Ámbito:
Programa de Doctorado en: Psicología Clínica y de la Salud
Línea/Tema de investigación: Modelos y Aplicaciones en Estadística y Psicometría
Abstract:
Statistical models are formal mathematical expressions of processes that provide description of the assumed structure of the observed data. Although simple models cannot describe accurately the intricate structures of most real-life phenomena, these models remain attractive and in use because of their computational ease. However, in many situations, adequate understanding of certain phenomena can only be facilitated by using more complex models. In these settings, traditional methods of estimation (e.g., numerical evaluation, analytic approximation) cannot address the computational requisites inherent in these models. Simulation-based analyses such as Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) are particularly suited for high-dimensional, complex problems. In this session, topics such as Monte Carlo integration, acceptance-rejection sampling, Gibbs sampling, and Metropolis-Hastings algorithms will be discussed. Estimation of univariate and multivariate normal distribution parameters, as well as estimation in IRT ability parameters will be used to illustrate the use MCMC.
Jimmy de la Torre is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at The University of Hong Kong. He is also currently a Chair Professor at the National Taichung University of Education in Taiwan, and an Honorary Professor at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid in Spain. His primary research interests are in the field of psychological and educational testing and measurement, and the use of diagnostic assessment to support classroom teaching and learning. As one of the leading researchers in the field of cognitive diagnosis modeling, his work has covered both theoretical and implementation issues in this area. In 2009, he was named by the White House as one of the recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. He also received the Jason Millman Promising Measurement Scholar Award in 2009 from the National Council on Measurement in Education. He is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Educational Measurement, an associate editor of Applied Psychological Measurement, and a member of the Psychometric Society Board of Trustees.