A Confirmatory Analysis of Item Reliability Trends (CAIRT): Differentiating True Score and Error Variance in the Analysis of Item Context Effects

Multivariate Behavioral Research
Johannes HartigHelfried Moosbrugger

Abstract

Numerous studies have shown increasing item reliabilities as an effect of the item position in personality scales. Traditionally, these context effects are analyzed based on item-total correlations. This approach neglects that trends in item reliabilities can be caused either by an increase in true score variance or by a decrease in error variance. This article presents the Confirmatory Analysis of Item Reliability Trends (CAIRT) that allows estimating both trends separately within a structural equation modeling framework. Results of a simulation study prove the CAIRT method to provide reliable and independent parameter estimates; the power exceeds the analysis of item-total correlations. We present an empirical application to self- and peer ratings collected in an Internet-based experiment. Results show that reliability trends are caused by increasing true score variance in self-ratings and by decreasing error variance in peer ratings.

References

May 1, 1996·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·E S Knowles, B Byers

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Citations

Apr 5, 2013·Journal of Clinical Nursing·Minna StoltHelena Leino-Kilpi
May 9, 2014·International Journal of Psychology : Journal International De Psychologie·Lale KhorramdelAlexander Uitz
May 26, 2018·Educational and Psychological Measurement·Florian ZellerKarl Schweizer
May 26, 2018·Educational and Psychological Measurement·Karl Schweizer, Stefan Troche

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