Abstract
Background: Recent developments in technology have made the creation of computer adaptive tests of personality a possibility. Despite the advances promised by computer adaptive testing, personality testing has lagged behind the ability testing domain regarding computer adaptive testing and adaptation. A principal reason why personality tests have not enjoyed computer adaptive adaptation is because few working computer adaptive tests are available for study or comparison to their original fixed form counterparts. In addition, personality tests tend to be predominantly based on classical test theory, whereas item response theory is required for the development of a computer adaptive test. Despite these impediments, numerous attitudinal measures have been adapted to function as computer adaptive tests and have demonstrated good psychometric properties and equivalence to their fixed form counterparts. As computer adaptive testing holds numerous advantages both psychometrically and practically, the development of a computer adaptive personality test may further advance psychometric testing of personality.
Research Purpose: This study aimed to address the lack of progress made in the field of computer adaptive personality testing through the evaluation and simulated testing of a hierarchical personality inventory, namely the Basic Traits Inventory (BTI), within a computer adaptive test framework. The research aimed to demonstrate the process of computer adaptive test preparation and evaluation (study 1 and study 2); as well as the simulation of the scales of the BTI as computer adaptive tests (study 3). This was conducted to determine whether the BTI scales could be used as computer adaptive tests, and to determine how the BTI computer adaptive scales compare to their fixed form counterparts.
Research Design: A sample of 1962 South African adults completed the BTI for selection, development and career counselling purposes. The instrument was investigated on a scale by scale basis with specific emphasis placed on scale dimensionality (study 1) and scale fit to the one-dimensional Rasch item response theory model (study 2). These factor analytic and item response...
D.Phil. (Industrial Psychology)