Kloft M, Snijder JP, Heck DW. Measuring the variability of personality traits with interval responses: Psychometric properties of the dual-range slider response format : Measuring variability with interval responses.
Behav Res Methods 2024:10.3758/s13428-024-02394-4. [PMID:
38609729 DOI:
10.3758/s13428-024-02394-4]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Measuring the variability in persons' behaviors and experiences using ecological momentary assessment is time-consuming and costly. We investigate whether interval responses provided through a dual-range slider (DRS) response format can be used as a simple and efficient alternative: Respondents indicate variability in their behavior in a retrospective rating by choosing a lower and an upper bound on a continuous, bounded scale. We investigate the psychometric properties of this response format as a prerequisite for further validation. First, we assess the test-retest reliability of factor-score estimates for the width of DRS intervals. Second, we test whether factor-score estimates of the visual analog scale (VAS) and the location of DRS intervals show convergent validity. Third, we investigate whether factor-score estimates for the DRS are uncorrelated between different personality scales. We present a longitudinal multitrait-multimethod study using two personality scales (Extraversion, Conscientiousness) and two response formats (VAS, DRS) at two measurement occasions (6-8 weeks apart) for which we estimate factor-score correlations in a joint item response theory model. The test-retest reliability of the width of DRS intervals was high (ρ ^ ≥ . 73 ). Also, convergent validity between location scores of VAS and DRS was high (ρ ^ ≥ . 88 ). Conversely, discriminant validity of the width of DRS intervals between Extraversion and Conscientiousness was poor (ρ ^ ≥ . 94 ). In conclusion, the DRS seems to be a reliable response format that could be used to measure the central tendency of a trait equivalently to the VAS. However, it might not be well suited for measuring intra-individual variability in personality traits.
Collapse