Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Luke Walden

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Educational Psychology & Research

Committee Chair

Eli Jones

Committee Member

Denise Winsor

Committee Member

Leigh Harrell-Williams

Abstract

Quantitative measurement of personal epistemology has faced persistent challenges, with previous instruments often demonstrating poor psychometric functioning and instability across studies. This study introduces and provides an argument for the validity of the Epistemic Reasoning Measure (ERM), a novel scenario-based instrument utilizing the Rasch Guttman Scenario (RGS) methodology to assess absolutism and multiplism across a well-structured (biology) and an ill-structured (history) domain. A pilot sample of 350 undergraduate students and a second wave of 357 undergraduate students completed the four variants of the ERM (absolutism and multiplism for both biology and history). The psychometric properties of the scales were evaluated using Rasch measurement to assess their psychometric qualities and provide evidence for validity. Results provided adequate evidence for the measure's validity as outlined by current measurement guidelines of validity. All variants of the ERM functioned similarly, and correlational analyses supported the conceptual distinction between absolutism and multiplism. The reliability of separation for the items was excellent, indicating a stable and replicable item hierarchy, addressing a key weakness of previous personal epistemology measures. However, all four ERM variants exhibited limited person separation reliability, limiting their ability to distinguish between more than two to three distinct strata of individuals. These findings suggest that the RGS methodology is a promising approach for developing stable, theory-driven measures of personal epistemology. While the ERM serves as a successful proof-of-concept, future research is needed in order to refine the ERM. This study contributes a novel methodological approach to a longstanding measurement challenge in the field of personal epistemology.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

Download

Share

COinS
 

Archival Statement

This item was created or digitized prior to April 24, 2026, or is a reproduction of legacy media created before that date. It is preserved in its original, unmodified state specifically for research, reference, or historical recordkeeping. This material is part of a digital archival collection and is not utilized for current University instruction, programs, or active public communication. In accordance with the ADA Title II Final Rule, the University Libraries provides accessible versions of archival materials upon request. To request an accommodation for this item, please submit an accessibility request form.