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Signal/Noise Ratios for Domain-Referenced Tests

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2025

Robert L. Brennan and
Michael T. Kane
Robert L. Brennan*
Affiliation:
The American College Testing Program
Michael T. Kane
Affiliation:
National League for Nursing
*
Requests for reprints should be sent to Dr. Robert L. Brennan, Research and Development Division, The American College Testing Program, P. O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52240.
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Abstract

Using the assumption of randomly parallel tests and concepts from generalizability theory, three signal/noise ratios for domain-referenced tests are developed, discussed, and compared. The three ratios have the same noise but different signals depending upon the kind of decision to be made as a result of measurement. It is also shown that these ratios incorporate a definition of noise or error which is different from the classical definition of noise typically used to characterize norm-referenced tests.

Keywords

domain-referenced testinggeneralizability theorysignal/noise ratioscriterion-referenced testingreliability

Information

Type
Original Paper
Information
Psychometrika , Volume 42 , Issue 4 , December 1977, pp. 609 - 625
Copyright
Copyright © 1977 The Psychometric Society

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Footnotes

Part of the work leading to this paper was accomplished while the authors were assistant professors at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

References

Reference Notes

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