Abstract
In earlier chapters, readers learn of the importance of where items are located on a trait and where persons fall on a trait when item measures are considered. Of importance to the measurement of persons and items is the sample size of items and persons. This chapter introduces the issue of sample size and the myriad of issues related to sample size when they conduct measurement. Researchers can obtain a great deal of information much from research with a small sample of respondents (e.g., less than 30) and a small number of items (e.g., 10). What is possible from a sample in part depends upon what one wants to learn, where items are located along a trait, and where persons are located on a trait. The chapter finishes up with a student dialog, Keywords and Phrases, Quick Tips, Data Files, References, and Additional Readings. As in almost all chapters, sample analyses are used to reinforce the chapter topic.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Björkdahl, A., Nilsson, A. L., Grimby, G., & Stibrant Sunnerhagen, K. S. (2006). Does a short period of rehabilitation in the home setting facilitate functioning after stroke? A randomized controlled trial. Clinical Rehabilitation, 20, 1038–1049.
Gothwal, V. K., Wright, T. A., Lamoureux, E. L., & Pesudovs, K. (2010). Measuring outcomes of cataract surgery using the visual function index-14. Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, 36(7), 1181–1188.
Linacre, J. M. (1994). Sample size and item calibration stability. Rasch Measurement Transactions, 7(4), 328.
Linacre, J. M. (1999). Investigating rating scale category utility. Journal of Outcome Measurement, 3(2), 103–122.
Linacre, J. M. (2002). Understanding Rasch measurement: Optimizing rating scale category effectiveness. Journal of Applied Measurement, 3(1), 85–106.
Linacre, J. M. (2012). Winsteps (Version 3.74) [Software]. Available from http://www.winsteps.com/index.html
Wright, B. D., & Tennant, A. (1996). Sample size again. Rasch Measurement Transactions, 9(4), 468.
Additional Readings
Smith, E. V., Jr., & Smith, R. M. (Eds.). (2004). Introduction to Rasch measurement: Theory, models, and applications. Maple Grove, MN: JAM Press.
Smith, A., Rush, R., Fallowfield, L., Velikova, G., & Sharpe, M. (2008). Rasch fit statistics and sample size considerations for polytomous data. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8, 33. doi:10.1186/1471-2288-8-33.
Stone, M., & Yumoto, F. (2004). The effect of sample size for estimating Rasch/IRT parameters with dichotomous items. Journal of Applied Measurement, 5(1), 48–61.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Netherlands
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Boone, W.J., Staver, J.R., Yale, M.S. (2014). Quality of Measurement and Sample Size. In: Rasch Analysis in the Human Sciences. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6857-4_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6857-4_17
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-6856-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6857-4
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)