The differential item functioning and structural equivalence of a nonverbal cognitive ability test for five language groups
SA Journal of Industrial Psychology
Field | Value | |
Title | The differential item functioning and structural equivalence of a nonverbal cognitive ability test for five language groups | |
Creator | Schaap, Pieter | |
Description | Orientation: For a number of years, eliminating a language component in testing by using nonverbal cognitive tests has been proposed as a possible solution to the effect of groups’ languages (mother tongues or first languages) on test performance. This is particularly relevant in South Africa with its 11 official languages.Research purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the differential item functioning (DIF) and structural equivalence of a nonverbal cognitive ability test (the PiB/SpEEx Observance test [401]) for five South African language groups.Motivation for study: Cultural and language group sensitive tests can lead to unfair discrimination and is a contentious workplace issue in South Africa today. Misconceptions about psychometric testing in industry can cause tests to lose credibility if industries do not use a scientifically sound test-by-test evaluation approach.Research design, approach and method: The researcher used a quasi-experimental design and factor analytic and logistic regression techniques to meet the research aims. The study used a convenience sample drawn from industry and an educational institution.Main findings: The main findings of the study show structural equivalence of the test at a holistic level and nonsignificant DIF effect sizes for most of the comparisons that the researcher made.Practical/managerial implications: This research shows that the PIB/SpEEx Observance Test (401) is not completely language insensitive. One should see it rather as a language-reduced test when people from different language groups need testing.Contribution/value-add: The findings provide supporting evidence that nonverbal cognitive tests are plausible alternatives to verbal tests when one compares people from different language groups. | |
Publisher | AOSIS | |
Date | 2011-10-13 | |
Identifier | 10.4102/sajip.v37i1.881 | |
Source | SA Journal of Industrial Psychology; Vol 37, No 1 (2011); 16 pages 2071-0763 0258-5200 | |
Language | eng | |
Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/view/881/1101
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/view/881/1103
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/view/881/1102
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/view/881/1064
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/downloadSuppFile/881/659
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/downloadSuppFile/881/660
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/downloadSuppFile/881/661
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/downloadSuppFile/881/662
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/downloadSuppFile/881/663
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/downloadSuppFile/881/664
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/downloadSuppFile/881/665
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/downloadSuppFile/881/666
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/downloadSuppFile/881/667
https://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/downloadSuppFile/881/668
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT