Nondecomposable Item Response Theory models: Fundamental measurement in psychometrics

Abstract

The main aim of the current paper is to propose Item Response Theory (IRT) models derived from the nondecomposable measurement theories presented in Fishburn (1974). More specifically, we aim to: (i) present the theoretical basis of the Rasch model and its relations to psychophysics’ models of utility; (ii) give a brief exposition on the measurement theories presented in Fishburn (1974, 1975), some of which do not require an additive structure; and (iii) derive IRT models from these measurement theories, as well as Bayesian implementations of these models. We also present two empirical examples to compare how well these IRT models fit to real data. In addition to deriving new IRT models, we also discuss theoretical interpretations regarding the models’ capability of generating fundamental measures of the true scores of the respondents. The manuscript ends with prospects for future studies and practical implications.