Uncovering Differential Item Functioning effects using MIMIC and mediated MIMIC models.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was twofold: first, to examine the presence of bias across gender in a scholastic achievement test named the Academic Achievement Test (AAT) for the Science Track. Second, to understand the underlying mechanism that causes these bias effects by examining the effect of general cognitive ability as a mediator. The sample consisted of 1,300 Saudi high school students randomly selected from a larger pool of 173,133 participants to reduce the effects of excessive power. To examine both goals, the Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) approach for detecting Differential Item Functioning (DIF) items was used. The results showed that 13 AAT items exhibited DIF effects for different gender groups. In most of these items, male participants were more likely to answer them

SUBMITTER: Tsaousis I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10626479 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature