Examining Local Item Dependence in a Cloze Test with the Rasch Model.

This article explores the occurrence and impact of local item dependence (LID) in a cloze test. LID refers to situations where responses to test items are influenced by other items. The researchers used the Rasch model to analyze a cloze test and identified three pairs of items that exhibited LID. Removing these items improved the test's fit and unidimensionality, but did not affect the overall ability of test takers. The study emphasizes the importance of detecting and addressing LID in language testing, while also suggesting the need for alternative approaches to handle LID without compromising the test's properties. [Extracted from the article]