Glossary / Lexicon

Item analysis refers to an assessment of whether each of the items included in a composite measure makes an independent contribution or merely duplicates the contribution of other items in the measure. Moreover, Item analysis is a set of methods used to evaluate test items. The most common techniques involve assessment of item difficulty and item discriminability.

Description

Item analysis in the psychology context refers to the process of evaluating the individual items or questions in a psychological assessment to determine their effectiveness in measuring the intended construct. It involves examining the statistical properties of each item, such as its difficulty level, discrimination index, and reliability. Item analysis plays a crucial role in improving the quality and validity of psychological tests by identifying problematic items that may need to be revised or removed. This process helps to ensure that the test accurately measures the psychological constructs it is designed to assess. It also helps to enhance the overall reliability and validity of the test results, providing researchers and practitioners with more accurate and meaningful data.

Application Areas

• Educational assessment
• Clinical assessment
• Personality assessment
• Employee selection
• Research studies

Treatment and Risks

• Treatments for item analysis include revising, rephrasing, or eliminating problematic items from the assessment to improve its quality and validity.
• Risks of item analysis may include the potential for inadvertently changing the construct being measured if items are revised or removed without careful consideration.

Examples

• An item analysis of a depression scale may reveal that certain items are not discriminating well between individuals with and without depression.
• In a personality assessment, item analysis may identify items that are measuring different traits than intended, leading to the need for revision.

Similar Concepts and Synonyms

• Test item analysis
• Item response theory
• Item reliability
• Item validity

Summary

Item analysis is a critical process in psychology that involves evaluating the individual items in a psychological assessment to ensure their effectiveness in measuring the intended construct. By examining the statistical properties of each item, researchers and practitioners can improve the quality and validity of psychological tests. Through item analysis, problematic items can be identified and revised to enhance the overall reliability and validity of the test results.

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