How are the CIRP Constructs created?
To score the constructs, we use Item Response Theory (IRT), a modern psychometric method that uses response patterns to derive construct scores estimates. Computing an individuals construct score in IRT involves deriving a maximum likelihood score estimate based on the pattern of the persons responses to the entire set of construct questions (or to a sub-set of the questions that were answered). Items that tap into the trait more effectively are given greater weight in the estimation process. Student construct scores are thus not simple arithmetic means or weighted sums, but rather the estimated scores that are most likely, given how respondents answered the set of questions. A technical or white paper with more detailed information about how the CIRP Constructs were created is available here.
