Construct truncation due to suboptimal person and item selection : consequences and potential solutions

Construct truncation can be defined as the failure to capture variation along the entire continuum of a construct reliably. It can occur due to suboptimal person selection or due to suboptimal item selection. In this thesis, I used a series of simulation studies coupled with real data examples to characterise the consequences of construct truncation on the inferences made in empirical research. The analyses suggested that construct truncation has the potential to result in significant distortions of substantive conclusions. Based on these analyses I developed recommendations for anticipating the circumstances under which construct truncation is likely to be problematic, identifying it when it occurs, and mitigating its adverse effects on substantive conclusions drawn from affected data.