This Article Full Text (OnlineFirst PDF) All Versions of this Article: 0013164407310129v1 68/4/537    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Scherbaum, C. A. Articles by Goldstein, H. W. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Examining the Relationship Between Race-Based Differential Item Functioning and Item Difficulty

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Charles_Scherbaum{at}baruch.cuny.edu.

	Abstract

Recent research examining racial differences on standardized cognitive tests has focused on the impact of test item difficulty. Studies using data from the SAT and GRE have reported a correlation between item difficulty and differential item functioning (DIF) such that minority test takers are less likely than majority test takers to respond correctly to easy test items. The statistical techniques used and the effect sizes reported in these studies have been heavily criticized. This study addresses these criticisms by examining the relationship between item difficulty and DIF by using alternative statistical techniques based on item response theory and a different standardized test. The results replicate previous research and provide support for the generalizability of the findings.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?