use four methods: mean/mean, mean/sigma, Haebara and Stocking-Lord. We give a simulation study and an empirical example. The results of the simulation study show that the coefficients of the conversion equations are substantially equal for the Haebara and Stocking-Lord methods, while they are different for the other methods. The results of the empirical example is that IRT with covariates produces a more informative test than using IRT without covariates for high abilities’ values and, when the mean-mean and the mean-sigma methods are used, we obtain more informative tests than when using concurrent calibration.

Background Increasing evidence shows that cognition and gait speed are associated and are important measures of health among older adults. However, previous studies have used different methods to assess these 2 outcomes and lack sufficient sample size to examine heterogeneity among subgroups. This study examined how the relationship between global cognitive function and gait speed are influenced by age, gender, and race utilizing an integrated data analysis approach. Method Data on cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA], Mini-Mental Status Examination [MMSE], and Modified Mini-Mental State Examination [3MSE]) and gait speed (range: 4–400 m) were acquired and harmonized from 25 research studies (n = 2802) of adults aged 50+ from the Wake Forest Older American Independence Center. Multilevel regression models examined the relationship between predicted values of global cognitive function (MoCA) and gait speed (4-m walk), including heterogeneity by age, race, and gender. Results Global cognitive function and gait speed exhibited a consistent positive relationship among whites with increasing age, while this was less consistent for African Americans. That is, there was a low correlation between global cognitive function and gait speed among African Americans aged 50–59, a positive correlation in their 60s and 70s, then a negative correlation thereafter. Conclusion Global cognition and gait speed exhibited a curvilinear U-shaped relationship among whites; however, the association becomes inverse in African Americans. More research is needed to understand this racial divergence and could aid in identifying interventions to maintain cognitive and gait abilities across subgroups.

Ramsay and Wiberg used a new version of item response theory that represents test performance over nonnegative closed intervals such as [0, 100] or [0, n] and demonstrated that optimal scoring of binary test data yielded substantial improvements in point-wise root-mean-squared error and bias over number right or sum scoring. We extend these results by showing that optimal scoring of the full information in option choices produces about as much further improvement in these measures of score performance as was achieved by going from sum scoring to optimal binary scoring.

In the kernel method of test score equating, the first step of the procedure is to presmooth the score distributions. The most common way of doing so is by fitting a log-linear model to the observed-score distributions. In this way, irregularities in the score distributions are smoothed, yielding a more stable estimated equating transformation. Within the kernel equating framework, an alternative way of presmoothing by using item response theory models has recently been suggested. There are furthermore several model selection criteria available for both of these classes of models. Here the model selection criteria are studied for both log-linear and item response theory models. Specifically, the likelihood ratio, AIC, and BIC measures are compared using real admissions data. Results show that the different model selection criteria result in equated scores that have real impact differences.

Test equating methods are widely used in order to make comparable different test forms administered at different occasions to different test takers. Although software for test equating is currently available, in this paper we focus the attention on four different R packages which can facilitate test equating for researchers and test developers. This paper list the different R packages which are available at the moment. Examples are provided for the equate, equateIRT, kequate, and the SNSequate packages. Additional features of these packages are discussed as well.

By comparing two large-scale professional development programs' content and impact on student achievement, we contribute to research on critical features of high quality professional development, e ...

Multilevel modeling is an important tool for analyzing large-scale assessment data. However, the standard multilevel modeling will typically give biased results for such complex survey data. This b ...

In this article, I reflect on Luther's doctrine on justification as it came out in different ways in some of his seminal writings between 1518 and 1538, all represented in volume 2 of The Annotated Luther. Discovering the righteousness of God as something already given to humans opened fundamentally new perspectives to Luther.

We propose a comprehensive procedure for the implementation of a quality control process of anchor tests for a college admissions test with multiple consecutive administrations. We propose to examine the anchor tests and their items in connection with covariates to investigate if there was any unusual behavior in the anchor test results over time and if the test results differed for different groups of test takers. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and linear mixed effect models were used to examine the impact of covariates on the anchor test over time. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to examine the quality of each anchor item over time. It is concluded that examining the impact of the test takers' covariates at different administrations can help in the process of providing fair tests for all test takers. The results are discussed with recommendations how it can be used in other large testing programs.

Plausible values are typically used in large–scale assessment studies, in particular in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and the Programme for International Student Assessm ...

Research has recently demonstrated the use of multiple anchor tests and external covariates to supplement or substitute for common anchor items when linking and equating with nonequivalent groups. This study examines the conditions under which external covariates improve linking and equating accuracy, with internal and external anchor tests of varying lengths and groups of differing abilities. Pseudo forms of a state science test were equated within a resampling study where sample size ranged from 1,000 to 10,000 examinees and anchor tests ranged in length from eight to 20 items, with reading and math scores included as covariates. Frequency estimation linking with an anchor test and external covariate was found to produce the most accurate results under the majority of conditions studied. Practical applications of linking with anchor tests and covariates are discussed.

This editorial problematises the tendency of Western culture to downplay or even silence the persecution of Christians around the world while persecution of other religious groups is highlighted. This despite the fact that Christians are the most persecuted religious group. It concludes that this downplaying or silencing, though excused as a way of protecting the Christians persecuted, is in fact an expression or attitude of old colonizers who do not see that those persecuted are Christians in their own right fighting for their right to live free lives in very difficult circumstances.

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how to use TestGardener to analyze testing data with various item types and explain some main displays. TestGardener is a software designed to aid the development, evaluation, and use of multiple choice examinations, psychological scales, questionnaires, and similar types of data. This software implements the optimal scoring of binary and multi-option items, and uses spline smoothing to obtain item characteristics curves (ICCs) that better fit the real data. Using TestGardner does not require any programming skill or formal statistical knowledge, which will make optimal scoring and item response theory more approachable for test analysts, test developers, researchers, and general public.

The aim of this paper was to examine the relationship between Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) mathematics achievement and the two school achievement measures of grades and national test results in Sweden. A further aim was to examine the association of TIMSS mathematics achievement with different subgroups of students. The results show that there is a strong positive relationship between TIMSS mathematics achievement and national tests and obtained grades from both grade 6 and grade 9. Students from more educated homes performed better overall on TIMSS than those from less-educated homes, and the relationships between TIMSS and the school achievement measures were stronger for students from more educated home backgrounds. The school context and the students’ background had an impact on the students’ TIMSS result. The results have implications for how one should view the results from TIMSS as a measure of student mathematics achievement and thus how TIMSS results can be used in a national context.

This proceedings volume highlights the latest research and developments in psychometrics and statistics. It compiles and expands on selected and peer-reviewed presentations given at the 83rd Annual International Meeting of the Psychometric Society (IMPS), organized by Columbia University and held in New York, USA, July 9th to 13th, 2018. The IMPS is one of the largest international meetings on quantitative measurement in education, psychology, and the social sciences. The last couple of years it has attracted more than 500 participants and more than 250 paper presentations from researchers around the world. Leading experts and promising young researchers from around the world have written the 38 chapters. The chapters address a large variety of topics including but not limited to item response theory, multistage adaptive testing, and cognitive diagnostic models. This volume is the 7th in a series of recent volumes to cover research presented at the IMPS.

When equating two test forms, the equated scores will be biased if the test groups differ in ability. To adjust for the ability imbalance between nonequivalent groups, a set of common items is often used. When no common items are available, it has been suggested to use covariates correlated with the test scores instead. In this article, we reduce the covariates to a propensity score and equate the test forms with respect to this score. The propensity score is incorporated within the kernel equating framework using poststratification and chained equating. The methods are evaluated using real college admissions test data and through a simulation study. The results show that propensity scores give an increased equating precision in comparison with the equivalent groups design and a smaller mean squared error than by using the covariates directly. Practical implications are also discussed.

Equating methods make use of an appropriate transformation function to map the scores of one test form into the scale of another so that scores are comparable and can be used interchangeably. The e ...

This article argues for human sameness (homo) as the a priory of being human over against the hegemonic difference (hetero) of post-modernity and post-structuralism, instead seeing difference as a posteriori to being human. With an outset in Judith Butler's philosophy of body matters, it is demonstrated that such human sameness is found in Martin Luther's understanding of sacraments and church as the place where the plurality of bodies materialize and matter in the intersection of the one, common body of humankind that is gracefully embraced in all its fallibility.

When equating two tests, the traditional approach is to use common test takers and/or common items. Here, the idea is to use variables correlated with the test scores (e.g., school grades and other test scores) as a substitute for common items in a non-equivalent groups with covariates (NEC) design. This is performed in the framework of kernel equating and with an extension of the method developed for post-stratification equating in the non-equivalent groups with anchor test design. Real data from a college admissions test were used to illustrate the use of the design. The equated scores from the NEC design were compared with equated scores from the equivalent group (EG) design, that is, equating with no covariates as well as with equated scores when a constructed anchor test was used. The results indicate that the NEC design can produce lower standard errors compared with an EG design. When covariates were used together with an anchor test, the smallest standard errors were obtained over a large range of test scores. The results obtained, that an EG design equating can be improved by adjusting for differences in test score distributions caused by differences in the distribution of covariates, are useful in practice because not all standardized tests have anchor tests.

En monografi om Bernhard af Clairvaux's teologi. Bogen er et opgør med at forstå Bernhard som mystiker, og forfatteren giver et grundigt indblik i Bernhards teologi ud fra hans egen kontekst. Bogen er den mest omfattende danske behandling af Bernhards teologi, og den viser, hvorfor han var det 12. århundredes førende teolog i Europa.