Description:
This book introduces social and behavioral science students and researchers to the theory and practice of the highly powerful methods of nonparametric item response theory (IRT). Anyone who uses or constructs tests or questionnaires for measuring abilities, achievements, personality traits, attitudes, or opinions will find nonparametric IRT useful for designing and improving such measurements. The authors show how the broadness of the nonparametric item response models allows them to fit many data sets and remain powerful enough for implying useful measurement properties, such as the ordering of persons using the simple total score (number-correct for dichotomous item tests and sum of rating scale score for polytomous item tests) and the ordering of the items using the item means.
Brief description: Vice dean of research Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, program director research master, and professor of methodology and statistics
Review Quotes: "Introduction to Nonparametric Item Response Theory is an accessible introduction to constructing tests/scales using nonparametric IRT. It should be of great use to social scientists who construct their own measurement instruments, as well as those who provide them statistical support. For those who focus on larger scale standardized tests, the volume provides a refreshing step back to look at some important issues in the field and some alternative methods of analysis."-- "Journal of the American Statistical Association "