Confidence in mathematics is confounded by responses to reverse-coded items
IntroductionThis study investigates the confounding effects of reverse-coded items on the measurement of confidence in mathematics using data from the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).MethodsThe sample came from the Saudi Arabian cohort of 8th graders in 2019 involv...
| Príomhchruthaitheoirí: | , |
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| Formáid: | Alt |
| Teanga: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-10-01
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| Sraith: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Ábhair: | |
| Rochtain ar líne: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1489054/full |
| _version_ | 1827050758032326656 |
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| author | Faye Antoniou Mohammed H. Alghamdi |
| author_facet | Faye Antoniou Mohammed H. Alghamdi |
| author_sort | Faye Antoniou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThis study investigates the confounding effects of reverse-coded items on the measurement of confidence in mathematics using data from the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).MethodsThe sample came from the Saudi Arabian cohort of 8th graders in 2019 involving 4,515 students. Through mixture modeling, two subgroups responding in similar ways to reverse-coded items were identified representing approximately 9% of the sample.ResultsTheir response to positively valenced and negatively valenced items showed inconsistency and the observed unexpected response patterns were further verified using Lz*, U3, and the number of Guttman errors person fit indicators. Psychometric analyses on the full sample and the truncated sample after deleting the aberrant responders indicated significant improvements in both internal consistency reliability and factorial validity.DiscussionIt was concluded that reverse-coded items contribute to systematic measurement error that is associated with distorted item level parameters that compromised the scale’s reliability and validity. The study underscores the need for reconsideration of reverse-coded items in survey design, particularly in contexts involving younger populations and low-achieving students. |
| first_indexed | 2025-02-18T16:06:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1f1c20fd53b945b18c721a2b51f76086 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-18T16:06:37Z |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-1f1c20fd53b945b18c721a2b51f760862024-10-24T04:52:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782024-10-011510.3389/fpsyg.2024.14890541489054Confidence in mathematics is confounded by responses to reverse-coded itemsFaye Antoniou0Mohammed H. Alghamdi1Department of Educational Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GreeceDepartment of Self-Development Skills, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaIntroductionThis study investigates the confounding effects of reverse-coded items on the measurement of confidence in mathematics using data from the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).MethodsThe sample came from the Saudi Arabian cohort of 8th graders in 2019 involving 4,515 students. Through mixture modeling, two subgroups responding in similar ways to reverse-coded items were identified representing approximately 9% of the sample.ResultsTheir response to positively valenced and negatively valenced items showed inconsistency and the observed unexpected response patterns were further verified using Lz*, U3, and the number of Guttman errors person fit indicators. Psychometric analyses on the full sample and the truncated sample after deleting the aberrant responders indicated significant improvements in both internal consistency reliability and factorial validity.DiscussionIt was concluded that reverse-coded items contribute to systematic measurement error that is associated with distorted item level parameters that compromised the scale’s reliability and validity. The study underscores the need for reconsideration of reverse-coded items in survey design, particularly in contexts involving younger populations and low-achieving students.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1489054/fullreverse coded itemsaberrant respondingcarelessnessrandom respondingperson-fit indiceslz* |
| spellingShingle | Faye Antoniou Mohammed H. Alghamdi Confidence in mathematics is confounded by responses to reverse-coded items Frontiers in Psychology reverse coded items aberrant responding carelessness random responding person-fit indices lz* |
| title | Confidence in mathematics is confounded by responses to reverse-coded items |
| title_full | Confidence in mathematics is confounded by responses to reverse-coded items |
| title_fullStr | Confidence in mathematics is confounded by responses to reverse-coded items |
| title_full_unstemmed | Confidence in mathematics is confounded by responses to reverse-coded items |
| title_short | Confidence in mathematics is confounded by responses to reverse-coded items |
| title_sort | confidence in mathematics is confounded by responses to reverse coded items |
| topic | reverse coded items aberrant responding carelessness random responding person-fit indices lz* |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1489054/full |
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