Uncovering Differential Item Functioning effects using MIMIC and mediated MIMIC models
The aim of this study was twofold: first, to examine the presence of bias across gender in a scholastic achievement test named the Academic Achievement Test (AAT) for the Science Track. Second, to understand the underlying mechanism that causes these bias effects by examining the effect of general c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1268074/full |
| _version_ | 1797653275918467072 |
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| author | Ioannis Tsaousis Maisaa Taleb S. Alahmandi Halimah Asiri |
| author_facet | Ioannis Tsaousis Maisaa Taleb S. Alahmandi Halimah Asiri |
| author_sort | Ioannis Tsaousis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The aim of this study was twofold: first, to examine the presence of bias across gender in a scholastic achievement test named the Academic Achievement Test (AAT) for the Science Track. Second, to understand the underlying mechanism that causes these bias effects by examining the effect of general cognitive ability as a mediator. The sample consisted of 1,300 Saudi high school students randomly selected from a larger pool of 173,133 participants to reduce the effects of excessive power. To examine both goals, the Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) approach for detecting Differential Item Functioning (DIF) items was used. The results showed that 13 AAT items exhibited DIF effects for different gender groups. In most of these items, male participants were more likely to answer them correctly than their female counterparts. Next, the mediated MIMIC approach was applied to explore possible underlying mechanisms that explain these DIF effects. The results from this study showed that general cognitive ability (i.e., General Aptitude Test - GAT) seems to be a factor that could explain why an AAT item exhibits DIF across gender. It was found that GAT scores fully explain the DIF effect in two AAT items (full mediation). In most other cases, GAT helps account for only a proportion of the DIF effect (partial mediation). The results from this study will help experts improve the quality of their instruments by identifying DIF items and deciding how to revise them, considering the mediator’s effect on participants’ responses. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T16:42:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-64da04d539a644aaa59d8418a354b5b6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T16:42:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-64da04d539a644aaa59d8418a354b5b62023-10-23T08:15:31ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-10-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.12680741268074Uncovering Differential Item Functioning effects using MIMIC and mediated MIMIC modelsIoannis Tsaousis0Maisaa Taleb S. Alahmandi1Halimah Asiri2Department of Psychology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Athens, GreeceEducation and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC), Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaEducation and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC), Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaThe aim of this study was twofold: first, to examine the presence of bias across gender in a scholastic achievement test named the Academic Achievement Test (AAT) for the Science Track. Second, to understand the underlying mechanism that causes these bias effects by examining the effect of general cognitive ability as a mediator. The sample consisted of 1,300 Saudi high school students randomly selected from a larger pool of 173,133 participants to reduce the effects of excessive power. To examine both goals, the Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) approach for detecting Differential Item Functioning (DIF) items was used. The results showed that 13 AAT items exhibited DIF effects for different gender groups. In most of these items, male participants were more likely to answer them correctly than their female counterparts. Next, the mediated MIMIC approach was applied to explore possible underlying mechanisms that explain these DIF effects. The results from this study showed that general cognitive ability (i.e., General Aptitude Test - GAT) seems to be a factor that could explain why an AAT item exhibits DIF across gender. It was found that GAT scores fully explain the DIF effect in two AAT items (full mediation). In most other cases, GAT helps account for only a proportion of the DIF effect (partial mediation). The results from this study will help experts improve the quality of their instruments by identifying DIF items and deciding how to revise them, considering the mediator’s effect on participants’ responses.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1268074/fullDifferential Item Functioning (DIF)uniform DIFMIMIC approachmediation analysismediated MIMIC model |
| spellingShingle | Ioannis Tsaousis Maisaa Taleb S. Alahmandi Halimah Asiri Uncovering Differential Item Functioning effects using MIMIC and mediated MIMIC models Frontiers in Psychology Differential Item Functioning (DIF) uniform DIF MIMIC approach mediation analysis mediated MIMIC model |
| title | Uncovering Differential Item Functioning effects using MIMIC and mediated MIMIC models |
| title_full | Uncovering Differential Item Functioning effects using MIMIC and mediated MIMIC models |
| title_fullStr | Uncovering Differential Item Functioning effects using MIMIC and mediated MIMIC models |
| title_full_unstemmed | Uncovering Differential Item Functioning effects using MIMIC and mediated MIMIC models |
| title_short | Uncovering Differential Item Functioning effects using MIMIC and mediated MIMIC models |
| title_sort | uncovering differential item functioning effects using mimic and mediated mimic models |
| topic | Differential Item Functioning (DIF) uniform DIF MIMIC approach mediation analysis mediated MIMIC model |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1268074/full |
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