Construction; Test Validity

Recent developments in dichotomous factor analysis based on multidimensional item response models (Bock and Aitkin, 1981; Muthen, 1978) provide an effective method for exploring the dimensionality of questionnaire items. Implemented in the TESTFACT program, this "full information " item factor analysis accounts not only for the pairwse joint frequencies of,correct/incorroct responses, but also for additional information in higher order joint frequencies in the sample of dichotomously scored items. This paper illustrates this methods utility by analyzing a questionnaire on affective outcomes of schooling using the expected a posteriori (EAP) method of estimating ability scores.. The 40 item questionnaire with four subscales (Punctuality, Honesty, Cooperation, and Curidsity) was developed to measure a set of potential Outcomes of schodli g's "latent curriculum". A stepwise full-infOrmation item facto analysi