Susan Embretson, Georgia Institute of Technology
Modeling cognitive processes, skills and strategies in item responses: Implications for test and item design
2019 Career Award for Lifetime Achievement
Interpretations of test scores typically involves the assumption that examinees are applying the same cognitive processes, skills and strategies in their item responses. If so, then test scores indicate examinee’s standing on a single latent trait. Results from several studies using mixture and explanatory item response models will be presented to show that this assumption is often not met. The implications of these results for test scoring, interpretations and external correlates, as well as for item and test design will be discussed.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Susan E. Embretson is Professor of Psychology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Previously she was Professor of Psychology at University of Kansas and Director of the Quantitative Psychology Program there when she moved to Georgia Tech in 2004. She has served as President of the Psychometric Society (1999), the Society of Multivariate Psychology (1998) and American Psychological Association, Division of Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics (1991). She has received several awards for her research on interfacing cognitive psychology with psychometric models including the Saul Sells Award for Distinguished Multivariate Research (Society for Multivariate Experimental Psychology, 2019), Career Contribution Award (National Council on Measurement in Education, 2013), Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award (American Psychological Association, Division of Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics, 2001) and the Technical and Scientific Contribution Award (National Council on Measurement in Education ,1994-1996). Her current research interests include explanatory item response theory models, automatic item generation and dynamic measurement.