Explanatory Secondary Dimension Modeling of Latent Differential Item Functioning

The models used in this article are secondary dimension mixture models with the potential to explain differential item functioning (DIF) between latent classes, called latent DIF. The focus is on models with a secondary dimension that is at the same time specific to the DIF latent class and linked to an item property. A description of the models is provided along with a means of estimating model parameters using easily available software and a description of how the models behave in two applications. One application concerns a test that is sensitive to speededness and the other is based on an arithmetic operations test where the division items show latent DIF.