ABSTRACT
At its core, the question of trait equivalence asks whether different methods of measurement share sufficient convergent and discriminant properties and correlates to warrant interpreting their respective scores as indicators of the same trait or construct. In the present context of contrasting construction versus choice in cognitive measurement, the method differences at issue involve different item-response formats, especially multiple choice versus completion and construction. This is in contradistinction to different item-stimulus formats, usually called “item-types,” that set the task to be performed, such as antonyms, analogies, and quantitative comparisons as well as stipulated essay genres and topics.
