Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26930348›Full record

ArticlePloS one2016

The Accuracy of Computerized Adaptive Testing in Heterogeneous Populations: A Mixture Item-Response Theory Analysis.

Richard Sawatzky, Pamela A Ratner, Jacek A Kopec, Amery D Wu, Bruno D Zumbo

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. The use of latent variable mixture models to identify invariant items in test construction.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2018
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Richard SawatzkySchool of Nursing, Trinity Western University, Langley, British Columbia, Canada.
Pamela A RatnerFaculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Jacek A KopecSchool of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Amery D WuMeasurement, Evaluation & Research Methodology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Bruno D ZumboMeasurement, Evaluation & Research Methodology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundComputerized adaptive testing (CAT) utilizes latent variable measurement model parameters that are typically assumed to be equivalently applicable to all people. Biased latent variable scores may be obtained in samples that are heterogeneous with respect to a specified measurement model. We examined the implications of sample heterogeneity with respect to CAT-predicted patient-reported outcomes (PRO) scores for the measurement of pain.

methodsA latent variable mixture modeling (LVMM) analysis was conducted using data collected from a heterogeneous sample of people in British Columbia, Canada, who were administered the 36 pain domain items of the CAT-5D-QOL. The fitted LVMM was then used to produce data for a simulation analysis. We evaluated bias by comparing the referent PRO scores of the LVMM with PRO scores predicted by a "conventional" CAT (ignoring heterogeneity) and a LVMM-based "mixture" CAT (accommodating heterogeneity).

resultsThe LVMM analysis indicated support for three latent classes with class proportions of 0.25, 0.30 and 0.45, which suggests that the sample was heterogeneous. The simulation analyses revealed differences between the referent PRO scores and the PRO scores produced by the "conventional" CAT. The "mixture" CAT produced PRO scores that were nearly equivalent to the referent scores.

conclusionBias in PRO scores based on latent variable models may result when population heterogeneity is ignored. Improved accuracy could be obtained by using CATs that are parameterized using LVMM.

Indexed as

Psychological TheorySurveys and QuestionnairesDiagnosis, Computer-AssistedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedModels, StatisticalMonte Carlo MethodPain MeasurementTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID26930348
PMCPMC4773251

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.