Illustrating the Psychometric Construct of Family Medicine on the American Board of Family Medicine's Examinations

• In Event: 52.074 - Important Issues in Medical Licensure and Certification

Abstract

Tests are typically designed to measure a particular latent trait. The word measure implies providing an interval or ratio scale framework to describe the amount of the latent trait held by the object of measurement. Many tests do successfully create an interval scale metric; however, there is often a disconnect between the indicator of the amount (score) and what it implies about the examinee. This paper describes a method to connect scores with their substantive meaning by condensing the essence of exam questions and organizing them into a hierarchy using their difficulty calibrations. The end product is a “ruler” that visually illustrates the construct of an exam.

Authors

• Michael Peabody, American Board of Family Medicine

• Thomas R. O'Neill, American Board of Family Medicine

• Roger Fain, American Board of Family Medicine

• Lars Peterson, American Board of Family Medicine

• Melanie Lybarger, American Board of Family Medicine