Another Look at Yen's Q3: Is .2 an Appropriate Cut‐Off?

Abstract This study examined the widely used threshold of .2 for Yen's Q3, an index for violations of local independence. Specifically, a simulation was conducted to investigate whether Q3 values were related to the magnitude of bias in estimates of reliability, item parameters, and examinee ability. Results showed that Q3 values below the typical cut‐off yielded meaningful bias in estimates. Practical implications and limitations are discussed.