Psychometrics
An introduction to the design, validation and implementation of tests and questionnaires in social science research, using both Classical Test Theory (CTT) and modern psychometric methods such as Item Response Theory (IRT). This course aims to enable students to: be able to construct and validate a test or questionnaire; understand the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of existing tests and questionnaires; appreciate the impact and potential of modern psychometric methods in the internet age.
Week 1: Introduction to psychometrics
a. Psychometrics, ancient and modern. Classical Test Theory
b. How to design and build your own psychometric test
Week 2: Testing in the online environment
a. Testing via the internet. How to, plus do’s and don’ts
b. Putting your test online
Week 3: Modern Psychometrics
a. Item Response Theory (IRT) models and their assumptions
b. Advanced assessment using computer adaptive testing
Week 4: Implementing adaptive tests online
a. How to automatically generate ability items
b. Practical
- University Students from Tier 1 Departments
- Further details regarding eligibility criteria are available here
Students are expected to be familiar with basic statistical techniques, up to chi-square, correlation and simple linear regression.
Number of sessions: 4
| # | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tue 15 Oct 2019 14:00 - 16:00 | 14:00 - 16:00 | 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 5 | map | Dr David Stillwell |
| 2 | Tue 22 Oct 2019 14:00 - 16:00 | 14:00 - 16:00 | 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 5 | map | Prof. John Rust |
| 3 | Tue 29 Oct 2019 14:00 - 16:00 | 14:00 - 16:00 | 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 5 | map | al935 |
| 4 | Tue 5 Nov 2019 14:00 - 16:00 | 14:00 - 16:00 | 8 Mill Lane, Lecture Room 5 | map | Dr Luning Sun |
To enable students to understand and use tests and questionnaires in social science research using both classical test theory and modern psychometric methods.
- Rust, J. And Golombok, S. (2009) Modern Psychometrics 3rd Edition. Routledge.
- Flynn, J. (2009) What is intelligence? Beyond the Flynn Effect. CUP.
- Brown, T. A. (2006) Confirmatory Factor Analysis for Applied Researchers. The Guildford Press, London.
- de Ayala, R. J. (2008) Theory and Practice of Item Response Theory. Guilford Press.
- DeVellis, R. F. (2012) Scale Development: Theory and Applications, 3rd Edition. Sage
- Urbina, S. (2004) Essentials of Psychological Testing. Wiley & Sons, NJ
- Gierl, M. J., & Haladyna, T. M. (Eds.). (2012). Automatic item generation: Theory and practice. Routledge.
- Kosinski, M., Matz, S., Gosling, S., Popov, V., Stillwell, D. (2015). Facebook as a Social Science Research Tool: Opportunities, Challenges, Ethical Considerations and Practical Guidelines. American Psychologist. Link
- Reeve, B. B., Hays, R. D., Bjorner, J. B., Cook, K. F., Crane, P. K., Teresi, J. A. & Liu, H. (2007). Psychometric evaluation and calibration of health-related quality of life item banks: plans for the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). Medical care, 45(5), S22-S31.
NB. This module does not have an SSRMC Moodle page.
Course details can be found here: https://www.psychometrics.cam.ac.uk/studentsteaching/tutorial-materials and here http://www.psychometrics.cam.ac.uk
Click the "Booking" panel on the left-hand sidebar (on a phone, this will be via a link called Booking/Availability near the top of the page).
There may be a test at the end of the module, consisting of a written exercise in test construction; for most students, the test is not compulsory.
Booking / availability