A genetic algorithm for optimal assembly of pairwise forced-choice questionnaires

The use of multidimensional forced-choice questionnaires has been proposed as a means of improving validity in the assessment of non-cognitive attributes in high-stakes scenarios. However, the reduced precision of trait estimates in this questionnaire format is an important drawback. Accordingly, th...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Kreitchmann, Rodrigo Schames, Abad Santos, Francisco, Sorrel Luján, Miguel Ángel
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Repositorio:Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAM
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.uam.es:10486/700723
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10486/700723
https://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13428-021-01677-4
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:forced-choice format
genetic algorithms
ipsative data
multidimensional item response theory
reliability
test assembly
Psicología
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repository_id_str
spelling A genetic algorithm for optimal assembly of pairwise forced-choice questionnairesKreitchmann, Rodrigo SchamesAbad Santos, FranciscoSorrel Luján, Miguel Ángelforced-choice formatgenetic algorithmsipsative datamultidimensional item response theoryreliabilitytest assemblyPsicologíaThe use of multidimensional forced-choice questionnaires has been proposed as a means of improving validity in the assessment of non-cognitive attributes in high-stakes scenarios. However, the reduced precision of trait estimates in this questionnaire format is an important drawback. Accordingly, this article presents an optimization procedure for assembling pairwise forced-choice questionnaires while maximizing posterior marginal reliabilities. This procedure is performed through the adaptation of a known genetic algorithm (GA) for combinatorial problems. In a simulation study, the efficiency of the proposed procedure was compared with a quasi-brute-force (BF) search. For this purpose, five-dimensional item pools were simulated to emulate the real problem of generating a forced-choice personality questionnaire under the five-factor model. Three factors were manipulated: (1) the length of the questionnaire, (2) the relative item pool size with respect to the questionnaire’s length, and (3) the true correlations between traits. The recovery of the person parameters for each assembled questionnaire was evaluated through the squared correlation between estimated and true parameters, the root mean square error between the estimated and true parameters, the average difference between the estimated and true inter-trait correlations, and the average standard error for each trait level. The proposed GA offered more accurate trait estimates than the BF search within a reasonable computation time in every simulation condition. Such improvements were especially important when measuring correlated traits and when the relative item pool sizes were higher. A user-friendly online implementation of the algorithm was made available to the usersSpringerDepartamento de Psicología Social y MetodologíaFacultad de Psicología20212021-09-09research articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_2df8fbb1VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10486/700723https://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13428-021-01677-4reponame:Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAMinstname:Universidad Autónoma de MadridInglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:repositorio.uam.es:10486/7007232026-06-23T12:46:27Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv A genetic algorithm for optimal assembly of pairwise forced-choice questionnaires
title A genetic algorithm for optimal assembly of pairwise forced-choice questionnaires
spellingShingle A genetic algorithm for optimal assembly of pairwise forced-choice questionnaires
Kreitchmann, Rodrigo Schames
forced-choice format
genetic algorithms
ipsative data
multidimensional item response theory
reliability
test assembly
Psicología
title_short A genetic algorithm for optimal assembly of pairwise forced-choice questionnaires
title_full A genetic algorithm for optimal assembly of pairwise forced-choice questionnaires
title_fullStr A genetic algorithm for optimal assembly of pairwise forced-choice questionnaires
title_full_unstemmed A genetic algorithm for optimal assembly of pairwise forced-choice questionnaires
title_sort A genetic algorithm for optimal assembly of pairwise forced-choice questionnaires
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Kreitchmann, Rodrigo Schames
Abad Santos, Francisco
Sorrel Luján, Miguel Ángel
author Kreitchmann, Rodrigo Schames
author_facet Kreitchmann, Rodrigo Schames
Abad Santos, Francisco
Sorrel Luján, Miguel Ángel
author_role author
author2 Abad Santos, Francisco
Sorrel Luján, Miguel Ángel
author2_role author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Departamento de Psicología Social y Metodología
Facultad de Psicología
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv forced-choice format
genetic algorithms
ipsative data
multidimensional item response theory
reliability
test assembly
Psicología
topic forced-choice format
genetic algorithms
ipsative data
multidimensional item response theory
reliability
test assembly
Psicología
description The use of multidimensional forced-choice questionnaires has been proposed as a means of improving validity in the assessment of non-cognitive attributes in high-stakes scenarios. However, the reduced precision of trait estimates in this questionnaire format is an important drawback. Accordingly, this article presents an optimization procedure for assembling pairwise forced-choice questionnaires while maximizing posterior marginal reliabilities. This procedure is performed through the adaptation of a known genetic algorithm (GA) for combinatorial problems. In a simulation study, the efficiency of the proposed procedure was compared with a quasi-brute-force (BF) search. For this purpose, five-dimensional item pools were simulated to emulate the real problem of generating a forced-choice personality questionnaire under the five-factor model. Three factors were manipulated: (1) the length of the questionnaire, (2) the relative item pool size with respect to the questionnaire’s length, and (3) the true correlations between traits. The recovery of the person parameters for each assembled questionnaire was evaluated through the squared correlation between estimated and true parameters, the root mean square error between the estimated and true parameters, the average difference between the estimated and true inter-trait correlations, and the average standard error for each trait level. The proposed GA offered more accurate trait estimates than the BF search within a reasonable computation time in every simulation condition. Such improvements were especially important when measuring correlated traits and when the relative item pool sizes were higher. A user-friendly online implementation of the algorithm was made available to the users
publishDate 2021
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021
2021-09-09
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv research article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_2df8fbb1
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10486/700723
https://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13428-021-01677-4
url http://hdl.handle.net/10486/700723
https://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13428-021-01677-4
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Springer
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Springer
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAM
instname:Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
instname_str Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
reponame_str Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAM
collection Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAM
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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