1. Chapter Six: The Concept of Measurement and Attitude Scales

2. Chapter Six: The Concept of Measurement and Attitude Scales
Understand the concept of measurement
Learn about the measurement process and describe how to develop a good measurement scale
Explain the four levels of scales and their typical usage
Define the concepts of reliability and validity
Explain the concept of scaling
Describe the various types of attitude scales
Examine some basic considerations in selecting a type of scale
Understand the importance of attitude measurement scales in management decision-making

3. Measurement Process
Assign numbers or labels to persons, objects, or events
Follow specific rules for representing quantities or qualities or attributes
Example: Questions in a survey that provide a scale of 1 to 5 for possible responses
Some things fit better with numbers than others

4. Measurement Process Steps
Identify the concept of interest
Develop a construct
Define the concept constitutively
Define the concept operationally
Develop a measurement scale
Nominal
Ordinal
Interval
Ratio

5. Nominal Data Mutually exclusive Example: How old are you?
Avoids overlap in question options
Example: How old are you?
0–30 31– –
Collectively exhaustive:
All options are included
71+ (rather than just ending at 70)

6. Ordinal Data
Scales that maintain the labelling characteristics of nominal scales and have the ability to order data.
Ranking Type Data Examples:
Best liked, worst liked
Win, place, or show
First, second, third
Small, medium, and large
Comparisons rankings:
“Rank these movies from best to worst”

7. Interval Data
Scales that have the characteristics of ordinal scales, plus equal intervals between points.
Comparison Type Data Examples:
On a “1 to 10” scale
Age, income, etc. as ranges
Red, blue, green
- If each rated from “1 to 10”

8. Ratio Data
Scales that have the characteristics of interval scales, plus a meaningful zero point.
Flat Numeric Type Data Examples:
Age = 50 (not an age range)
Income = $45,000 (not an income range)
Number of children: ________

9. Reliability and Validity
Degree to which measures are free from random error and provide consistent data
Extent to which the survey responses are internally consistent
Validity:
Degree to which what the researcher was trying to measure was actually measured

10. Testing Reliability Test and retest Equivalent form
Internal consistency
Spilt half technique

11. Testing Validity Face Content Criterion Related Predictive Concurrent
Construct
Convergent
Discriminant

12. Reliability and Validity

13. Measurement Scales Scaling approaches: Unidimensional:
Measures only one dimension of a concept, respondent, or object
Multi-dimensional:
Measures several dimensions of a concept, respondent, or object

14. Attitude Measurement Scales
Motivations
Emotions
Perceptions
Cognitive processes
Graphic rating scale:

15. Itemized rating scale:
Attitude Scales
Itemized rating scale:
Non-comparative scale:
Judgement is made without reference to another object, concept, or person
Comparative scale:
One object, concept, or person is compared with another on a scale

16. Attitude Measurement Scales
Rank-order scales use comparative scaling:
Put these fast food chains in order of preference:
McDonald’s
Burger King
Taco Bell
Q-Sorting:
Form of rank ordering using card sorts
Respondents rank X number of items in order from best to worst by putting the cards representing the idea at hand into ranked piles.
The piles with the most cards become the top choices

17. Attitude Measurement Scales
___Coke
Paired comparisons:
___Pepsi
“Which drink do
you prefer:”
___Coke
___Sprite
___Pepsi
___Sprite
What features do you want in a car?
Sun roof ______
Leather seats ______
ABS brakes ______
CD player ______
Total points
Constant sum scale:

18. Attitude Measurement Scales
Semantic differential scale:
Stapel scale:

19. Attitude Measurement Scales
Likert scale:

20. Attitude Measurement Scales
Purchase intent scale:

21. Considerations in Selecting a Scale
Key considerations:
Nature of the construct being measured
Type of scale
Balanced vs. non-balanced scale
Number of scale categories
Forced vs. non-forced

22. Attitude Measure and Decision-Making
Direct questioning
Indirect questioning
Observation

23. Copyright
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