Estimating the Imputed Social Cost of Errors of Measurement IRT

Author(s):

Lord, Frederic M.

Publication Year:

1983

Report Number:

RR-83-33

Source:

ETS Research Report

Document Type:

Report

Page Count:

40

Subject/Key Words:

Office of Naval Research, Cutting Scores, Error of Measurement, Item Response Theory (IRT), Social Problems, Test Construction, Testing Problems

Abstract

If a loss function is available specifying the social cost of an error of measurement in the score on a unidimensional test, an asymptotic method, based on item response theory, is developed for optimal test design for a specified target population of examinees. Since in the real world such loss functions are not available, it is more useful to reverse this process; thus a method is developed for finding the loss function for which a given test is an optimally designed test for the target population. An illustrative application is presented for one operational test. (Author). (40pp.)

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• http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/j.2330-8516.1983.tb00033.x