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Maximizing the Discriminating Power of a Multiple-Score Test

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2025

Jane Loevinger ,
Goldine C. Gleser  and
Philip H. DuBois
Jane Loevinger
Affiliation:
Washington University
Goldine C. Gleser
Affiliation:
Washington University
Philip H. DuBois
Affiliation:
Washington University
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Abstract

Maximizing the discriminating power of a multiple-score test involves maximizing the homogeneity of each subtest and minimizing the correlations between subtests. A method is presented for constructing such tests from items whose intercorrelations are not too high. Under certain restrictions the saturation, defined as the proportion of inter-item covariance to total variance, is maximized for each subtest. The nucleus of each subtest is three items with high covariances inter se. All items which will lower the saturation are discarded; the one item is added which will maximize the saturation of the resultant test. This process is repeated until all the items are included or discarded for that subtest. If the correlation between any such subtests approaches the geometric mean of their saturations, their items form a new pool for one or more subtests. Formulas are presented for deciding which items to eliminate in order to reduce further the correlations between subtests.

Type
Original Paper
Information
Psychometrika , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , December 1953 , pp. 309 - 317
Copyright
Copyright © 1953 The Psychometric Society

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Footnotes

*

This research was supported in part by the United States Air Force under Contract AF 33(038)-10588 with Human Resources Research Center, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. Permission is granted for reproduction, translation, publication use and disposal in whole and in part by or for the United States Government.

References

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