TitleBayesian identification of outliers in computerized adaptive testing
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication1998
AuthorsBradlow, ET, Weiss, RE, Cho, M
JournalJournal of the American Statistical Association
Volume93
Number443
Pagination910-919
Publication Languageeng
Abstract

We consider the problem of identifying examinees with aberrant response patterns in a computerized adaptive test (CAT). The vec-tor of responses yi of person i from the CAT comprise a multivariate response vector. Multivariate observations may be outlying in manydi erent directions and we characterize speci c directions as corre- sponding to outliers with different interpretations. We develop a class of outlier statistics to identify different types of outliers based on a con-trol chart type methodology. The outlier methodology is adaptable to general longitudinal discrete data structures. We consider several procedures to judge how extreme a particular outlier is. Data from the National Council Licensure EXamination (NCLEX) motivates our development and is used to illustrate the results.