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Extensions of the Partial Credit Model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2025

C. A. W. Glas  and
N. D. Verhelst
C. A. W. Glas*
Affiliation:
National Institute for Educational Measurement (CITO), Arnhem, The Netherlands
N. D. Verhelst
Affiliation:
National Institute for Educational Measurement (CITO), Arnhem, The Netherlands
*
Requests for reprints should be sent to C. A. W. Glas, Cito, PO Box 1034, 6801 MG Arnhem, THE NETHERLANDS.
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Abstract

The partial credit model, developed by Masters (1982), is a unidimensional latent trait model for responses scored in two or more ordered categories. In the present paper some extensions of the model are presented. First, a marginal maximum likelihood estimation procedure is developed which allows for incomplete data and linear restrictions on both the item and the population parameters. Secondly, two statistical tests for evaluating model fit are presented: the former test has power against violation of the assumption about the ability distribution, the latter test offers the possibility of identifying specific items that do not fit the model.

Keywords

item response theoryRasch modelpartial creditmaximum likelihoodEM-algorithmmodel test
Type
Original Paper
Information
Psychometrika , Volume 54 , Issue 4 , December 1989 , pp. 635 - 659
Copyright
Copyright © 1989 The Psychometric Society

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Footnotes

The authors are indepted to professor Wim van der Linden and Huub Verstralen for their helpful comments.

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