Abstract: The item parameter and person ability in continuous scoring Item Response Theory (IRT) model of small sample were estimated with cascade correlation model of connectionism. A new method to estimate the item parameter and person ability was suggested which was based on artificial neural network (connectionism),it was totally different from the traditional method which was based on statistics. The response matrix of a group of subjects to a set of items was used as the imput of cascade correlation model (neural network),the ability θof this group subjects or parameter a?b or c of this set of items was used as the output of this model. A set of neural networks were trained by them. After training, the neural networks were able to estimate the subject ability θand item parameter a,b or c. If a new response matrix was input, the neural network could output the estimate value of θ,a,b or c. The errors between estimate values and true values were very small. The results showed: If there were a few items from the item bank, the IRT parameter of continuous scoring item and person ability could be estimated under small sample condition.

Key words: connectionism, item response theory, parameter estimate, test