Utilizing Psychometric Methods in Assessment
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UTILIZING PSYCHOMETRIC METHODS IN ASSESSMENT
INTRODUCTION
The Dictionary of Language Testing (Davies et al., 1999) defines ‘psychometrics’ as: The measurement of psychological traits such as intelligence or language ability. In addition to deciding about item types and test content, the test developer needs to consider the psychometric or measurement properties of the test items, such as the level and range of item difficulty and discrimination. . .. It is based on assumptions of normal distribution. . .. Psychometric tests have properties such as objective scoring . . . (italics in original, p. 157). This definition is quite encompassing, incorporating the whole enterprise of measuring the language construct, which includes the development of test items, the analysis of items, and the interpretation of scores. Bachman (1990) provides a similar all-inclusive interpretation of the term and emphasizes the link to measurement theories and analyses, such as generalizability theory and item response theory. In addition, Bachman indicates that norm-referenced tests are considered psychometric tests because they are often constructed so that scores conform to a normal distribution and maximize the variability among test-takers. Bachman, therefore, clearly underscores the quantitative aspects of psychometric activities. Hamp-Lyons and Lynch (1998) portray the psychometric approach as belonging to the positivistic paradigm. They maintain that “positivist/psychometric denotes an approach to research that assumes an independently existing reality that can be discovered (and measured) using objective, scientific methods” (p. 254). They note that psychometrics refers to objective item types and scoring, quantitative or quantifiable ability measures, empirical inquiries, and statistical methods, with a heavy emphasis on reliability. They distinguish psychometrics from other types of research that are qualitative, ethnographic, discursive, or narrative in nature. The wide-ranging definitions of psychometrics make it challenging to use them as a guiding principle to organize the present investigation. Our delimited, operational definition focuses on the measurement and E. Shohamy and N. H. Hornberger (eds), Encyclopedia of Language and Education, 2nd Edition, Volume 7: Language Testing and Assessment, 211–223. #2008 Springer Science+Business Media LLC.
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M. CHALHOUB-DEVILLE AND C. DEVILLE
statistical procedures aspects of the term. Thus, for our purposes, we eschew an expansive definition of psychometrics and concentrate instead on the term as it applies to quantitative analytical techniques. This definition allows us to examine language testing journals to determine to what degree psychometric methods are present in journal publications and what trends are apparent in the journals across the years. E A R LY P E R S P E C T I V E S O N P S Y C H O M E T R I C S
Language testing very often involves psychometric procedures and quantitative methodologies. This orientation is evident from early publications in the field. For example, t
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