Prediction of Boot Camp Attrition: IRT versus Number-Right Scoring,
Abstract
Item Response Theory (IRT) appears to be the wave of the near future in testing. Although the IRT literature is voluminous, it seems that there are, to date, virtually no data on the improvement in predictive validity from IRT scoring as compared to number-right scoring. The US Coast Guard use the Coast Guard Selection Test (CGST) for enlistment screening. The CGST is a battery of three tests: verbal ability, arithmetic ability, and mechanical comprehension. A large sample (ca. 2200) of Coast Guard enlistees was tracked through boot camp to obtain the criterion data on completion/attrition. For this sample, number-right scoring and IRT scoring were applied to each of the three subtests of the CGST. Comparisons were made on various indices of predictive validity between the two types of scoring. Implications of the findings for improving military selection procedures were discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADP001318
Entities
People
- Robert L. Frey Jr.
Organizations
- United States Coast Guard