Proceedings of the first conference on Computerized Adaptive Testing, Washington, D.C., June 12 and 13, 1975.

Mode of access: Internet.

Response times in computerized adaptive testing: a method for cheating detection

In the field of educational and psychological measurement, the shift from paper-based to computerized tests has become a prominent trend in recent years. Computerized tests allow for more complex and personalized test administration procedures, like Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT). CAT, following the Item Response Theory (IRT) models, dynamically generates tests based on test-taker responses, driven by complex statistical algorithms. Even if CAT structures are complex, they are flexible and convenient, but concerns about test security should be addressed. Frequent item administration can lead to item exposure and cheating, necessitating preventive and diagnostic measures. In this thesis a method called "CHeater identification using Interim Person fit Statistic" (CHIPS) is developed, designed to identify and limit cheaters in real-time during test administration. CHIPS utilizes response times (RTs) to calculate an Interim Person fit Statistic (IPS), allowing for on-the-fly intervention using a more secret item bank. Also, a slight modification is proposed to overcome situations with constant speed, called Modified-CHIPS (M-CHIPS). A simulation study assesses CHIPS, highlighting its effectiveness in identifying and controlling cheaters. However, it reveals limitations when cheaters possess all correct answers. The M-CHIPS overcame this limitation. Furthermore, the method has shown not to be influenced by the cheaters’ ability distribution or the level of correlation between ability and speed of test-takers. Finally, the method has demonstrated flexibility for the choice of significance level and the transition from fixed-length tests to variable-length ones. The thesis discusses potential applications, including the suitability of the method for multiple-choice tests, assumptions about RT distribution and level of item pre-knowledge. Also limitations are discussed to explore future developments such as different RT distributions, unusual honest respondent behaviors, and field testing in real-world scenarios. In summary, CHIPS and M-CHIPS offer real-time cheating detection in CAT, enhancing test security and ability estimation while not penalizing test respondents.

eCAT-Listening : Design and psychometric properties of a computerized adaptive test on English Listening

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

Comparison of methods for controlling maximun exposure rates in computerized adaptative testing

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

The Use of On-Line Computer adaptive Testing to raise Standardized Test Scores

Nursing school graduates are under pressure to pass the RN-NCLEX Exam on the first attempt since New York State monitors the results and uses them to evaluate the school’s nursing programs. Since the RN-NCLEX Exam is a standardized test, we sought a method to make our students better test takers. The use of on-line computer adaptive testing has raised our student’s standardized test scores at the end of the nursing course.

TAARAC : test d'anglais adaptatif par raisonnement à base de cas

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Validade e confiabilidade da versão informatizada do inventário Million de estilos de personalidade

Currently, several psychological and non-psychological tests can be found in publishes without standardization on procedures set in different psychological areas, like intelligence, emotional states, attitudes, social skills, vocation, preferences and others. The computerized psychological testing is a extension of traditional testing psychological practices. However, it has own psychometrics qualities, either by its matching in a computerized environment or by the extension that can be developed in it. The current research, developed from a necessity to study process of validity and reliability on a computerized test, drew a methodological structure to provide parallel applications in numerous kinds of operational groups, evaluating the influences of the time and approach in the computerization process. This validity refers to normative values groups, reproducibility in computerized applications process and data processing. Not every psychological test can be computerized. Therefore, our need to find a good test, with quality and plausible properties to transform in computerized application, leaded us to use The Millon Personality Inventory, created by Theodore Millon. This Inventory assesses personality according to 12 bipolarities distributed in 24 factors, distributed in categories motivational styles, cognitive targets and interpersonal relations. This instrument doesn t diagnose pathological features, but test normal and non adaptive aspects in human personality, comparing with Theodore Millon theory of personality. In oder to support this research in a Brazilian context in psychological testing, we discuss the theme, evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of such practices. Also we discuss the current forms in computerization of psychological testing and the main specific criteria in this psychometric specialized area of knowledge. The test was on-line, hosted in the site http://www.planetapsi.com, during the years of 2007 and 2008, which was available a questionnaire to describe social characteristics before test. A report was generated from the data entry of each user. An application of this test was conducted in a linear way through a national coverage in all Brazil regions, getting 1508 applications. Were organized nine groups, reaching 180 applications in test and retest subject, where three periods of time and three forms of retests for studies of on-line tests were separated. Parallel to this, we organized multi-application session offline group, 20 subjects who received tests by email. The subjects of this study were generally distributed by the five Brazilian regions, and were noticed about the test via the Internet. The performance application in traditional and on-line tested groups subsidies us to conclude that on-line application provides significantly consistency in all criteria for validity studied and justifies its use. The on-line test results were related not only among themselves but were similar to those data of tests done on pencil and paper (0,82). The retests results demonstrated correlation, between 0,92 and, 1 while multisessions had a good correlation in these comparisons. Moreover, were assessed the adequacy of operational criteria used, such as security, the performance of users, the environmental characteristics, the organization of the database, operational costs and limitations in this on-line inventory. In all these five items, there were excellent performances, concluding, also, that it s possible a self-applied psychometric test. The results of this work are a guide to question and establish of methodologies studies for computerization psychological testing software in the country

Methods for Hypothesis Testing in Animal Carcinogenicity Experiments

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08

Robustesse du modèle de Rasch unidimensionnel à la violation de l’hypothèse d’unidimensionnalité.

Le logiciel de simulation des données et d'analyse est Conquest V.3

Tradução e adaptação transcultural do domínio função física do Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System – PROMIS® - versão para a língua portuguesa

In 2004, the National Institutes of Health made available the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System – PROMIS®, which is constituted of innovative item banks for health assessment. It is based on classical, reliable Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) and includes advanced statistical methods, such as Item Response Theory and Computerized Adaptive Test. One of PROMIS® Domain Frameworks is the Physical Function, whose item bank need to be translated and culturally adapted so it can be used in Portuguese speaking countries. This work aimed to translate and culturally adapt the PROMIS® Physical Function item bank into Portuguese. FACIT (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy) translation methodology, which is constituted of eight stages for translation and cultural adaptation, was used. Fifty subjects above the age of 18 years participated in the pre-test (seventh stage). The questionnaire was answered by the participants (self-reported questionnaires) by using think aloud protocol, and cognitive and retrospective interviews. In FACIT methodology, adaptations can be done since the beginning of the translation and cultural adaption process, ensuring semantic, conceptual, cultural, and operational equivalences of the Physical Function Domain. During the pre-test, 24% of the subjects had difficulties understanding the items, 22% of the subjects suggested changes to improve understanding. The terms and concepts of the items were totally understood (100%) in 87% of the items. Only four items had less than 80% of understanding; for this reason, it was necessary to chance them so they could have correspondence with the original item and be understood by the subjects, after retesting. The process of translation and cultural adaptation of the PROMIS® Physical Function item bank into Portuguese was successful. This version of the assessment tool must have its psychometric properties validated before being made available for clinical use.

A Comparison of Anchor-Item Designs for the Concurrent Calibration of Large Banks of Likert-Type Items

Current interest in measuring quality of life is generating interest in the construction of computerized adaptive tests (CATs) with Likert-type items. Calibration of an item bank for use in CAT requires collecting responses to a large number of candidate items. However, the number is usually too large to administer to each subject in the calibration sample. The concurrent anchor-item design solves this problem by splitting the items into separate subtests, with some common items across subtests; then administering each subtest to a different sample; and finally running estimation algorithms once on the aggregated data array, from which a substantial number of responses are then missing. Although the use of anchor-item designs is widespread, the consequences of several configuration decisions on the accuracy of parameter estimates have never been studied in the polytomous case. The present study addresses this question by simulation, comparing the outcomes of several alternatives on the configuration of the anchor-item design. The factors defining variants of the anchor-item design are (a) subtest size, (b) balance of common and unique items per subtest, (c) characteristics of the common items, and (d) criteria for the distribution of unique items across subtests. The results of this study indicate that maximizing accuracy in item parameter recovery requires subtests of the largest possible number of items and the smallest possible number of common items; the characteristics of the common items and the criterion for distribution of unique items do not affect accuracy.

Testing the predictive adaptive response in a host-parasite system

1. Harsh environmental conditions experienced during development can reduce the performance of the same individuals in adulthood. However, the 'predictive adaptive response' hypothesis postulates that if individuals adapt their phenotype during development to the environments where they are likely to live in the future, individuals exposed to harsh conditions in early life perform better when encountering the same harsh conditions in adulthood compared to those never exposed to these conditions before. 2. Using the common vole (Microtus arvalis) as study organism, we tested how exposure to flea parasitism during the juvenile stage affects the physiology (haematocrit, resistance to oxidative stress, resting metabolism, spleen mass, and testosterone), morphology (body mass, testis mass) and motor performance (open field activity and swimming speed) of the same individuals when infested with fleas in adulthood. According to the 'predictive adaptive response' hypothesis, we predicted that voles parasitized at the adult stage would perform better if they had already been parasitized with fleas at the juvenile stage. 3. We found that voles exposed to fleas in adulthood had a higher metabolic rate if already exposed to fleas when juvenile, compared to voles free of fleas when juvenile and voles free of fleas in adulthood. Independently of juvenile parasitism, adult parasitism impaired adult haematocrit and motor performances. Independently of adult parasitism, juvenile parasitism slowed down crawling speed in adult female voles. 4. Our results suggest that juvenile parasitism has long-term effects that do not protect from the detrimental effects of adult parasitism. On the contrary, experiencing parasitism in early-life incurs additional costs upon adult parasitism measured in terms of higher energy expenditure, rather than inducing an adaptive shift in the developmental trajectory. 5. Hence, our study provides experimental evidence for long term costs of parasitism. We found no support for a predictive adaptive response in this host-parasite system.

A literature review of three common balance tests: Electronystagmography, Rotary Chair Testing, and Computerized Dynamic Posturography

This paper discusses the rationale, clinical applications, advantages and disadvantages of three common balance function tests: Electronystagmography (ENG), Rotational Chair Testing (RCT), and Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP).

Adaptive recursive control of a soil testing load frame

Recursive Learning Control (RLC) has the potential to significantly reduce the tracking error in many repetitive trajectory applications. This paper presents an application of RLC to a soil testing load frame where non-adaptive techniques struggle with the highly nonlinear nature of soil. The main purpose of the controller is to apply a sinusoidal force reference trajectory on a soil sample with a high degree of accuracy and repeatability. The controller uses a feedforward control structure, recursive least squares adaptation algorithm and RLC to compensate for periodic errors. Tracking error is reduced and stability is maintained across various soil sample responses.

Testing unit root based on partially adaptive estimation

This paper proposes unit tests based on partially adaptive estimation. The proposed tests provide an intermediate class of inference procedures that are more efficient than the traditional OLS-based methods and simpler than unit root tests based on fully adptive estimation using nonparametric methods. The limiting distribution of the proposed test is a combination of standard normal and the traditional Dickey-Fuller (DF) distribution, including the traditional ADF test as a special case when using Gaussian density. Taking into a account the well documented characteristic of heavy-tail behavior in economic and financial data, we consider unit root tests coupled with a class of partially adaptive M-estimators based on the student-t distributions, wich includes te normal distribution as a limiting case. Monte Carlo Experiments indicate that, in the presence of heavy tail distributions or innovations that are contaminated by outliers, the proposed test is more powerful than the traditional ADF test. We apply the proposed test to several macroeconomic time series that have heavy-tailed distributions. The unit root hypothesis is rejected in U.S. real GNP, supporting the literature of transitory shocks in output. However, evidence against unit roots is not found in real exchange rate and nominal interest rate even haevy-tail is taken into a account.