Educational Psychology

Daniel Bolt

Nancy C. Hoefs Bascom Professor, Quantitative Methods Area

dmbolt@wisc.edu

(608) 262-4938

1082A Educational Sciences

1025 West Johnson Street

Madison, WI 53706-1706

Bolt, Daniel

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Daniel Bolt is Nancy C. Hoefs-Bascom Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and specializes in quantitative methods. His methodological research has focused on the theory and application of psychometric methods in the educational, social and health sciences., including topics such as the application of latent variable models for purposes of measurement validation, computational methods, novel item formats, computer-based testing, assessment of individual differences (such as response styles), and the modeling of student growth. More recent interests include topics at the intersection of educational data science and psychometrics. His research has been published in journals such as the British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology, Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, Psychological Methods, and Psychometrika, among other outlets. In addition to his methodological research, Dr. Bolt collaborates on various research projects in the social and health sciences as a biostatistician at the Waisman Center. Dr. Bolt teaches courses in test theory, factor analysis, and hierarchical linear modeling. He is a recent President of the Psychometric Society (2019-2021) and a past recipient of the Kellett Mid-Career Award, the Vilas Associates Research Award and a Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
ACCEPTING STUDENTS FOR FALL 2025-2026

Education

  • PhD Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999
  • MS Statistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1995
  • BA Psychology/Mathematics, Calvin College, 1992

Select Publications

  • Lyu, W., & Bolt, D. M. (2024). A psychometric perspective on the associations between response accuracy and response time residuals. Journal of Intelligence
  • Liao, X., Bolt, D. M., & Kim, J. (2024). Curvilinearity in the reference composite and practical implications for measurement. Journal of Educational Measurement
  • Liao, X., & Bolt, D. M. (2024). Guesses and slips as proficiency-related phenomena and impacts on parameter invariance.. Educational Measurement Issues in Practice
  • Huang, Q., Bolt, D. M., & Lyu, W. (2024). Investigating item complexity as a source of cross-national DIF in TIMSS Math and Science. Large Scale Assessments in Education
  • Huang, Q. H., & Bolt, D. M. (2024). Unipolar IRT and the Author Recognition Test (ART). Behavior Research Methods
  • Kim, N., & Bolt, D. M. (In Press). Evaluating psychometric differences between fast versus slow responses on rating scale items. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics
  • Lyu, W., Bolt, D. M., & Westby, S. (2023). Exploring the effects of item specific factors in sequential and IRTree models.. Psychometrika
  • Zou, T., & Bolt, D. M. (In Press). Person misfit and person reliability in rating scale measures: The role of response styles.. Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Practice
  • Lyu, W., & Bolt, D. M. (2023). Predicting response time on self-report rating scale assessments of noncognitive constructs.. Behavior Research Methods
  • Huang, Q., & Bolt, D. M. (2023). Relative robustness of CDMs and (M)IRT in measuring growth in latent skills. Educational and Psychological Measurement

Select Presentations

  • Bolt, D. M. (2019, June - 2019, June). Models and Methods for the Study and Control of Response Styles in Self-Report Rating Scales. Workshop presented at the SMiP Program, Mannheim, Germany.
  • Bolt, D. M. (2018, July). A Psychometric Model for Discrete-Option Multiple-Choice (DOMC) items. Oral Presentation presented at the Conference on Statistical Methods for Innovative Testing and Learning, Columbia University.
  • Bolt, D. M. (2017, November). Parameter Invariance and Skill Attribute Continuity in CDMs: Bifactor MIRT as an Appealing Alternative. Oral Presentation presented at the Fifth Conference on Statistical Methods in Psychometrics, New York, NY.
  • Bolt, D. M. (2015, October). Using Oaxaca-Blinder Decomposition to Explore Underlying Causes of DIF. presented at the MARCES Conference, University of Maryland.
  • Bolt, D. M. (2015, June). Vertical Scales and The Score Deceleration ‘Problem’ in Measuring Student Growth. presented at the Education Department, Irvine, CA.
  • Bolt, D. M. (2014, June). Item Complexity and Samejima’s Logistic Positive Exponent Model. presented at the Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
  • Bolt, D. M. (2013, July). Measurement and Control of Response Styles Using Anchoring Vignettes: A Model-Based Approach. Oral Presentation presented at the International Meeting of the Psychometric Society (IMPS), Arnhem, The Netherlands.
  • Bolt, D. M. (2013, April). Measurement and Control of Response Styles Using Anchoring Vignettes: A Model-Based Approach. Oral Presentation presented at the QSG Series, University of Notre Dame.
  • Bolt, D. M. (2009, March). Differential distractor functioning in multiple-choice items. Oral Presentation presented at the ACT Visiting Scholar Series, Iowa City, IA.

Select Awards and Honors

  • Teaching Academy Fellow, University of Wisconsin, 2005
  • President, Psychometric Society, (2020, 2021)
  • Outstanding Reviewer Award, Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, (2011, 2020)
  • Kellett Mid-Career Award, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2019
  • Best Reviewer Award, Psychometrika, (2016, 2018)
  • Vilas Associates Award, University of Wisconsin, Madison, (2015, 2017)
  • Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, University of Wisconsin, 2009
  • Jason Millman Promising Scholar Award, NCME, 2003