Sample interview questions: Can you explain the process of item response theory (IRT) modeling and its application in career interest assessment?
Sample answer:
Item Response Theory (IRT) modeling is a statistical approach used in psychometrics to analyze the responses to items on tests or questionnaires. It allows for a more sophisticated understanding of the relationship between individuals’ responses to specific items and their underlying traits or abilities. In the context of career interest assessment, IRT modeling can provide valuable insights into individuals’ preferences and strengths, helping to guide their career choices.
The process of IRT modeling involves several key steps. First, a pool of items is carefully selected to represent different aspects of the construct being measured, in this case, career interests. These items are designed to capture a broad range of interest areas and to discriminate between individuals with varying degrees of interest in these areas.
Next, a large sample of individuals is administered the items, and their responses are collected. The responses are typically in the form of a Likert scale or multiple-choice format, allowing individuals to indicate the degree of their agreement or preference for each item.
Once the responses are gathered, the data are analyzed using IRT models. These models estimate the relationship between individuals’ latent traits (e.g., career interest) and their item responses. IRT models take into account the difficulty and discrimination parameters of each item, as well as the individuals’ abilities or interests. This information is used to estimate the probability of a correct response for each item at different levels of the latent trait.
One commonly used IRT model is the two-parameter logistic model (2PL), which estimates item difficulty and discrimination parameters. The difficulty parameter indicates the level of the latent trait required to have a 50% chance of responding correctly to the item. The discrimination parameter reflects how well the item differentiates between individua… Read full answer