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arXiv · 2312.12638

Using Exact Tests from Algebraic Statistics in Sparse Multi-way Analyses: An Application to Analyzing Differential Item Functioning

Shishir Agrawal·Luis David Garcia Puente·Minho Kim·Flavia Sancier-Barbosa
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Abstract

Asymptotic goodness-of-fit methods in contingency table analysis can struggle with sparse data, especially in multi-way tables where it can be infeasible to meet sample size requirements for a robust application of distributional assumptions. However, algebraic statistics provides exact alternatives to these classical asymptotic methods that remain viable even with sparse data. We apply these methods to a context in psychometrics and education research that leads naturally to multi-way contingency tables: the analysis of differential item functioning (DIF). We explain concretely how to apply the exact methods of algebraic statistics to DIF analysis using the R package algstat, and we compare their performance to that of classical asymptotic methods.

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Shishir Agrawal, Luis David Garcia Puente, Minho Kim, Flavia Sancier-Barbosa. 2023-12-19. Using Exact Tests from Algebraic Statistics in Sparse Multi-way Analyses: An Application to Analyzing Differential Item Functioning. https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.12638

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