Research Interests

I am broadly interested in psychometrics and data science. My current research focuses on three core objectives:

1. Copula-based Latent Variable Models I develop copula-based methods to improve measurement accuracy and enable hypothesis testing for non-linear and asymmetric dependence of latent variables. This overcomes traditional multivariate Gaussian assumptions, allowing for a more flexible and nuanced dependence structure.

2. Integrating Psychometrics and AI My work explores the bidirectional interaction between these fields: I apply measurement theory to evaluate the performance and fairness of AI systems, while also utilizing modern AI techniques to improve the accuracy and efficiency of complex psychometric models.

3. Analyzing Complex Modern Testing Data I create frameworks for extracting meaningful insights from unstructured and noisy “process data,” such as computer log files. These methods are designed to support robust statistical inference from information-rich, high-dimensional data sources.

Education

Statistics, MS, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Psychology, MA, Sungkyunkwan University

Psychology and Statistics, BA, Sungkyunkwan University

Awards and Honors

Psychometric Society Travel Award (sponsored by Duolingo), IMPS 2025.

Graduate College Conference Presentation Award, 2025.

Hobson Fellowship, Department of Psychology, 2021-2025.

List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Students, Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning, 2023.

Courses Taught

PSYC 490 Measurement & Test Develop Lab

PSYC 301 Psychological Statistics

PSYC 235 Intro to Statistics

Ida Lawrence Research Summer Internship at ETS (2024)

Recent Publications

Choi, J., Zhang, B., Shi, D., Kwon, S., & Alexander III, L. (in press). You must parcel carefully if you have to! Comparing eight item parceling strategies with the item-level model for bifactor predictive models. Psychological Methods

Kwon, S., McCaffrey, D., Jewsbury, P., Casabianca, J. (in press). An Empirical Bayesian Approach for Testing the Fairness of Automated Scoring. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics. https://doi.org/10.3102/10769986251393501

Kwon, S., & Zhang, S. (2025). Explaining Performance Gaps with Problem-Solving Process Data via Latent Class Mediation Analysis. Psychometrika. https://doi.org/10.1017/psy.2025.10038 

Kwon, S., Zhang, S., Köhn, H. F., & Zhang, B. (2025). MCMC stopping rules in latent variable modelling. British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology, 78(1), 225-257. https://doi.org/10.1111/bmsp.12357

Choi, J., Kwon, S., & Zhang, B. (2025). A Structural After Measurement Approach to Bifactor Predictive Models. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 32(2), 173-186. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2024.2385951