Item selection by means of a maximizing function

A new item selection technique is presented which takes into account the intercorrelations of the items as well as their correlations with the criterion. The technique is regarded as superior to comparable techniques in that it is considered to achieve greater economy of time, greater objectivity of procedure, higher validity, and higher reliability. The mathematical theory underlying the method is developed. An approximate solution of the mathematical equations is suggested. An approximation procedure for the complete item selection technique is presented, based on the mathematical solution, but much simpler in procedure. The clerical operations involved in the approximation procedure are outlined and illustrated on a sample worksheet.