Title
Reliability of test scores and decisions
Abstract
A criterion-referenced test can be viewed as
testing either a continuous or a binary variable, and
the scores on a test can be used as measurements of
the variable or to make decisions (e.g., pass or fail).
Recent work on the reliability of criterion-referenced
tests has focused on the use of scores from
tests of continuous variables for decision-making
purposes. This work can be categorized according
to type of loss function-threshold, linear, or quadratic.
It is the loss function that is used either explicitly
or implicitly to evaluate the goodness of the
decisions that are made on the basis of the test
scores. The literature in which a threshold loss
function is employed can be further subdivided according
to whether the goodness of decisions is assessed
as the probability of making an erroneous
decision or as a measure of the consistency of decisions
over repeated testing occasions. This review
points to the need for simple procedures by which
to estimate the probability of decision errors.
Identifiers
other: doi:10.1177/014662168000400406
Previously Published Citation
Traub, Ross E & Rowley, Glenn L. (1980). Reliability of test scores and decisions. Applied Psychological Measurement, 4, 517-545. doi:10.1177/014662168000400406
Suggested Citation
Traub, Ross E.; Rowley, Glenn L..
(1980).
Reliability of test scores and decisions.
Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy,
http://hdl.handle.net/11299/100273.