Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 108-123 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Social science computer review |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 18 Feb 2020 |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2022 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
In social science research, unipolar and bipolar scales are commonly used methods in measuring respondents’ attitudes and opinions. Compared to other rating scale characteristics, scale polarity (unipolar and bipolar) and its effects on response behavior have rarely been addressed in previous research. To fill this gap in the literature, we investigate whether and to what extent fully verbalized unipolar and bipolar scales influence response behavior by analyzing observed and latent response distributions and latent thresholds of response categories. For this purpose, we conducted a survey experiment in a probability-based online panel and randomly assigned respondents to a unipolar or bipolar scale condition. The results reveal substantial differences between the two rating scales. They show significantly different response distributions and measurement non-invariance. In addition, response categories (and latent thresholds) of unipolar and bipolar scales are not equally distributed. The findings show that responses to unipolar and bipolar scales differ not only on the observational level but also on the latent level. Both rating scales vary with respect to their measurement properties, so that the responses obtained using each scale are not easily comparable. We recommend not considering unipolar and bipolar scales as interchangeable.
Keywords
- item response theory, latent thresholds, measurement invariance, online survey, rating scales, scale polarity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Sciences(all)
- Computer Science(all)
- Computer Science Applications
- Social Sciences(all)
- Library and Information Sciences
- Social Sciences(all)
- Law
Cite this
- Standard
- Harvard
- Apa
- Vancouver
- BibTeX
- RIS
In: Social science computer review, Vol. 40, No. 1, 02.2022, p. 108-123.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Measuring Income (In)equality
T2 - Comparing Survey Questions With Unipolar and Bipolar Scales in a Probability-Based Online Panel
AU - Höhne, Jan Karem
AU - Krebs, Dagmar
AU - Kühnel, Steffen M.
N1 - Funding Information: The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: We acknowledge financial support by the German Science Foundation through the Collaborative Research Center 884 “Political Economy of Reforms” at the University of Mannheim (Germany).
PY - 2022/2
Y1 - 2022/2
N2 - In social science research, unipolar and bipolar scales are commonly used methods in measuring respondents’ attitudes and opinions. Compared to other rating scale characteristics, scale polarity (unipolar and bipolar) and its effects on response behavior have rarely been addressed in previous research. To fill this gap in the literature, we investigate whether and to what extent fully verbalized unipolar and bipolar scales influence response behavior by analyzing observed and latent response distributions and latent thresholds of response categories. For this purpose, we conducted a survey experiment in a probability-based online panel and randomly assigned respondents to a unipolar or bipolar scale condition. The results reveal substantial differences between the two rating scales. They show significantly different response distributions and measurement non-invariance. In addition, response categories (and latent thresholds) of unipolar and bipolar scales are not equally distributed. The findings show that responses to unipolar and bipolar scales differ not only on the observational level but also on the latent level. Both rating scales vary with respect to their measurement properties, so that the responses obtained using each scale are not easily comparable. We recommend not considering unipolar and bipolar scales as interchangeable.
AB - In social science research, unipolar and bipolar scales are commonly used methods in measuring respondents’ attitudes and opinions. Compared to other rating scale characteristics, scale polarity (unipolar and bipolar) and its effects on response behavior have rarely been addressed in previous research. To fill this gap in the literature, we investigate whether and to what extent fully verbalized unipolar and bipolar scales influence response behavior by analyzing observed and latent response distributions and latent thresholds of response categories. For this purpose, we conducted a survey experiment in a probability-based online panel and randomly assigned respondents to a unipolar or bipolar scale condition. The results reveal substantial differences between the two rating scales. They show significantly different response distributions and measurement non-invariance. In addition, response categories (and latent thresholds) of unipolar and bipolar scales are not equally distributed. The findings show that responses to unipolar and bipolar scales differ not only on the observational level but also on the latent level. Both rating scales vary with respect to their measurement properties, so that the responses obtained using each scale are not easily comparable. We recommend not considering unipolar and bipolar scales as interchangeable.
KW - item response theory
KW - latent thresholds
KW - measurement invariance
KW - online survey
KW - rating scales
KW - scale polarity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85081597577&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0894439320902461
DO - 10.1177/0894439320902461
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85081597577
VL - 40
SP - 108
EP - 123
JO - Social science computer review
JF - Social science computer review
SN - 0894-4393
IS - 1
ER -