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Comparing Latent Distributions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2025

Erling B. Andersen
Erling B. Andersen*
Affiliation:
University of Copenhagen
*
Requests for reprints should be sent to Professor Erling B. Andersen, Department of Statistics, University of Copenhagen, 6 Studiestraede, 1455 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
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Abstract

We consider the problem of comparing m latent population distributions when the observed values are scores on a test battery with binary items. The latent densities are assumed to be normal densities, and we consider a test for equality of the means as well as a test equality of the variances. In addition, we consider a longitudinal model, where the test battery has been applied to the same individuals at different points in time. This model allows for correlations between the latent variable at different time points, and methods are discussed for estimating the correlation coefficient.

Keywords

Latent distributionRasch modelpopulation distributionlongitudinal model

Information

Type
Original Paper
Information
Psychometrika , Volume 45 , Issue 1 , March 1980 , pp. 121 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © 1980 The Psychometric Society

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Footnotes

This work was supported in part by a grant from the Danish Social Science Research Council.

References

Reference Note

Andersen, E. B. & Madsen, M. A Computer Program for Comparing Several Population Distributions of a Latent Variable, 1977, Copenhagen: Department of Statistics, University of Copenhagen.Google Scholar

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