摘要：Researchers dealing with the task of estimating locations of individuals on continuous latent variables may rely on several statistical models described in the literature. However, weighting costs and bene fi ts of using one speci fi c model over alternative models depends on empirical information that is not always clearly available. Therefore, the aim of this simulation study was to compare the perfor- mance of seven popular statistical models in providing adequate latent trait estimates in conditions of items dif fi culties targeted at the sample mean or at the tails of the latent trait distribution. Results suggested an overall tendency of models to provide more accurate estimates of true latent scores when using items targeted at the sample mean of the latent trait distribution. Rating Scale Model, Graded Response Model, and Weighted Least Squares Mean- and Variance-adjusted Con fi rmatory Factor Analysis yielded the most reliable latent trait estimates, even when applied to inadequate items for the sample distribution of the latent variable. These fi ndings have important implications concerning some popular methodological practices in Psychology and related areas.
其他摘要：Researchers dealing with the task of estimating locations of individuals on continuous latent variables may rely on several statistical models described in the literature. However, weighting costs and bene fi ts of using one speci fi c model over alternative models depends on empirical information that is not always clearly available. Therefore, the aim of this simulation study was to compare the perfor- mance of seven popular statistical models in providing adequate latent trait estimates in conditions of items dif fi culties targeted at the sample mean or at the tails of the latent trait distribution. Results suggested an overall tendency of models to provide more accurate estimates of true latent scores when using items targeted at the sample mean of the latent trait distribution. Rating Scale Model, Graded Response Model, and Weighted Least Squares Mean- and Variance-adjusted Con fi rmatory Factor Analysis yielded the most reliable latent trait estimates, even when applied to inadequate items for the sample distribution of the latent variable. These fi ndings have important implications concerning some popular methodological practices in Psychology and related areas.
关键词：Psychometrics; Item Response Theory; Classical Test Theory; factor analysis; data si- mulation; latent variable models.
其他关键词：Psychometrics; Item Response Theory; Classical Test Theory; factor analysis; data si- mulation; latent variable models.
