Psychometric Properties of the Vocational Ability Scale in Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the psychometric properties of the vocational ability scale used in the 8th Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled in Korea by using the Rasch model. The sample data was collected from 398 individuals with intellectual disabilities. Item fitness, item difficulty, the appropriateness of the rating scale, and the separation index of the vocational ability scale were evaluated. All 15 items show an appropriate fitness level. The analysis of item difficulty indicate that modifications are required. Specifically, the need for the addition of less difficult question items is identified. The use of a 5-point rating scale is shown to decrease the test difficulty in terms of clarity and readability when appropriate and a 4-point modification is also determined as appropriate. With respect to the outcomes of the analysis, the person separation reliability value and separation index are high, and the reliability of the items is also high.