Abstract
Discusses the contradictions and confusion in the literature on determining the optimal number of scale points in a rating scale, and suggests a mathematical model that allows for the simulation of the rating situation. The model involves generating data with different item variance-covariance structures and with different numbers of scale points. Such data were generated and used to calculate 3 reliability measures. The effects of different numbers of scale points and different covariance structures upon these reliability measures are examined, and the results help explain a large number of empirical studies exploring the "optimal number of scale points" problem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 10-13 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Journal of Applied Psychology |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 1975 |
Keywords
- number of scale points, reliability of rating scale determined by mathematical model for simulation of rating situation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Psychology