Mixture Random-Effect IRT Models for Controlling Extreme Response Style on Rating Scales

Respondents are often requested to provide a response to Likert-type or rating-scale items during the assessment of attitude, interest, and personality to measure a variety of latent traits. Extreme response style (ERS), which is defined as a consistent and systematic tendency of a person to locate...

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Main Author: Hung-Yu Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2016-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01706/full
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author Hung-Yu Huang
author_facet Hung-Yu Huang
author_sort Hung-Yu Huang
collection DOAJ
description Respondents are often requested to provide a response to Likert-type or rating-scale items during the assessment of attitude, interest, and personality to measure a variety of latent traits. Extreme response style (ERS), which is defined as a consistent and systematic tendency of a person to locate on a limited number of available rating-scale options, may distort the test validity. Several latent trait models have been proposed to address ERS, but all these models have limitations. Mixture random-effect item response theory (IRT) models for ERS are developed in this study to simultaneously identify the mixtures of latent classes from different ERS levels and detect the possible differential functioning items that result from different latent mixtures. The model parameters can be recovered fairly well in a series of simulations that use Bayesian estimation with the WinBUGS program. In addition, the model parameters in the developed models can be used to identify items that are likely to elicit ERS. The results show that a long test and large sample can improve the parameter estimation process; the precision of the parameter estimates increases with the number of response options, and the model parameter estimation outperforms the person parameter estimation. Ignoring the mixtures and ERS results in substantial rank-order changes in the target latent trait and a reduced classification accuracy of the response styles. An empirical survey of emotional intelligence in college students is presented to demonstrate the applications and implications of the new models.
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spelling doaj.art-ec8dde92a2f446d88a656339de87b4172022-12-21T18:23:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782016-11-01710.3389/fpsyg.2016.01706223357Mixture Random-Effect IRT Models for Controlling Extreme Response Style on Rating ScalesHung-Yu Huang0University of TaipeiRespondents are often requested to provide a response to Likert-type or rating-scale items during the assessment of attitude, interest, and personality to measure a variety of latent traits. Extreme response style (ERS), which is defined as a consistent and systematic tendency of a person to locate on a limited number of available rating-scale options, may distort the test validity. Several latent trait models have been proposed to address ERS, but all these models have limitations. Mixture random-effect item response theory (IRT) models for ERS are developed in this study to simultaneously identify the mixtures of latent classes from different ERS levels and detect the possible differential functioning items that result from different latent mixtures. The model parameters can be recovered fairly well in a series of simulations that use Bayesian estimation with the WinBUGS program. In addition, the model parameters in the developed models can be used to identify items that are likely to elicit ERS. The results show that a long test and large sample can improve the parameter estimation process; the precision of the parameter estimates increases with the number of response options, and the model parameter estimation outperforms the person parameter estimation. Ignoring the mixtures and ERS results in substantial rank-order changes in the target latent trait and a reduced classification accuracy of the response styles. An empirical survey of emotional intelligence in college students is presented to demonstrate the applications and implications of the new models.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01706/fullBayesian estimationitem response theoryLatent Classextreme response stylemixture IRT models
spellingShingle Hung-Yu Huang
Mixture Random-Effect IRT Models for Controlling Extreme Response Style on Rating Scales
Frontiers in Psychology
Bayesian estimation
item response theory
Latent Class
extreme response style
mixture IRT models
title Mixture Random-Effect IRT Models for Controlling Extreme Response Style on Rating Scales
title_full Mixture Random-Effect IRT Models for Controlling Extreme Response Style on Rating Scales
title_fullStr Mixture Random-Effect IRT Models for Controlling Extreme Response Style on Rating Scales
title_full_unstemmed Mixture Random-Effect IRT Models for Controlling Extreme Response Style on Rating Scales
title_short Mixture Random-Effect IRT Models for Controlling Extreme Response Style on Rating Scales
title_sort mixture random effect irt models for controlling extreme response style on rating scales
topic Bayesian estimation
item response theory
Latent Class
extreme response style
mixture IRT models
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01706/full
work_keys_str_mv AT hungyuhuang mixturerandomeffectirtmodelsforcontrollingextremeresponsestyleonratingscales