Gareth Morgan, MCPER's 2010 postdoctoral fellow, will present "Measurement Development With Item Difficulty Modeling" from noon to 1 p.m. on December 20 in the Pittenger Room (SZB 418). To RSVP, send an e-mail with Modeling in the subject line to rsvp@meadowscenter.org.

The study employs item difficulty modeling procedures to evaluate the feasibility of potential generative item features for nonword repetition tasks. Specifically, the study uses multiple regression and explanatory item response modeling techniques (e.g., linear logistic test model; Fischer, 1973) to estimate the extent to which the manipulated item features correspond to the theoretical mechanisms that underlie nonword repetition accuracy and their impact on item difficulty. The study discusses findings in terms of validity evidence in support of using the phonological loop component of Baddeley's model (2000) as a cognitive processing model for nonword repetition items and the feasibility of using the proposed radical structure as an item blueprint for the future generation of nonword repetition items.