Introduction to Nonparametric Item Response Theory

—LINDA F. WIGHTMAN, School of Education, University of N. Carolina, Greensboro

—JOHN HATTIE, Head of the School of Education, University of Auckland, NZ

This book introduces social and behavioral science students and researchers to the theory and practice of the highly powerful methods of nonparametric item response theory (IRT). Anyone who uses or constructs tests or questionnaires for measuring abilities, achievements, personality traits, attitudes, or opinions will find nonparametric IRT useful for designing and improving such measurements. The authors show how the broadness of the nonparametric item response models allows them to fit many data sets and remain powerful enough for implying useful measurement properties, such as the ordering of persons using the simple total score (number-correct for dichotomous item tests and sum of rating scale score for polytomous item tests) and the ordering of the items using the item means. Many data analysis examples are given in the book, and a user-friendly computer program used throughout the book supports data analysis using nonparametric IRT. Given the importance of school admissions, certification, personnel selection, marketing, social policy evaluation, quality-of-life measurements, and assessments of deviant behavior, this book is a must read for students or researchers engaged in this work.