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Careless Responding May Yield Spurious Factors in Unidimensionality Assessment: A Simulation Study.

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Title: Careless Responding May Yield Spurious Factors in Unidimensionality Assessment: A Simulation Study.
Authors: Abulela, Mohammed A. A. (AUTHOR), Nickodem, Kyle (AUTHOR), Rodriguez, Michael C. (AUTHOR)
Source: Applied Measurement in Education. Jul-Dec2025, Vol. 38 Issue 3/4, p256-267. 12p.
Subjects: Factor analysis, False positive error, Simulation methods & models, Data scrubbing, Response styles (Examinations), Psychometrics
Abstract: Careless responding (CR) threatens validity evidence, yet its potential to yield spurious factors when testing unidimensionality remains underexplored. We simulated polytomous data for 500 participants, manipulating CR type (fixed, midpoint, random), prevalence (10%, 20%, 30%), and severity (25%, 50%, 75%) in a fully crossed 27-condition design with 500 replications each. Unidimensionality was assessed using parallel analysis (PA; principal axis factoring with polychoric correlations) and item factor analysis (IFA). For IFA, one- and two-factor models were fit and compared using descriptive indices and inferential tests. The outcome was Type I error, defined as falsely concluding multidimensionality in truly unidimensional data. PA falsely detected additional factors in 52% of conditions. Within IFA, BIC was most robust (21% Type I error). Two of four three-way interactions were significant: Method × Type × Prevalence and Type × Prevalence × Severity, explaining 23% and 20% of the variance in Type I error. Results underscore cleaning low-stakes data before assessing unidimensionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Applied Measurement in Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Careless Responding May Yield Spurious Factors in Unidimensionality Assessment: A Simulation Study.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Abulela%2C+Mohammed+A%2E+A%2E%22">Abulela, Mohammed A. A.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nickodem%2C+Kyle%22">Nickodem, Kyle</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rodriguez%2C+Michael+C%2E%22">Rodriguez, Michael C.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Applied+Measurement+in+Education%22">Applied Measurement in Education</searchLink>. Jul-Dec2025, Vol. 38 Issue 3/4, p256-267. 12p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Factor+analysis%22">Factor analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22False+positive+error%22">False positive error</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Simulation+methods+%26+models%22">Simulation methods & models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+scrubbing%22">Data scrubbing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Response+styles+%28Examinations%29%22">Response styles (Examinations)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychometrics%22">Psychometrics</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Careless responding (CR) threatens validity evidence, yet its potential to yield spurious factors when testing unidimensionality remains underexplored. We simulated polytomous data for 500 participants, manipulating CR type (fixed, midpoint, random), prevalence (10%, 20%, 30%), and severity (25%, 50%, 75%) in a fully crossed 27-condition design with 500 replications each. Unidimensionality was assessed using parallel analysis (PA; principal axis factoring with polychoric correlations) and item factor analysis (IFA). For IFA, one- and two-factor models were fit and compared using descriptive indices and inferential tests. The outcome was Type I error, defined as falsely concluding multidimensionality in truly unidimensional data. PA falsely detected additional factors in 52% of conditions. Within IFA, BIC was most robust (21% Type I error). Two of four three-way interactions were significant: Method × Type × Prevalence and Type × Prevalence × Severity, explaining 23% and 20% of the variance in Type I error. Results underscore cleaning low-stakes data before assessing unidimensionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Applied Measurement in Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1080/08957347.2026.2615196
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 12
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      – SubjectFull: Factor analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: False positive error
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Simulation methods & models
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data scrubbing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Response styles (Examinations)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychometrics
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      – TitleFull: Careless Responding May Yield Spurious Factors in Unidimensionality Assessment: A Simulation Study.
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            – D: 01
              M: 07
              Text: Jul-Dec2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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