Work

Modular Open-Source Software for Item Factor Analysis

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: This paper introduces an Item Factor Analysis (IFA) module for OpenMx, a free, open-source, and modular statistical modeling package that runs within the R programming environment on GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows. The IFA module offers a novel model specification language that is well suited to programmatic generation and manipulation of models. Modular organization of the source code facilitates the easy addition of item models, item parameter estimation algorithms, optimizers, test scoring algorithms, and fit diagnostics all within an integrated framework. Three short example scripts are presented for fitting item parameters, latent distribution parameters, and a multiple group model. The availability of both IFA and structural equation modeling in the same software is a step toward the unification of these two methodologies.

Source: Educational and Psychological Measurement

DOI: 10.1177/0013164414554615

Authors: Joshua N. Pritikin, Micheal D. Hunter, Steven M. Boker

Institutions: University of Virginia, University of Oklahoma

Language: English

Topic: Psychometric Methodologies and Testing

Subfield: Management Science and Operations Research

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute on Drug Abuse

Awards: Research Education in Statistical Genetics of Substance Abuse, Psychometric and Genetic Assessments of Substance Use