Justin Kern

Justin Kern is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He earned his Ph.D. in Quantitative Psychology (2017) and holds additional graduate degrees in Psychology and Statistics. His research focuses on educational and psychological measurement with emphasis on item response theory (IRT), Bayesian statistical methods, and multivariate data analysis.

Research Themes

• Item Response Theory (IRT) and extensions
• Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT)
• Four-parameter IRT models
• Response time modeling
• Measurement invariance
• Bayesian estimation techniques

Recent Publications

His recent work (2025-2020) spans topics in educational measurement, psychological testing, and family behavior analysis. Key trends include:

• Development of IRT-based frameworks for health survey data
• Investigations into extreme response styles using IRTree models
• Advancements in four-parameter IRT modeling
• Applications of Bayesian methods in test construction
• Analysis of father involvement in early intervention

Collaborations

Kern collaborates across disciplines with researchers in psychology, statistics, healthcare informatics, and special education. His work has been supported by grants from the Institute for Education Sciences and NICHD.