Evaluación del funcionamiento diferencial en ítems dicotómicos: una revisión metodológica

Resum

Most of the psychometric research reported in the last few decades is based on studies of differential item functioning (DIF), which analyze the impartiality of tests respect to different groups of subjects. This study describes the main techniques used in the detection of DIF with dichotomous items, and evaluates their advantages and disadvantages. The brief description of the first unconditional methods, in which groups were not matched with respect to the level of the trait measured, leads to a detailed evaluation of the conditional methods. These are classified according to whether comparisons between groups are based on a latent variable or an observed variable. The study concludes with un analysis of applications of these techniques to diferent contents, and emphasizes the need for the routine application of DlF studies both in the evaluation of existing tests and in the development of new tests.