How Does Polytomous Item Bias Affect Total-group Survey Score Comparisons?

Ma Dolores Hidalgo, Isabel Benítez, Jose-Luis Padilla and Juana Gómez-Benito

Sociological Methods & Research, 2017, vol. 46, issue 3, 586-603

Abstract: The growing use of scales in survey questionnaires warrants the need to address how does polytomous differential item functioning (DIF) affect observed scale score comparisons. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of DIF on the type I error and effect size of the independent samples t -test on the observed total scale scores. A simulation study was conducted, focusing on potential variables related to DIF in polytomous items, such as DIF pattern, sample size, magnitude, and percentage of DIF items. The results showed that DIF patterns and the number of DIF items affected the type I error rates and effect size of t -test values. The results highlighted the need to analyze DIF before making comparative group interpretations.

Keywords: differential item functioning; polytomous items; type I error rates; survey questionnaire; item bias (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:somere:v:46:y:2017:i:3:p:586-603

DOI: 10.1177/0049124115605333

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