Brian French

Research interests

Brian French’s research focuses on educational and psychological measurement issues. The first area concerns the application of psychometric methods to gather score validity evidence for instruments. The second area, informed by the first, is the use of methodological studies to evaluate and improve methods in terms of efficiency and accuracy used to gather test score validity evidence. The goal of this research is to address fairness issues in decisions made about individuals. A sample of topics of interest include: Measurement Invariance, Structural Equation Modeling, Item Response Theory, Classical Test Theory, Factor Analysis, Multilevel Modeling, Monte Carlo studies. He works with various groups (e.g., education, psychology, agriculture, medicine) on these topics.

Teaching/professional interests

Dr. French teaches courses in measurement/psychometrics, statistics, research methods, and quantitative methods. He also is active in national service. For example, he currently serves (a) as the program chair for AERA Division D: Quantitative Methods and Statistical Theory, (b) on the GRE Technical Advisory Board, and (c) as the editor of the Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design section of the Journal of Experimental Education.

Sample Recent Accomplishments

• Finch, W. H., & French, B. F. (2015). Modeling of nonrecursive structural equation models with categorical indicators, Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 22, 416-428. DOI:10.1080/10705511.2014.937380.
• French, B. F., & Finch, W. H. (2015). SIBTEST in a multilevel data environment. Journal of Educational Measurement, 52, 159-180.
• French, B. F., & Finch, W. H. (2016). Factorial invariance testing under different levels of partial loading invariance within a multiple group confirmatory factor analysis model. Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods, 15, 511-538.
• Ward, L., French, B. F., Barbosa-Leiker, C., & Iverson, A. E. (2016). Application of exploratory factor analysis and item response theory to validate the genomic nursing concept inventory. Journal of Nursing Education, 15, 9-17.
• Hidalgo Montesinos, M. D., & French, B. F. (2016). Una introducción didáctica a la Teoría de Respuesta al Ítem para comprender la construcción de escalas. Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes, 3, 13-21.
• Austin, B., French. B. F., Adesope, S. & Gotch, C. M. (2017). The use of standard deviations as predictors in models using large-scale international datasets. Journal of Experimental Education, 85, 559-573 DOI: 10.1080/00220973.2016.1260522.
• Cheng, Y.H., Field, W., Tormoehlen, R., & French, B. F. (2017). Utilizing secondary agricultural education programs to deliver evidence-based grain safety training for young and beginning workers. Journal of Argomedicine, 22, 328-336.
• Mantzicopoulos, P. Y., French, B. F., Patrick, H., Watson, S. & Ahn, I. (2018). The stability of kindergarten teachers’ effectiveness: A generalizability study comparing the FFT and CLASS. Educational Assessment, 23, 24-46. DOI: 10.1080/10627197.2017.1408407 .
• Iverson, A., French, B.F., Strand, P., Gotch, C. M., & McCurley, C. (in press). Understanding school truancy: Risk-need latent profiles of adolescents. Assessment. DOI: 10.1177/1073191116672329.
• French, B. F., & Finch, W. H. (in press). Quantifying the influence of partial factorial invariance on reliability: A proposed effect size. International Journal of Quantitative Research in Education.
• Eichenbaum, A., Marcus, D., & French, B. F. (in press). Item response theory analysis of the psychopathic personality inventory-revised. Assessment.

Education

• Ph.D., Educational Psychology, Purdue University
• M.S., Educational Psychology,  Purdue University
• B.A., Psychology and Spanish, Seattle University