@article {411, title = {Detection of person misfit in computerized adaptive tests with polytomous items}, journal = {Applied Psychological Measurement}, volume = {26}, number = {2}, year = {2002}, pages = {164-180}, abstract = {Item scores that do not fit an assumed item response theory model may cause the latent trait value to be inaccurately estimated. For a computerized adaptive test (CAT) using dichotomous items, several person-fit statistics for detecting mis.tting item score patterns have been proposed. Both for paper-and-pencil (P\&P) tests and CATs, detection ofperson mis.t with polytomous items is hardly explored. In this study, the nominal and empirical null distributions ofthe standardized log-likelihood statistic for polytomous items are compared both for P\&P tests and CATs. Results showed that the empirical distribution of this statistic differed from the assumed standard normal distribution for both P\&P tests and CATs. Second, a new person-fit statistic based on the cumulative sum (CUSUM) procedure from statistical process control was proposed. By means ofsimulated data, critical values were determined that can be used to classify a pattern as fitting or misfitting. The effectiveness of the CUSUM to detect simulees with item preknowledge was investigated. Detection rates using the CUSUM were high for realistic numbers ofdisclosed items. }, author = {van Krimpen-Stoop, E. M. L. A. and Meijer, R. R.} }