Abstract
This dissertation compares the parameter estimates obtained from two item response theory (IRT) models: the 1-PL IRT model and the MC1-PL IRT model. Several scenarios were explored in which both unidimensional and multidimensional item-level and personal-level data were used to generate the item responses. The Monte Carlo simulations mirrored the real-life application of the two correlated dimensions of Necessary Operations and Calculations in the basic mathematics domain. In all scenarios, the MC1-PL IRT model showed greater precision in the recovery of the true underlying item difficulty values and person theta values along each primary dimension as well as along a second general order factor. The fit statistics that are generally applied to the 1-PL IRT model were not sensitive to the multidimensional item-level structure, reinforcing the requisite assumption of unidimensionality when applying the 1-PL IRT model.
Degree
PhD
College and Department
David O. McKay School of Education; Instructional Psychology and Technology
Rights
http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Spencer, Steven Gerry, "The Strength of Multidimensional Item Response Theory in Exploring Construct Space that is Multidimensional and Correlated" (2004). Theses and Dissertations. 224.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/224
Date Submitted
2004-12-08
Document Type
Dissertation
Handle
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd646
Keywords
Item Response Theory, Dimensionality, Multidimensional, Goodness of Fit, Fit statistics
Language
English