Item bias detection using loglinear irt

Abstract

A method is proposed for the detection of item bias with respect to observed or unobserved subgroups. The method uses quasi-loglinear models for the incomplete subgroup × test score × Item 1 × ... × item k contingency table. If subgroup membership is unknown the models are Haberman's incomplete-latent-class models. The (conditional) Rasch model is formulated as a quasi-loglinear model. The parameters in this loglinear model, that correspond to the main effects of the item responses, are the conditional estimates of the parameters in the Rasch model. Item bias can then be tested by comparing the quasi-loglinear-Rasch model with models that contain parameters for the interaction of item responses and the subgroups. © 1989 The Psychometric Society.