bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minimalism in Governance
Authors: Haines David W.
Published: July 2003

An examination of workers’ compensation in a Southern state suggests a distinctive minimalist approach to governance that imbues both the overall structure of the program and the administration of that program’s components. This article examines this minimalist stance in general and then considers in more detail three separate components of the overall program: the determination of employer suitability for self-insurance, the determination of the appropriateness of medical costs, and the process by which administrative orders are entered awarding compensation for lost work time. For each, the minimalist stance is based on a limited set of simple yet diffuse principles and appears to have significant stability at a very moderate administrative cost. Throughout, the resilience of core program notions is matched by considerable restraint in the application of those notions beyond specific, known contexts.
Welfare Application Encounters
Authors: Soss Joe
Published: July 2003

Based on interviews with clients in two welfare programs, this article explores three questions regarding application encounters: (a) What criteria do applicants use to evaluate the treatment they receive? (b) How do application experiences affect individuals’ expectations of the status that they will occupy as clients? and (c) How do program designs influence these evaluations and expectations? The analysis sheds new light on a longstanding tension between observation research, which suggests that clients are subordinated in welfare encounters, and survey research, which suggests that clients are satisfied with the treatment they receive. The program comparison also offers a basis for reflecting on recent critiques of the dual U.S. welfare system.
Black Male College Students’ Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help
Authors: Duncan Lonnie E.
Published: July 2003

This study examined the relationships between age, socioeconomic status (SES), cultural mistrust, African self-consciousness, and attitude about seeking psychological help in 131 Black male undergraduate and graduate students as measured by the Hollingshead Social Status Index, Cultural Mistrust Inventory (CMI), African Self-Consciousness scale (ASC), and Attitude Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help scale (ATSPPH). Pearson r correlations indicated small magnitude, statistically significant correlations between age and ATSPPH (.19) and SES and ATSPPH (−.22) and nonsignificant correlations between ASC and ATSPPH (−.10) and CMI and ATSPPH (−.14). Simultaneous multiple regression analysis with age, SES, CMI, and ASC as predictor variables and ATSPPH as criterion identified age and SES as the significant unique predictors ( R = .32, R² = .10). Findings indicated older, lower SES, Black, male students with lower CMI tended to have more positive attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help.
Independent and Interdependent Self-Construals, Individualism, Collectivism, and Harmony Control in African Americans
Authors: Constantine Madonna G. , Gainor Kathy A. , Ahluwalia Muninder K. , Berkel Laverne A.
Published: July 2003

The authors investigated the relationships among independent and interdependent self-construals (i.e., self-conceptualizations), dimensions of individualism and collectivism, and aspects of harmony control (i.e., the degree to which individuals are flexible in recognizing that their personal power stems from spiritual, social, and contextual forces) in a sample of 240 African American community college students. Results revealed that independent and interdependent self-construals and dimensions of individualism and collectivism were differentially related to various harmony control dimensions. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Acetylator Phenotype and Genotype in HIV‐Infected Patients with and without Sulfonamide Hypersensitivity
Authors: O'Neil William M. , MacArthur Rodger D. , Farrough Marti J. , Doll Mark A. , Fretland Adrian J. , Hein David W. , Crane Lawrence R. , Svensson Craig K.
Published: July 2003

Adverse reactions to sulfonamides occur at a higher frequency in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than noninfected patients. Some studies have suggested that patients with the slow acetylator phenotype are predisposed to these reactions, whereas other studies suggest that the slow acetylator genotype is not a predisposing factor. To rationalize these seemingly contradictory observations, the authors determined the N‐acetyltransferase 2(NAT2) genotype and phenotype in patients with and without a history of hypersensitivity reactions to sulfonamides. HIV‐infected patients with a history of a delayed‐type hypersensitivity reaction to trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole were enrolled, along with a group of AIDS patients with no history of hypersensitivity (delayed or immediate). NAT2 phenotype was determined in both groups using dapsone, while the genotype was determined using a polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Ten of 14 patients (71%) with a history of hypersensitivity exhibited the slow acetylator phenotype, while 8 of 14 patients (57%) without such a history exhibited this same phenotype (odds ratio [OR] = 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.4–9.0; p = 0.69, Fisher's Exact Test). While 9 of 14 patients (64%) with a history of hypersensitivity exhibited a slow acetylator genotype, only 4 of 14 patients (29%) without such a history exhibited this genotype (ns). There were more instances of discordance between deduced and actual phenotype in the nonhypersensitive patients (n = 4) than in the hypersensitive patients (n = 1). The reported higher frequency of the slow acetylator phenotype among patients with a history of hypersensitivity to sulfonamides does not appear to be explained by metabolic changes that would cause discordance between acetylator genotype and phenotype.
Progressive Cholestatic Liver Disease Associated with Clarithromycin Treatment
Authors: Fox Jean C. , Szyjkowski Ronald S. , Sanderson Schuyler O. , Levine Robert A.
Published: July 2003

The authors report a case of an acute toxic cholestatic reaction to clarithromycin, proven by liver biopsy, in a patient with comorbid diseases, prior exposure to erythromycin and ultimate death. No autopsy was performed. A 59‐year‐old woman with diabetes mellitus and chronic renal insufficiency received clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily for 3 days for acute maxillary sinusitis and then developed a rash and jaundice. She was hospitalized 11 days after stopping clarithromycin. Progressive cholestatic jaundice accompanied by oligo‐anuric renal failure requiring hemodialysis ensued. Liver biopsy showed pure bilirubinostasis without parenchymal inflammation. On the 22nd hospital day, after clinical deterioration, she died from an apparent cardiopulmonary death. This is the first report in the literature of a fatality associated with a short‐term, low (1 g) daily dose of drug‐induced pure cholestasis, an entity not previously identified with severe drug‐induced hepatotoxicity
Characteristics of MML/EAP Parameter Estimates in the Generalized Graded Unfolding Model
Authors: Roberts James S. , Donoghue John R. , Laughlin James E.
Published: July 2003

The generalized graded unfolding model (GGUM) is a very general parametric, unidimensional item response theory model for unfolding either binary or polytomous responses to test items. Roberts, Donoghue, and Laughlin have described a marginal maximum likelihood (MML) approach to estimate item parameters in the GGUM along with an expected a posteriori (EAP) method to estimate person parameters. This article examines the data demands required to produce accurate parameter estimates using these techniques under ideal conditions. It also examines the robustness of parameter estimates under nonideal conditions, in which there are inconsistencies between the prior distribution of person parameters that must be speci.ed when using either the MML or EAP approaches and the true distribution of person parameters. Results from two simulation studies show that accurate item parameter estimates can generally be obtained with approximately 750 to 1,000 respondents. Similarly, responses to approximately 15 to 20, equally spaced, six-category items can yield accurate EAP estimates of person parameters under static testing conditions. The results also suggest that MML item parameter estimates are quite robust to discrepancies between the prior and true distributions of person parameters.

EAP parameter estimates are also fairly robust as long as the item response patterns in question are not too extreme. Finally, 20 quadrature points are generally sufficient to integrate over the prior distribution in both the MML and EAP methods when test and sample characteristics are like those simulated. Thus, the MML/EAP approach to parameter estimation in the general graded unfolding model can produce accurate estimates in an ef.cient manner even when there is uncertainty about the true distribution of person parameters.
Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) as a Basis for an Alternative Approach to Assessment
Authors: Lidz Carol S.
Published: July 2003

This article discusses how Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) is incorporated into testing practices to define a relatively new addition to the assessment repertory called dynamic assessment. Dynamic assessment (DA) typically follows a pre-test-intervene-posttest format. The author has designed procedures where the intervention portion offers mediational interactions that are designed to promote higher mental functioning in the student. The response of the student to these interventions provides important information about the student's abilities and functioning within a teaching/learning situation. The article first operationalizes MLE in a rating scale and then describes four approaches to DA: a group administered screening procedure; a generic curriculum-based approach; an individual assessment for pre-school children and a procedure for determining eligibility for gifted programming demonstrated to be successful with students from ethnic and linguistic minority backgrounds. Some concluding thoughts about the contribution of MLE to assessment are offered.
The Development of MLE-Based Intervention Programmes in the Context of Education in South Africa
Authors: Skuy Mervyn
Published: July 2003

Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) is proposed here as an effective basis for bridging educational gaps and for promoting crosscultural co-existence and integration. A series of controlled studies in South Africa with pre-service teachers from a disadvantaged community, and with students of different cultural groups, developed and tested programmes based on MLE and on its vehicles, the Instrumental Enrichment (IE) thinking skills programme and the Learning Potential Assessment Device (LPAD). The unique nature of South Africa's sociopolitical situation, and the needs of particular population groups within this country, have served as the impetus for studying the effects of MLE, IE and the LPAD in conjunction with other constructs, approaches or programmes. These studies suggest the potential value of MLE-based intervention programmes in contributing to the transformation of the South African education system from its previous apartheid-based methods and goals of compliance, conformity and passive absorption of information, to an integrated and cognitively based system.
Dynamic Assessment of EFL Text Comprehension
Authors: Kozulin Alex , Garb Erica
Published: July 2003

The goal of this article is to explore the feasibility of the development and implementation of the dynamic assessment procedure in such curriculum-based areas as English as a foreign language (EFL). Vygotsky's notion of the Zone of Proximal Development and Feuerstein's concept of Mediated Learning Experience served as a theoretical base for the construction of the assessment procedure. The procedure included a pre-test, mediated learning phase and a post-test. It was applied with a group of 23 academically at-risk students who failed to pass the high school English exam. The results of the study indicate that dynamic procedure indeed provides information on students' learning potential over and beyond that which is available from the static test. This information can be used for the development of individual learning plans attuned to the students' special learning needs.
The Effect of Risk and Resilience Factors on the Prediction of Delinquency in Adolescent Girls
Authors: McKnight Lela Renee' , Loper Ann Booker
Published: July 2003

The present study investigated the effects of risk factors including poverty, single parent status and sexual abuse report, and resiliency factors such as school involvement, drug abstinence and religious belief on predicting delinquency in adolescent girls. It was hypothesized that the resiliency factors would improve the prediction of delinquency beyond risk factors alone. An initial regression analysis examined self-reported delinquency in a sample from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 2245). Resiliency factors improved prediction of delinquency beyond risk factors alone. A second investigation with a separate sample (n = 335) focused on girls at risk for delinquency. Resiliency items which were significant in the initial analysis distinguished girls who reported high levels of delinquency from those with low delinquency with 80 percent accuracy.
The Use of Play Assessment to Evaluate the Cognitive Skills of Two-and Three-Year-Old Children
Authors: Kelly-Vance Lisa , Ryalls Brigette O. , Glover Katrina Gill
Published: July 2003

Play assessment is increasing in popularity despite the lack of empirical support. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of play assessment with young children and determine its efficacy in determining cognitive levels of development. Eight 2-year-olds and eight 3/2-year-olds were observed playing in an unstructured format. Results indicated that Exploratory Play becomes more complex with age and is displayed more than Pretend Play in an unstructured play session. Children's play primarily consisted of Exploratory Play, Pretend Play and Problem Solving and Planning Skills. Several of the Supple mental Subdomains measured by play assessment were not observed to occur in the spontaneous play format. A tendency for increasing complexity of play across time in session was also found.
Relations Between High and Low Power Groups: The Importance of Legitimacy
Authors: Hornsey Matthew J. , Spears Russell , Cremers Iris , Hogg Michael A.
Published: July 2003

Using a social identity perspective, two experiments examined the effects of power and the legitimacy of power differentials on intergroup bias. In Experiment 1, 125 math-science students were led to believe that they had high or low representation in a university decision-making body relative to social-science students and that this power position was either legitimate or illegitimate. Power did not have an independent effect on bias; rather, members of both high and low power groups showed more bias when the power hierarchy was illegitimate than when it was legitimate. This effect was replicated in Experiment 2 ( N = 105). In addition, Experiment 2 showed that groups located within an unfair power hierarchy expected the superordinate power body to be more discriminatory than did those who had legitimately high or low power. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for group relations.
The Excluded Player in Coalition Formation
Authors: van Beest Ilja , Wilke Henk , van Dijk Eric
Published: July 2003

Coalition research generally assumes that people strive to maximize their share of the coalition payoff and that they exclude others from joining a coalition if these others are not needed to obtain the coalition payoff. In two experiments, the authors show that this view is too narrow and that willingness to include such others is dependent on the extent to which people feel that exclusion affects the payoff of the excluded player. This finding was moderated by social value orientations. Proselfs were not affected by the consequences for the excluded players. Prosocials were less willing to exclude others the more harmful were the consequences of exclusion. Results are related to research on social exclusion, the do-no-harm principle, and social value orientations.
The First Year: Influences on the Satisfaction, Involvement, and Persistence of New Community Volunteers
Authors: Davis Mark H. , Hall Jennifer A. , Meyer Marnee
Published: July 2003

This investigation tests an elaborated form of Omoto and Snyder’s volunteer process model, which explains how the helping behavior of volunteers is influenced by antecedent factors and by subjective experiences while volunteering. Two-hundred-thirty-eight community volunteers from nine different organizations were recruited at the time of initial orientation and completed measures of personality and motivation. They were contacted at four times during their first year of volunteering and queried regarding their emotional reactions (sympathy, distress), satisfaction, and degree to which their motivations for volunteering were being fulfilled. Consistent with the elaborated model, feelings of sympathy, distress, and motive fulfillment were substantially predicted by antecedent factors, and satisfaction with the volunteer work was substantially predicted by these subjective experiences. Also consistent with the elaborated model, volunteer involvement (hours per week volunteered) was predicted by satisfaction, although volunteer persistence over time was not. Implications of these findings are discussed.
“Isn’t It Fun to Get the Respect That We’re Going to Deserve?” Narcissism, Social Rejection, and Aggression
Authors: Twenge Jean M. , Campbell W. Keith
Published: July 2003

Across four studies, narcissists were more angry and aggressive after experiencing a social rejection than were nonnarcissists. In Study 1, narcissism was positively correlated with feelings of anger and negatively correlated with more internalized negative emotions in a self-reported, past episode of social rejection. Study 2 replicated this effect for a concurrent lab manipulation of social rejection. In Study 3, narcissists aggressed more against someone who rejected them (i.e., direct aggression). In Study 4, narcissists were also more aggressive toward an innocent third party after experiencing social rejection (i.e., displaced aggression). Narcissists were not more aggressive after social acceptance. Self-esteem plays little role in predicting aggression in response to rejection. These results suggest that the combination of narcissism and social rejection is a powerful predictor of aggressive behavior.
The Role of Perceived Specificity Level of Failure Events in Self-Enhancement and in Constructive Self-Criticism
Authors: Kurman Jenny
Published: July 2003

Three studies tested the role played by perceived specificity level of failures in self-enhancement and in constructive self-criticism. The first study demonstrated that perceived specificity level of events can serve as a self-protection mechanism ( N = 137). The second study, based on retrospective reports of past failures and their implications, showed that perception of failures as specific induced a higher level of constructive self-criticism ( N = 171). The third study tested reactions to failures induced in the laboratory. It was found that self-improvement processes are more pronounced and negative emotional reaction is weaker in failures that are specific (shape perception test) than in those that are global (intelligence test). Statistical control over perceived severity of the failure diminished the difference between the two conditions in negative emotional reaction but not in self-improvement ( N = 84).
A Test of the Equality of Two Related α Coefficients Adjusted by the Spearman-Brown Formula
Authors: Alsawalmeh Yousef M , Feldt Leonard S.
Published: July 2003

Internal-consistency reliability coefficients that are Spearman-Brown extrapolations of the original observed coefficients must occasionally be compared. This might occur in a comparison of measurement procedures that need to be differentially shortened or lengthened in order to equalize their administration time. The effect on rating scale reliability of a training program for raters might also require such a comparison. A statistical test was developed for the hypothesis of the equality of extrapolated coefficients when the original values (Cronbach’s α) are based on the same sample of persons and, therefore, are statistically dependent. Monte carlo studies showed that the test precisely controlled Type I error, even with very small numbers of parttest units or raters.
Cross-Validation Sample Sizes
Authors: Algina James , Keselman H. J.
Published: July 2003

The squared cross-validity coefficient is a measure of the predictive validity of a sample linear prediction equation. It provides a more realistic assessment of the usefulness of the equation than the squared multiple-correlation coefficient. The squared cross-validity coefficient cannot be larger than the squared multiple-correlation coefficient; its size is affected by the number of predictor variables and the size of the sample. Sample-size tables are presented that should result in very small discrepancies between the squared multiple correlation and the squared cross-validity correlation, thus facilitating the selection of sample size for predictive studies.
The Effectiveness of Circular Equating as a Criterion for Evaluating Equating
Authors: Wang Tianyou , Hanson Bradley A. , Harris Deborah J.
Published: July 2003

Circular equating—equating a test form to itself through a chain of equatings—has been widely used as a criterion to evaluate the adequacy of equating. In this paper, analytical methods and simulations showed that this criterion is generally invalid for evaluating the adequacy of equating. Three different designs were studied: (1) the random groups design implemented in the same year, (2) the random groups design implemented across different years, and (3) the common-item-nonequivalent-groups design. For Design 1, it was shown analytically that circular equating always resulted in the identity function (i.e., the perfect result), even with the presence of random and systematic equating errors. For Design 2, a heuristic argument showed that circular equating generally deviates from the identity function by some random sampling error. A simulation study for this design also showed that expected values of circular equating might deviate slightly from the identity function, but those deviations do not reflect the systematic error (bias) embedded in the equating. For Design 3, a simulation study again showed thatcircular equating cannot reflect the systematic error in equating. systematic error in equating.
Equating and Linking of Performance Assessments
Authors: Muraki Eiji , Hombo Catherine M. , Lee Yong-Won
Published: July 2003

Performance assessments (PA) are used in various contexts of large-scale educational assessment. It is often desirable to compare examinee performance on different forms of an assessment or on the same forms administered at different times. An overview of linking methods applied to PA is presented: major issues and recent developments in linking PAs are discussed, three common linking designs (single group, randomly equivalent groups, and nonequivalent groups with anchor items) are compared, and two major linking methodologies [classical and item response theory (IRT)] are evaluated from the PA perspective. Also described are two classical equating methods (linear and equipercentile) and several IRT equating methods (item response function, vertical, common population, and multiple-group). Areas for future research are identified.
Robustness of Item Parameter Estimation Programs to Assumptions of Unidimensionality and Normality
Authors: Kirisci Levent , Hsu Tse-chi , Yu Lifa
Published: July 2003

The effects of test dimensionality (one-or three-dimensional), distribution shape (normal, positively skewed, or platykurtic), and estimation program (BILOG, MULTILOG, or XCALIBRE) on the accuracy of item and person parameter estimates were assessed. The criterion was the root mean squared error of the difference between estimated and true parameter values. There was an interaction between program and dimensionality, indicating that the robustness of the unidimensionality assumption was a function of the estimation program. With the sample size and test length used, unidimensional estimation programs were insensitive to different shapes of the underlying. distribution. BILOG consistently produced the smallest root mean squared error under most conditions. However, MULTILOG and XCALIBRE showed less variance in parameter estimation due to the violation of unidimensionality, with the exception of estimating the discrimination parameter in MULTILOG. Guidelines for estimating parameters of multidimensional test items using unidimensional item response theory models are suggested.
Conditional Covariance-Based Representation of Multidimensional Test Structure
Authors: Bolt Daniel M.
Published: July 2003

A new nonparametric method for constructing a spatial representation of multidimensional test structure is presented. CCSCAL (for Conditional Covariance-based SCALing) constructs an item vector representation of test structure using conditional covariance-based scaling. A conditional covariance-based dissimilarity measure between items, and a form of multidimensional scaling in which dissimilarities are represented by angles between vectors, are used. This method can be used to investigate a broad range of multidimensional test structures. An index is described to measure the accuracy of the representation. Several simulated and real-data analyses show that the method provides a suitable approximation to multidimensional test structures.
Cognitive Assessment Models with Few Assumptions, and Connections with Nonparametric Item Response Theory
Authors: Junker Brian W. , Sijtsma Klaas
Published: July 2003

Some usability and interpretability issues for single-strategy cognitive assessment models are considered. These models posit a stochastic conjunctive relationship between a set of cognitive attributes to be assessed and performance on particular items/tasks in the assessment. The models considered make few assumptions about the relationship between latent attributes and task performance beyond a simple conjunctive structure. An example shows that these models can be sensitive to cognitive attributes, even in data designed to well fit the Rasch model. Several stochastic ordering and monotonicity properties are considered that enhance the interpretability of the models. Simple data summaries are identified that inform about the presence or absence of cognitive attributes when the full computational power needed to estimate the models is not available.
The Use of Restricted Latent Class Models for Defining and Testing Nonparametric and Parametric Item Response Theory Models
Authors: Vermunt Jeroen K.
Published: July 2003

A general class of ordinal logit models is presented that specifies equality and inequality constraints on sums of conditional response probabilities. Using these constraints in latent class analysis, models are obtained that are similar to parametric and nonparametric item response models. Maximum likelihood is used to estimate these models, making their assumptions testable with likelihood-ratio statistics. Because of the intractability of the asymptotic distribution of the goodness-of-fit measure when imposing inequality constraints, parametric bootstrapping is used to obtain estimates of p values. The proposed restricted latent class models are illustrated by an example using reported adult crying behavior.
Estimating Consistency and Accuracy Indices for Multiple Classifications
Authors: Lee Won-Chan , Hanson Bradley A. , Brennan Robert L.
Published: July 2003

This article describes procedures for estimating various indices of classification consistency and accuracy for multiple category classifications using data from a single test administration. The estimates of the classification consistency and accuracy indices are compared under three different psychometric models: the two-parameter beta binomial, four-parameter beta binomial, and three-parameter logistic IRT (item response theory) models. Using real data sets, the estimation procedures are illustrated, and the characteristics of the estimated classification indices are examined. This article also examines the behavior of the estimated classification indices as a function of the latent variable. All three components of the models (i.e., the estimated true score distributions, fitted observed score distributions, and estimated conditional error variances) appear to have considerable influence on the magnitudes of the estimated classification indices. Choosing a model in practice should be based on various considerations including the degree of model fit to the data, suitability of the model assumptions, and the computational feasibility.
Comparing Simulated and Theoretical Sampling Distributions of the U3 Person-Fit Statistic
Authors: Emons Wilco H. M. , Meijer Rob R. , Sijtsma Klaas
Published: July 2003

The accuracy with which the theoretical sampling distribution of van der Flier’s person-fit statistic U3 approaches the empirical U3 sampling distribution is affected by the item discrimination. A simulation study showed that for tests with a moderate or a strong mean item discrimination, the Type I error rates were either too high or too low to be used in practice. It was concluded that the use of standard normal deviates for the standardized version of the U3 statistic may be problematic. Nevertheless, the U3 statistic is suitable for evaluating the relative likelihood of item score patterns, for example, if one wishes to select a fixed percentage of the most improbable patterns.
A General Bayesian Model for Testlets: Theory and Applications
Authors: Wang Xiaohui , Bradlow Eric T. , Wainer Howard
Published: July 2003

The need for more realistic and richer forms of assessment in educational tests has led to the inclusion (in many tests) of polytomously scored items, multiple items based on a single stimulus (a “testlet”), and the increased use of a generalized mixture of binary and polytomous item formats. In this paper, the authors extend earlier work on the modeling of testlet-based response data to include the situation in which a test is composed, partially or completely, of polytomously scored items and/or testlets. The model they propose, a modified version of commonly employed item response models, is embedded within a fully Bayesian framework, and inferences under the model are obtained using Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques. The authors demonstrate its use within a designed series of simulations and by analyzing operational data from the North Carolina Test of Computer Skills and the Educational Testing Service’s Test of Spoken English. Their empirical findings suggest that the North Carolina Test of Computer Skills exhibits significant testlet effects, indicating significant dependence of item scores obtained from common stimuli, whereas the Test of Spoken English does not.
Stable Response Functions with Unstable Item Parameter Estimates
Authors: Ogasawara Haruhiko
Published: July 2003

The asymptotic standard errors of item/test response function estimates are derived by the delta method for the three-parameter logistic model. Using a similar method, the asymptotic standard errors of item, test, and score information function estimates are obtained. Numerical illustrations show that the response function estimates are rather stable in spite of the unstable item parameter estimates. However,the information function estimates are shown to be relatively unstable. These results suggest that the item/test response function estimates should be used rather than item parameter estimates for applications such as item response theory linking.
Test Equating Under the Multiple-Choice Model
Authors: Kim Jee-Seon , Hanson Bradley A.
Published: July 2003

This article presents a characteristic curve procedure for computing transformations of the item response theory (IRT) ability scale assuming the multiple-choice model. The multiple-choice model provides a realistic and informative approach to analyzing multiple-choice items in two important ways. First, the probability of guessing is a decreasing function of proficiency rather than a constant across different proficiency levels as in the three-parameter logistic model. Second, the model utilizes information from incorrect answers as well as from correct answers. The multiple-choice model includes many well-known IRT models as special cases, such as Bock’s nominal response model. Formulas needed to implement a characteristic curve method for scale transformation are presented for the multiple-choice model. The use of the characteristic curve method for the multiple-choice model is illustrated in an example equating American College Testing mathematics tests. In the process of deriving the scale transformation procedure for the multiplechoice model, corrections were made in some of the formulas presented by Baker for computing a scale transformation for the nominal response model.
The Random Weights Linear Logistic Test Model
Authors: Rijmen Frank , De Boeck Paul , Leuven K. U.
Published: July 2003

A generalization of the linear logistic test model of G. H. Fischer (1973), the random weights linear logistic test model, is presented. The generalization consists of a random coef.cient contribution of item stimulus features to the item dif.culties, with the coef.cients varying over persons. Whereas in the common linear logistic test model, only the intercept (ability) is considered random over persons, in the random weights linear logistic test model, also some or all of the item stimulus features are considered as having random coef.cients. It turns out that the random weights linear logistic test model is a special case of the multidimensional random coef.cient multinomial logit model of Adams, Wilson, and Wang (1997). The model is applied to a deductive reasoning task.
Recovery of Item Parameters in the Nominal Response Model: A Comparison of Marginal Maximum Likelihood Estimation and Markov Chain Monte Carlo Estimation
Authors: Wollack James A. , Bolt Daniel M. , Cohen Allan S. , Lee Young-Sun
Published: July 2003

Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods, such as Gibbs sampling, present an alternative to marginal maximum likelihood (MML) estimation, which offers some promise for parameter estimation particularly with complex models, in small sample situations, and for other applications where MML algorithms have not been established. MCMC circumvents the problems associated with implementing an estimation algorithm for complex, multidimensional probability distributions by sampling the parameters from each of the one-dimensional conditional posterior distributions at each stage of the Markov chain. In this article, the authors compared the quality of item parameter estimates for MML and MCMC with one type of complex item response theory model, the nominal response model. The quality of item parameter recovery was nearly identical for both MML and MCMC. Both methods tended to produce good estimates, even for short tests and relatively small sample sizes. Parameter recovery was best for items of moderate dif.culty (i.e., items matched to the latent trait distribution); recovery was worst for items that were extremely easy or dif.cult. The quality of item parameter recovery improved as test length increased from 10 to 30 items, but did not change as test length increased from 20 to 30 items. MCMC estimation takes substantially longer but appears to be a good surrogate for MML for those situations for which an MML algorithm has not been developed.
Empirical Initialization of the Trait Estimator in Adaptive Testing
Authors: Van Der Linden Wim J.
Published: July 2003

A procedure for empirical initialization of the trait. θ estimator in adaptive testing is proposed that is based on the statistical relation between θ and background variables known prior to test administration. The relation is modeled using a two-parameter version of a logistic item response theory model with manifest predictors discussed in Zwinderman (1991). Equations are provided that are necessary for estimating the parameters from an incomplete sample of response data and data on background variables. The procedure is illustrated for an adaptive version of a test from the Dutch General Aptitude Test Battery, with response time on a prior test as a background variable.
Optimal Item Discrimination and Maximum Information for Logistic IRT Models
Authors: Veerkamp Wim J. J. , Berger Martijn P. F.
Published: July 2003

Items with the highest discrimination parameter values in a logistic item response theory model do not necessarily give maximum information. This paper derives discrimination parameter values, as functions of the guessing parameter and distances between person parameters and item difficulty, that yield maximum information for the three-parameter logistic item response theory model. An upper bound for information as a function of these parameters is also derived. An algorithm is suggested for the maximum information item selection criterion for adaptive testing and is compared with a full bank search algorithm.
Using Response-Time Constraints to Control for Differential Speededness in Computerized Adaptive Testing
Authors: Van Der Linden Wim J. , Scrams David J. , Schnipke Deborah L.
Published: July 2003

An item-selection algorithm is proposed for neutralizing the differential effects of time limits on computerized adaptive test scores. The method is based on a statistical model for distributions of examinees’ response times on items in a bank that is updated each time an item is administered. Predictions from the model are used as constraints in a 0-1 linear programming model for constrained adaptive testing that maximizes the accuracy of the trait estimator. The method is demonstrated empirically using an item bank from the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.
Probit Latent Class Analysis with Dichotomous or Ordered Category Measures: Conditional Independence/Dependence Models
Authors: Uebersax John S.
Published: July 2003

Flexible methods that relax restrictive conditional independence assumptions of latent classanalysis (LCA) are described. Dichotomous and ordered category manifest variables are viewed asdiscretized latent continuous variables. The latent continuous variables are assumed to have a mixtureofmultivariate-normals distribution. Within a latent class, conditional dependence is modeled as the mutual association of all or some latent continuous variables with a continuous latent trait (or in special cases, multiple latent traits). The relaxation of conditional independence assumptions allows LCA to better model natural taxa. Comparisons of specific restricted and unrestricted models permit statistical tests of specific aspects of latent taxonic structure. Latent class, latent trait, and latent distribution analysis can be viewed as special cases of the mixed latent trait model. The relationship between the multivariate probit mixture model proposed here and Rost’s mixed Rasch (1990, 1991) model is discussed. Two studies illustrate different uses of the proposed model.
Italian Contrasts in Regional Military Industrial Conversion
Authors: Perani Giulio
Published: July 2003

In the 1990s, because of falling arms exports and stagnant military spending, Italian military production fell significantly. The national government failed to design or fund a conversion strategy, leaving the conversion challenge to the regions. This article reviews strikingly different initiatives in three regions—the industrial north (Lombardia), the underdeveloped south (Abruzzi), and the “third Italy” (Toscana). Each confronted unique adjustment problems, a legacy of divergent defense industry development paths. The regions brought markedly different capabilities to bear on the problem, which made conversion initiatives relatively easier to design and implement in the north and toughest in the south. Relative conversion success and failure across these regions appear to be a function of the size and specializations of firms involved, their market position, and especially the institutional context. Well-developed regional expertise, honed over the past few decades of industrial restructuring in civilian industry, and a stronger economic structure made the northern region better able to identify priorities and to develop strategies for promoting defense conversion, albeit with mixed results.
Federal Defense Industrial Policy, Firm Strategy, and Regional Conversion Initiatives in Four American Aerospace Regions
Authors: Oden Michael
Published: July 2003

This article examines divergent experiences among U.S. defense regions in the post-cold war era, highlighting the interplay between shifting federal policies, large defense firm investment and location decisions, and adjustment policies implemented by regional actors. Case studies of four defense aerospace centers reveal that economic impacts were highly uneven across major defense regions. Regional conversion and diversification efforts mitigated some adjustment costs when local actors overcame interjurisdictional conflict and vested leadership in a single agency or government department. Communities that had experienced structural downturns in previous periods were better able to draw on prior knowledge, pull actors together, and plan more strategically. While the scale of local initiatives has not been large enough to have measurable impacts on aggregate regional economic performance, conversion programs did succeed in overcoming specific market failures and improved outcomes at the level of firms and individual workers.
Infrastructure, Industrial Development, and Employment in Cities: Theoretical Aspects and Empirical Evidence
Authors: Seitz Helmut
Published: July 2003

The article examines the impact of infrastructure supply on private economic activity in cities. Using a simple theoretical model, which takes the financing of infrastructure services into account, it is shown that infrastructures affect the sector composition in cities and the competitiveness of cities. The model also indicates that infrastructure effects can be identified using labor demand functions, which gives a theory-based motivation for empirical testing. In the applied part of the article, labor demand functions for large West German cities are estimated that make it possible to quantify the effects of providing infrastructure services on local job markets. The estimates reveal that differences in regional infrastructure supply explain up to 20 percent of the observed interregional disparities in employment growth across West German cities.
Regional Science Publication Patterns in the 1990s
Authors: Rey Sergio J. , Anselin Luc
Published: July 2003

This article examines the publication patterns in five core regional science journals during the 1990s. Attention is paid to the thematic distribution of articles for each journal and across journals. The journals are also compared with respect to citation counts, areas of concentration, and authorship patterns. The impact of each article is examined through an analysis of citations over the decade. Productivity of individual scholars is measured using article counts, page counts, and citation indices.
Estimating the Commuting Costs of Seoul’s Greenbelt
Authors: Jun Myung-Jin , BAE Chang-Hee Christine
Published: July 2003

This research estimates commuting costs associated with Seoul’s Greenbelt. It uses a density gradient framework for workers and residents and assumes that the Greenbelt results in a major discontinuity in these gradients that would be eliminated if the Greenbelt did not exist. This means abolition of the Greenbelt would result in both more workers and residents within the Greenbelt and fewer outside (both centrally and peripherally). The commuter distance savings from this reallocation form the basis for measuring the commuting costs. The average savings is 5 percent (a reduction from 7.14 km to 6.79 km); Greenbelt workers and residents would achieve substantial savings that are not fully offset by modest increases for those in the non-Greenbelt zones. Total commuting costs associated with the current Greenbelt are $65.96 million per year for out-of-pocket costs ($12.01 per commuter), or $395.56 million per year ($72.02 per commuter) including the value of travel time.
The Rural Economy in a New Century
Authors: Johnson Thomas G.
Published: July 2003

This article discusses the economic status of rural America. It focuses on the current status of rural areas and the incipient forces that will change life in rural areas through the early twenty-first century. During the twentieth century, technology eroded the employment base of most rural communities, depressed incomes, and made out-migration the only recourse for millions. The fortunes of rural communities are diverging. Some are continuing to face economic decline. Others are trying to cope with rapid growth in population, land use conflicts, and growing demand for public services. The twenty-first century could instead favor rural communities. Economic and demographic trends are reducing the cost of distance and increasing the value of space. Technology is reducing the need for proximate labor. Demand for rural community lifestyle is growing. With effective rural policy, rural communities could contribute much more to the national economy.
New Policies for a New Rural America
Authors: Drabenstott Mark
Published: July 2003

The U.S. rural economy is undergoing huge changes as the twenty-first century begins. The most compelling feature of these several changes is unevenness: some rural areas are booming while many others struggle. Looking forward, rural America faces five major challenges. Closing the digital divide will help rural America top e-business opportunities. Urging on rural entrepreneurs will help fuel new economic activity on Main Street. Leveraging a new product-oriented agriculture will boost growth in some farming communities, but probably not all. Sustaining the rural environment will provide a strong economic foundation for many scenic rural areas. And boosting rural human capital will be essential for most rural growth strategies. Public policy will play an important supporting role as rural America meets these challenges. But rural policies in the twenty-first century will have to go far beyond a historical focus on agriculture. The period ahead will likely see a rich debate on the goals and mechanisms of a new generation of rural policy.
Rural Policy in the New Century
Authors: Marshall Ray
Published: July 2003

This article outlines the evolution of U.S. rural policy and identifies some likely policy gaps if current trends continue. During the 1930s, the New Deal stabilized agricultural prices and provided greater access to electricity, telephones, and transportation facilities for rural people. Rural nonfarm development was built on natural resources and low cost manufacturing, which became less viable in a global economy. Competitiveness in the new economy requires greater development of human resources and information infrastructures. Rural areas have closed their education gaps with central cities, but not with suburban populations or world class standards. Rural workforce development also lags, although emerging high performance companies demand skilled workers. Information infrastructures improve the quality of life and promote high value-added rural development. Two likely policy gaps are inadequate human resource development and the lack of a coherent rural policy which responds to unique rural conditions. Such a policy would be in the national interest.