Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Confirmation Biases01:31

Confirmation Biases

8.3K
The confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that is inconsistent with our expectations. For example, if you think that your professor is not very nice, you notice all of the instances of rude behavior exhibited by the professor while ignoring the countless pleasant interactions he is involved in on a daily basis. Have you ever fallen prey to the confirmation bias, either as the source or target of such bias?
8.3K
Hindsight Biases01:12

Hindsight Biases

4.3K
Hindsight bias leads you to believe that the event you just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn’t. In other words, you knew all along that things would turn out the way they did. Can you relate this to the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20" now? 
4.3K
Bias01:22

Bias

7.4K
Bias refers to any tendency that prevents a question from being considered unprejudiced. In research, bias occurs when one outcome or answer is selected or encouraged over others in sampling or testing. Bias can occur during any research phase, including study design, data collection, analysis, and publication.
In statistics, a sampling bias is created when a sample is collected from a population, and some members of the population are not as likely to be chosen as others (remember, each member...
7.4K
Field Procedure for Staking Out Curves01:26

Field Procedure for Staking Out Curves

473
Staking out curves is an essential process in construction to ensure the accurate alignment of structures along a curved path. This task involves positioning stakes at calculated locations corresponding to the curve's design, effectively translating plans into physical markers in the field. The process begins by determining the geometric parameters of the curve, including the radius, central angle, and tangent distances. These parameters are critical for identifying key points such as the...
473
Correspondence Bias01:17

Correspondence Bias

232
Correspondence bias, also referred to as the fundamental attribution error, describes the tendency to attribute another person’s behavior to internal characteristics rather than situational influences. This cognitive bias leads individuals to overlook external factors that may be influencing actions, thereby fostering potentially inaccurate assessments of others’ intentions and dispositions.Empirical Evidence for Correspondence BiasResearch has consistently demonstrated the...
232
Self-Serving Bias01:29

Self-Serving Bias

250
Self-serving bias is a cognitive phenomenon in which individuals attribute positive outcomes to internal factors such as their abilities, intelligence, or effort while attributing negative outcomes to external circumstances. This cognitive distortion helps maintain self-esteem but can also impede objective self-assessment.Theoretical Explanations of Self-Serving BiasTwo primary theories explain the self-serving bias: the cognitive explanation and the motivational explanation.The cognitive...
250

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Exploring sensitive topics in assessment research through vignette-based interviewing.

BMC medical education·2026
Same author

Proximity of city schools in Scotland to air quality monitors: an exploratory geomapping study in five Scottish cities.

BMJ public health·2026
Same author

A study to understand the factors impacting pass rates for the specialty certification examination in geriatric medicine to improve outcomes and reduce variation.

Age and ageing·2025
Same author

Equity Beyond Entry: A Capability Approach to Understanding Widening Participation in Medical Education.

Perspectives on medical education·2025
Same author

Medicine is difficult-there are no shortcuts.

BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·2024
Same author

From policy to practice: Measuring success in widening participation.

Medical education·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems
05:47

Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems

Published on: June 13, 2025

1.6K

Using differential item functioning to evaluate potential bias in a high stakes postgraduate knowledge based

David Hope1, Karen Adamson2, I C McManus3

  • 1Centre for Medical Education, The Chancellor's Building, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH16 4SB, UK. david.hope@ed.ac.uk.

BMC Medical Education
|April 5, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis of a postgraduate internal medicine exam found few unfair questions. This suggests that group performance differences are not due to biased assessment items.

Keywords:
AssessmentBiasFairness

More Related Videos

A Computerized Functional Skills Assessment and Training Program Targeting Technology Based Everyday Functional Skills
07:31

A Computerized Functional Skills Assessment and Training Program Targeting Technology Based Everyday Functional Skills

Published on: February 13, 2020

7.5K
Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
10:13

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach

Published on: February 14, 2014

14.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems
05:47

Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems

Published on: June 13, 2025

1.6K
A Computerized Functional Skills Assessment and Training Program Targeting Technology Based Everyday Functional Skills
07:31

A Computerized Functional Skills Assessment and Training Program Targeting Technology Based Everyday Functional Skills

Published on: February 13, 2020

7.5K
Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
10:13

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach

Published on: February 14, 2014

14.2K

Area of Science:

  • Medical Education
  • Psychometrics
  • Health Professions Education

Background:

  • Fairness in assessment is crucial for defensible evaluations, ensuring candidates perform based on ability, not background.
  • Performance disparities across demographic groups (ethnicity, sex) are observed in many assessments.
  • Routine analysis of examinations, including Differential Item Functioning (DIF), is necessary to identify and address potential progression barriers for specific groups.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate assessment fairness using DIF for an international postgraduate examination in internal medicine.
  • To identify specific questions exhibiting bias between ethnically white and non-white UK graduates, and between male and female UK graduates.

Main Methods:

  • Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis was applied to 2773 questions across 14 sittings of a summative postgraduate examination.
  • The study included 13,694 candidates, comparing ethnically white UK graduates with ethnically non-white UK graduates, and male UK graduates with female UK graduates.

Main Results:

  • Only eight out of 2773 questions (0.29%) showed notable DIF after correction for multiple comparisons.
  • A panel of blinded clinician assessors found no plausible explanations for the DIF in these identified questions.
  • The identified questions did not significantly impact overall cohort performance, and group performance differences were not explained by these unfair questions.

Conclusions:

  • Differential Item Functioning (DIF) is a valuable tool for exploring assessment fairness at the question level, particularly in high-stakes examinations.
  • The study found very few questions with notable DIF, indicating that group-level performance differences in this examination are not attributable to unfairness in individual assessment items.
  • The findings suggest that broader factors beyond individual question bias likely contribute to observed disparities in passing rates between demographic groups.