The Standardization Approach to Assessing Differential Speededness.

An adaptation of the standardization approach to assessing differential item functioning that applies to all item responses, including omits and not reached, is described. Applications of this method to evaluate differential speededness show that there is evidence of differential speededness for Blacks and Hispanics, but not for Asian Americans. Data from a study by A. P. Schmitt and C. A. Bleistein (1987) and from a recent form of the Scholastic Aptitude Test were used. There may be a dependency between differential speededness and test section location. Differential speededness may be more noticeable when the test section is located at the beginning of a test. Implications of these findings for evaluations of content-related differential item functioning and on differential test-taking strategies are described. (Contains five figures and eight references.) (Author/SLD)