Session -7

nd
22
Jan, 2015
Nothing has meaning
except for the
meaning you give it
04/12/16

Prof. R.K.Jena, IMT Nagpur

Measurement
&
Scale

04/12/16

Prof. R.K.Jena, IMT Nagpur

What Is Measurement?
The

process of describing
some
property
of
a
phenomenon, usually by
assigning numbers in a
reliable and valid way.

Are There Any Validity Issues with this

Measurement?

What is Scale ?
Scales = the approach used
to measure concepts
(constructs).
A device providing a range of
values that correspond to
different
characteristics
or
amounts of a characteristic
exhibited in observing a concept

Scale Contd
Operationalization

The process of identifying scales that

correspond to variance in a concept involved in
a research process.
Correspondence rules
Indicate the way that a certain value on a scale
corresponds to some true value of a concept.

Scale Measurement: Levels

Nominal
Assigns

a value to an object for

identification or classification purposes.
Most elementary level of measurement.
Ordinal
Ranking

scales allowing things to be

arranged based on how much of some
concept they possible.
Have nominal properties.

Levels of Scale
Measurement (contd)
Interval

Capture information about differences

quantities of a concept.
Have both nominal and ordinal properties.

in

Ratio

Highest form of measurement.

Have all the properties of interval scales with
the additional attribute of representing
absolute quantities.
Absolute zero.

June 6
Dec 7

80o F
40o F

26.7o C
4.4o C

MEASUREMENT SCALES:
Types
Metric (interval & ratio)

Likert-type
Summated-Ratings (Likert)
Numerical
Semantic Differential
Graphic-Ratings
Nonmetric (nominal & ordinal)
Categorical
Constant Sum Method
Paired Comparisons
Rank Order
Sorting

MEASUREMENT SCALES Metric

Examples of Likert-Type
Scales
When I:hear about a new restaurant , I
eat there to see what it is like.

Strongly
Agree
Strongly
Agree
Somewhat
Disagree
1
2
3
4

Neither Agree
or Disagree
5

Disagree
Somewhat

MEASUREMENT SCALES Metric

Summated Ratings Scales:
A scaling technique in which respondents are asked
to
indicate
their
degree
of
agreement
or
disagreement with each of a number of statements. A
subjects attitude score (summated rating) is the total
obtained by summing over the items in the scale and
dividing by the number of items to get the average.

Example:

My sales representative is . . . .
SD D
N
Courteous ___
Friendly ___
Helpful
___
Knowledgeable

A
___
___
___
___

SA
___
___
___
___

___
___
___
___

___
___
___
___

___

MEASUREMENT SCALES
Metric
Numerical Scales:

Example:
Using a 10-point scale, where 1 is not
at all important and 10 is very
important, how important is ______ in
your decision to do business with a
particular vendor.
Note:
you fill in the blank with an
attribute, such as reliable delivery,
product quality, complaint resolution,
and so forth.

MEASUREMENT SCALES
Semantic Differential
Metric
Scales:

A scaling technique in which respondents are

asked to check which space between a set of
bipolar adjectives or phrases best describes their
feelings toward the stimulus object.

Example:
My sales representative is . . . .
Courteous ___
Friendly ___
Helpful
___
Honest
___

___
___
___
___

___
___
___
___

___
___
___
___

Discourteous
Unfriendly
Unhelpful
Dishonest

MEASUREMENT SCALES
Metric
Graphic-Ratings Scales:

A scaling technique in which respondents are asked

to indicate their ratings of an attribute by placing a
check at the appropriate point on a line that runs
from one extreme of the attribute to the other.
Please evaluate each attribute in terms of how
important the attribute is to you personally (your
company) by placing an X at the position on the
horizontal line that most reflects your feelings.
Not Important
Very Important
Courteousness ___________________________________
Friendliness ___________________________________
Helpfulness
___________________________________
Knowledgeable
_____________________________________

MEASUREMENT SCALES
Nonmetric
Categorical
scale
:
Categorical
scales
are

nominally
measured opinion scales that have two or
more response categories.
How satisfied are you with your current
job?

[ ] Very Satisfied
[ ] Somewhat Satisfied
[ ] Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied
[ ] Somewhat Dissatisfied
[ ] Very Dissatisfied
Note: Some researchers consider this a metric
scale when coded 1 5 .

MEASUREMENT SCALES
Nonmetric
Constant-Sum Method:
A scaling technique in which respondents are
asked to divide some given sum among two or
more attributes on the basis of their
importance to them.
Please divide 100 points among the following
attributes in terms of the relative importance
of each attribute to you.
Courteous Service
____
Friendly Service
____
Helpful Service
____
Knowledgeable Service ____
Total 100

MEASUREMENT SCALES
Nonmetric
Paired Comparison Method:

A scaling technique in which respondents

are given pairs of stimulus objects and
asked which object in a pair they prefer
most.
Please circle the attribute describing a
sales representative which you consider
most desirable.
Courteous
versus
Knowledgeable
Friendly versus
Helpful
Helpful versus
Courteous

MEASUREMENT SCALES
Nonmetric

Rank Order Method:

A scaling technique in which respondents are presented with

several stimulus objects simultaneously and asked
to
order or rank them with respect to a
specific
characteristic.
Please rank the following attributes on how important
each is to you in relation to a sales representative. Place a
1 beside the attribute which is most important, a 2
next to the attribute that is second in importance, and so
on.

Courteous Service
___
Friendly Service ___
Helpful Service ___
Knowledgeable Service

___

Scale Development
Practical
Decisions
Scales
:
Number of items
(indicators)
Developing

When
to measure a

concept?
Number of scale categories?
Odd or even number of categories?
(Include neutral
point ?)
Balanced or unbalanced scales?

Forced or non-forced choice?

(Include Dont Know ?)

Category labels for scales?

Scale Development
Balanced vs. Unbalanced Scales?

Balanced:
To what extent do you consider TV shows with sex
and
violence to be acceptable for teenagers to
view?

__ Very Acceptable
__ Somewhat Acceptable
__ Neither Acceptable or Unacceptable
__ Somewhat Unacceptable
__ Very Unacceptable
Unbalanced:
__ Very Acceptable
__ Somewhat Acceptable
__ Unacceptable

Scale Development
Forced or Non-Forced?

How likely are you to purchase a laptop PC

in the next six months?
Very Unlikely
1 2

Very Likely

5 6
__ No Opinion

Scale Development
Category Labels for Scales?

Verbal Label:

How important is the size of the hard drive in selecting a l

PC to purchase?
Very
Unimportant
1

Somewhat Neither Important

Somewhat
Unimportant
or Unimportant
Important
2
3
4
5

Very
Important

Numerical Label:

How likely are you to purchase a laptop PC in the next six m

Very
Unlikely
1

Very
Likely
5

Unlabeled:

How important is the weight of the laptop PC in deciding w

brand to purchase?
Very

Very

Unimportant

___

Important

___

___

___

___

Criterias for Good

Measurement
Reliability
Reliability

Validity
Validity

Good
Good
Measurement
Measurement

Sensitivity
Sensitivity

Reliability
Reliability

The degree to which measures are free from

random error and therefore yield consistent
results.
An indicator of a measures internal consistency.

Internal

Consistency

Represents a measures homogeneity or the extent

to which each indicator of a concept converges on
some common meaning.
Measured by correlating scores on subsets of items
making up a scale.

Internal Consistency
Split-half

Method

Assessing internal consistency by checking

the results of one-half of a set of scaled
items against the results from the other half.

Coefficient

alpha (Cronbach ())

The most commonly applied estimate of a

multiple item scales reliability.
Represents the average of all possible splithalf reliabilities for a construct.

Test-Retest Reliability
Test-retest

Method

Administering the same scale or measure to the

same respondents at two separate points in time
to test for stability.
Represents a measures repeatability.

Problems:

The pre-measure, or first measure, may sensitize

the respondents and subsequently influence the
results of the second measure.
Time effects that produce changes in attitude or
other maturation of the subjects.

Validity
Validity

The accuracy of a measure or the extent to which a

score truthfully represents a concept.
Does a scale measure what was intended to be
measured?

Establishing

Validity:

Is there a consensus that the scale measures what it is

supposed to measure?
Does the measure correlate with other measures of the
same concept?
Does the behavior expected from the measure predict
actual observed behavior?

Validity (contd)
Face

Validity
A scales content logically appears to
reflect what was intended to be
measured.
Example: Customer loyalty
1. I prefer to take tea from Panchu Bhai .
2. I am satisfied with Panchu Bhai Tea
3. Panchu Bhai offers very good Tea.

Validity (contd)
Content

Validity
The degree that a measure covers the
breadth of the domain of interest.
Criterion Validity
The ability of a measure to correlate
with other standard measures of similar
constructs or established criteria.
How well does my measure work in
practice?
04/12/16

Prof. R.K.Jena, IMT Nagpur

32

Reliability and Validity on

Target

Sensitivity
A

measurement instruments
ability to accurately measure
variability
in
stimuli
or
responses.
Generally increased by adding
more response points or adding
scale items.

MEASUREMENT ERROR
Measurement Error
=
occurs
when the values obtained in a
survey (observed values) are not
the same as the true values
(population values).

MEASUREMENT ERROR
Causes of Errors:
Non-response = problem definition,
refusal, sampling, etc.
Data Collection Instrument:
Construct Development.
Scaling Measurement.
Questionnaire Design/Sequence,
etc.
Data Analysis.
Interpretation.

Thanks

Sources of Published
Organizational Behavior and Management
Scales
Price,
James
L.,
Handbook
of
Organizational

Measurement, International Journal of Manpower, Vol.

18, Number 4/5/6, 1997, ISSN 0143-7720, www.mcb.co.uk
Has
28
chapters
organizational

with

constructs

measuring
behavior.

Marketing

Bearden, William O. and Richard Netemeyer, Handbook

of Marketing Scales, Sage Publications, 2nd ed., 1998.
Summarizes over 130 marketing related scales.
Bruner, Gordon Paul Hensel, Marketing Scales Handbook,
Chicago, Ill., American Marketing Association, 1992.
Includes
almost
600
scales.

General

Robinson, John P., Phillip R. Shaver and Lawrence S.

Wrightsman,
Measures
of
Personal
and
Social
Psychological Attitudes, San Diego, CA: Academic Press,

Online Questionnaire
Design
Survey Builder

www.surveybuilder.co

Decision Analyst
www.decisionanalyst.com

SurveyPro
www.surveypro.com

Decisive Technology
www.decisive.com

SurveySez
www.surveysez.com

Perseus Development
www.perseusdevelopmen
t.com

WebSurveyor
www.websurveyor.com

Socratic Technologies