Terry A. Ackerman

My research has focused on practical applications of item response theory (IRT). These include computerized adaptive testing, test construction, equating, differential item/test functioning and ability estimation. More recently I have been concentrating on extending the concepts of unidimensional IRT to the multidimensional case. Whether it is intended or not many standardized tests measure multiple skills. If this is the case, then such things has score interpretation, differential item/test functioning and the degree to which alternate forms are truly parallel need to be examined. To examine items and tests from a multidimensional perspective I have developed a series of graphical techniques that help the testing practitioner better understand the various composites of skills their items and tests are measuring. One of my goals is to help testing practitioners realize that testing should be a cyclical process. After a test is administered and the student performance is analyzed at both the item and test level, this information needs to be recycled back into the test development process to cross validate and improve the assessment. There has to be a working dialogue established between the item writers, the test editors and the psychometricians.

There are 3 included publications by Terry A. Ackerman :

TitleDateViewsBrief Description
Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Patterns of behavioral adjustment, academic functioning, and treatment utilization. 1991 10855 Adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were compared with a control group on a comprehensive assessment battery. More ADHD teenagers had oppositional defiant disorder (68%) and conduct disorder (39%) and were rated as more i...
Lower Body Stiffness and Muscle Activity Differences Between Female Dancers and Basketball Players During Drop Jumps 2011 1951 Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries often occur during landing, with female athletes at higher injury risk than male athletes. Interestingly, female dancers have lower ACL injury rates than do female athletes in general.Hypothesis: ...
Psychometric Properties of the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales in an Undergraduate Sample: Classical Test Theory, Item Response Theory, and Differential Item Functioning 2011 3908 The Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales are widely used for assessing schizotypy in nonclinical and clinical samples. However, they were developed using classical test theory (CTT) and have not had their psychometric properties examined with more sophisticat...