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Estimating the parameters of the latent population distribution

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Abstract

Under consideration is a test battery of binary items. The responses ofn individuals are assumed to follow a Rasch model. It is further assumed that the latent individual parameters are distributed within a given population in accordance with a normal distribution. Methods are then considered for estimating the mean and variance of this latent population distribution. Also considered are methods for checking whether a normal population distribution fits the data. The developed methods are applied to data from an achievement test and from an attitude test.

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Andersen, E., Madsen, M. Estimating the parameters of the latent population distribution. Psychometrika 42, 357–374 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02293656

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02293656

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