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On the Bock-Aitkin Procedure—from an EM Algorithm Perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2025

Yaowen Hsu
Yaowen Hsu*
Affiliation:
ACT, Inc.
*
Requests for reprints should be sent to Yaowen Hsu, ACT, Inc., P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 52243-0168.
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Abstract

The relationship between the EM algorithm and the Bock-Aitkin procedure is described with a continuous distribution of ability (latent trait) from an EM-algorithm perspective. Previous work has been restricted to the discrete case from a probit-analysis perspective.

Keywords

item response theorymarginal maximum likelihood estimationEM algorithmBock-Aitkin procedure
Type
Notes And Comments
Information
Psychometrika , Volume 65 , Issue 4 , December 2000 , pp. 547 - 549
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 The Psychometric Society

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Footnotes

The author is grateful to Bradley A. Hanson for valuable discussion and comments. Thanks also go to Terry A. Ackerman, Meichu Fan, Subrata Kundu, and Robert K. Tsutakawa for their help and encouragement in this study.

References

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