Evaluating reading diagnostic tests: An application of confirmatory factor analysis to multitrait-multimethod data

Loading...

View/Download File

v08n3p307.pdf (1.01 MB)

Persistent link to this item

https://hdl.handle.net/11299/101913

Statistics

View Statistics

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Title

Evaluating reading diagnostic tests: An application of confirmatory factor analysis to multitrait-multimethod data

Authors

Marsh, Herbert W.

Butler, Susan

Published Date

1984

Publisher

Type

Article

Abstract

Diagnostic reading tests, in contrast to achievement tests, claim to measure specific components of ability hypothesized to be important for diagnosis or remediation. A minimal condition for demonstrating the construct validity of such tests is that they are able to differentiate validly between the reading traits that they claim to measure (e.g., comprehension, sound discrimination, blending). This condition is rarely tested, but multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) designs are ideally suited for this purpose. This is demonstrated in two studies based on the 1966 version of the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT). In each study, the application of the Campbell-Fiske guidelines and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to the MTMM data indicated that the SDRT subscales could be explained in terms of a method/halo effect and a general reading factor that was not specific to any of the subscales; this refutes the construct validity of the 1966 version of the SDRT as a diagnostic test. Other diagnostic tests probably suffer the same weakness and should also be evaluated in MTMM studies.

Keywords

Description

Related to

Replaces

License

Collections

Applied Psychological Measurement, Volume 08, 1984

Series/Report Number

Funding information

Isbn identifier

Doi identifier

Previously Published Citation

Marsh, Herbert W & Butler, Susan. (1984). Evaluating reading diagnostic tests: An application of confirmatory factor analysis to multitrait-multimethod data. Applied Psychological Measurement, 8, 307-320. doi:10.1177/014662168400800308

Suggested citation

Marsh, Herbert W.; Butler, Susan. (1984). Evaluating reading diagnostic tests: An application of confirmatory factor analysis to multitrait-multimethod data. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/101913.

Content distributed via the University Digital Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor. By using these files, users agree to the Terms of Use. Materials in the UDC may contain content that is disturbing and/or harmful. For more information, please see our statement on harmful content in digital repositories.