Psychometric Considerations in the Analysis of Reading Skill Hierarchies

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Abstract
Theories of reading skill hierarchies postulate that reading comprehension consists of separate, increasingly complex, cumulative skills. Part of the inconsistency in the results from studies investigating such hierarchies is attributed to the analytic techniques most often employed. In the present research, the psychometric models of Rasch and Guttman are used to illustrate contrasting yet complementary approaches to investigating hierarchical structures. The data come from graduate and secondary school students who answered questions written to conform to a reading skills hierarchy. The models share a general conclusion but specific results from the Rasch model underscore its greater potential as a reading skills diagnostic techique.