item-total
UK[ˈaɪtəm ˌtəʊtl]US[ˈaɪtəm ˌtoʊtl]
adj
Relating to or being a statistical correlation between an individual item on a test or scale and the total score of the test or scale.
n
The total score of a test or scale, used as a variable in calculating item-total correlations.
Morpheme Breakdown
item
total
item
total
Etymology
The compound "item-total" is a modern statistical term formed within the English language. Its first element, "item," originates from Latin item, meaning "also, in like manner," which was used adverbially to introduce separate articles in a list, later evolving into a noun for any distinct unit. The second element, "total," derives from the Medieval Latin totalis, meaning "entire, whole," which itself comes from the Latin totus ("all, the whole"). The logic of the compound is transparently descriptive: it directly links a single, discrete unit ("item") with the aggregate sum ("total") of all such units, specifically to denote their statistical relationship in psychometrics and data analysis.
Analysis
Structure: item + total
- item (Latin): A unit or object in a list, collection, or series. In this compound, it functions as a noun modifier.
- total (Latin): The whole amount or number. In this compound, it functions as the head noun or adjective.
Examples
The researcher calculated the item-total correlation to assess the internal consistency of the questionnaire.
A high item-total correlation suggests that the specific question is a good measure of the overall construct.
The analysis involved comparing each participant's score on a single item with the item-total for the entire scale.