Term Arbitrary scales

Definition Universal practice of ad hoc scale development used by instrument designers to create scales that is highly specific to the practice or object being studied. A type of scale in which the respondents put themselves or property indicants in groups or categories. An error that results because the respondent is reluctant to give extreme judgments, usually due to lack of knowledge. A scale where the respondent evaluates an object against a standard using a numeric, graphical, or verbal scale. A technique that uses input from non-numeric independent variables to secure part-worth's that represent the importance of each aspect in the subject's overall assessment; used to measure complex decision making (e.g. consumer purchase behaviour) that requires multi attribute judgments; produces a scale value for each attribute or property. See also factorial survey. Scale development by a panel of experts evaluating instrument items based on topical relevance and lack of ambiguity. The degree to which a research instrument is able to measure or infer the presence of an abstract property. See also validity. The degree to which a research instrument provides adequate coverage of the topic under study. See also validity. The success of measures used for prediction or estimation; types are predictive and concurrent. See also validity. A scale development technique in which scale items are tested based on a scoring system, where agreement with one extreme scale item results also in endorsement of all other items that take a less extreme position. An expensive, time-consuming type of consensus scaling which results in an interval rating scale for attitude measurement, a.k.a. Thurston scale. Types of scales that deal with multidimensional content and underlying dimensions, such as scalogram, factor, and cluster analyses, and metric and non metric multidimensional scaling.

Categorization Central tendency (error) Comparative scale

Conjoint analysis

Consensus scaling

Construct validity

Content validity

Criterion-related validity Cumulative scaling

Equal-appearing interval scale Factor scales

Fixed sum scale

A scale where the respondent assigns mostly 100 points to different continuous or discrete categories, e.g. how much time he spends on average per day on specified activities, such as paid working, commuting, child care, household work, leisure. It generates interval data. A scale where the respondent orders several objects or properties of objects; faster than paired comparison to obtain a rank order. A scale where the ratter places his or her response along a line or continuum; the score or measurement is its distance in millimetres from either end point. A systematic bias that the rater introduces by carrying over a generalized impression of the subject from one rating to another. A characteristic of measurement in which an instrument measures consistency among responses of a single respondent. See also reliability Data with order and distance but no unique origin; data which incorporate equality of interval (the distance between one measure and the next measure); e.g. temperature scale. Scale development where instrument designers develop instrument items and test them with a group of respondents; individual items are analysed to determine those, which highly discriminate between persons or objects; e.g. Likert scale and summated scale. An error that results when the respondent is consistently an easy or reluctant rater, for example the rater is very optimistic in his judgment, or very pessimistic. A variation of the summated rating scale, this scale asks a rater to agree or disagree with statements that express either favourable or unfavourable attitudes toward the object. The strength of attitude is reflected in the assigned score and individual scores may be totalled for an overall attitude measure. Developing and applying a set of rules for assigning numbers to empirical events. Assigning numbers to empirical events in compliance with a mapping rule.

Forced ranking scale Graphic rating scale

Halo effect (error)

Internal consistency

Interval data

Item analysis scaling

Leniency (error)

Likert scale

Mapping rule

Measurement

Multidimensional scaling (MSD)

A scaling technique for objects or people where the instrument scale seeks to measure more than one attribute of the respondents or object; results are usually mapped; develops a geometric picture or map of the locations of some objects relative to others on various dimensions or properties; especially useful for difficult-to-measure constructs. A scale that offers respondent multiple options and solicits one or more answers (nominal or ordinal data); a.k.a. checklist. A measurement question that poses more than two responses but seeks a single answer, or one that seeks a single rating from a gradation of preference, interest or agreement (nominal or ordinal data); a.k.a multiple choice question. A numerical scale where raters circle their responses and the layout allows visualization of the results (generates interval data). Data without the properties of order, distance, or origin but capable of being partitioned into mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive categories. A scale where equal intervals separate the numeric scale points, while verbal anchors serve as labels for the extreme points. Concepts of ordinary experience, like people, books, autos, genes, or peer-group pressures. Data with order, but no distance or unique origin; data capable of determining greater than, equal to, or less than status of a property or an object. The respondent chooses a preferred object between several pairs of objects on some property; results in a rank ordering of objects. A characteristic of sound measurement concerned with a wide range of factors of economy, convenience, and interpretability. Characteristics of objects; a person's properties are his weight, height, posture, hair colour, etc. An index of perceived similarity or dissimilarity between objects.

Multiple choicemultiple response scale Multiple choicesingle response scale Multiple rating list

Nominal data

Numerical scales

Objects Ordinal data

Paired-comparison scale Practicality

Properties

Proximity

Ranking scale

A measurement approach that asks the respondent to make comparisons among two or more objects or properties in relation to each other using a numeric scale, thus providing a relative order of those factors (ordinal or interval data). See also ranking question. A measurement approach that asks the respondent to score an object or property without making a direct comparison to another object and thus position each factor on a companion scale, either verbal, numeric, or graphic (ordinal or interval data). See also rating question. Data with order, distance, equal intervals (distance), and unique origin; numbers used as measurements have numerical value; e.g. weight of an object. A characteristic of measurement concerned with accuracy, precision, and consistency; a necessary but not sufficient condition for validity (if the measure is not reliable, it cannot be valid, but reliable measures are not necessarily valid). A characteristic of measurement in which an instrument can secure consistent results with repeated measures by the same investigator or by different samples. A characteristic of measurement in which an instrument can secure consistent results with repeated measurements of the same person. Another term for a participant in a communication study. The assignment of numbers or symbols to an indicant of a property of objects to impart some of the characteristics of the numbers to the property A procedure for determining whether a set of items forms a unidimensional scale and is therefore appropriate for scaling A scale that measures the psychological meanings of an attitude object and produces interval data; uses bipolar nouns, noun phrases, adjectives, or nonverbal stimuli such as visual sketches. A scale with two response choices; a.k.a dichotomous scale.

Rating scale

Ratio data

Reliability

Reliabilityequivalence Reliability-stability

Respondent Scaling

Scalogram

Semantic differential scale

Simple category scale

Stability

A characteristic of measurement in which an instrument can secure consistent results with repeated measurements of the same person. See also reliability. A numerical scale with up to 10 categories (5 positive, 5 negative) where the central position is an attribute. The higher the positive number, the more accurately the attribute describes the object or its indicant. Infrequently used process for ordering many objects where the respondent groups objects on properties by allocating cards to piles or groups representing a succession of values or importance of properties. Instrument scale that seeks to measure only one attribute of the respondents or object. A characteristic of measurement concerned that a test measures what the researcher actually wishes to measure; that differences found with a measurement tool reflect true differences among respondents drawn from a population. See also construct validity, content validity, criterion-related validity.

Stapel scale

Successive intervals

Unidimensional scale Validity