How Does the Number of Response Options Impact the Psychometric Properties of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale?

The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale is the most frequently used measure of self-esteem in the social sciences. These items are often administered with a different number of response options, but it is unclear how the number of response options impacts the psychometric properties of this measure. Across three experiments (Ns = 739, 2,358, and 1,461), we evaluated how different response options of the Rosenberg influenced (a) coefficient alpha estimates, (b) distributions of scores, and (c) associations with criterion-related variables. Observed coefficient alpha estimates were lowest for a 2-point format compared with response formats with more options. However, supplemental analyses using ordinal alpha pointed to similar estimates across conditions. Using four or more response options better approximated a normal distribution for observed summary scores. We found no consistent evidence that criterion-related correlations increased with more response options. Collectively, these results suggest that the Rosenberg should be administered with at least four response options and we favor a 5-point Likert-type response format.

Brief Report: Does the Number of Response Options Matter for the BFI-2? Conceptual Replication and Extension

We evaluated how the number of response options affects the psychometric properties of the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2). Using two large samples collected from a market research company (Ns = 893 and 1,213), we tested how different response options of the BFI-2 influenced scale score distributions, internal consistency estimates, convergent validity correlations, and criterion validity correlations. Results suggest that score distributions were impacted by the number of response options such that ceiling and floor effects were more common when using two or three response options than when using more options. Estimates of Cronbach's alpha were generally lower with fewer scale points as compared with more scale points, but these effects disappeared when ordinal alpha was used. There were no systematic effects of response options on convergent validity and criterion validity correlations. Given these results, there seems to be few psychometric reasons for deciding whether to administer personality items with five, six, or seven scale points.

Effects of Response Option Order on Likert-Type Psychometric Properties and Reactions

The effects of different response option orders on survey responses have been studied extensively. The typical research design involves examining the differences in response characteristics between conditions with the same item stems and response option orders that differ in valence-either incrementally arranged (e.g., strongly disagree to strongly agree) or decrementally arranged (e.g., strongly agree to strongly disagree). The present study added two additional experimental conditions-randomly incremental or decremental and completely randomized. All items were presented in an item-by-item format. We also extended previous studies by including an examination of response option order effects on: careless responding, correlations between focal predictors and criteria, and participant reactions, all the while controlling for false discovery rate and focusing on the size of effects. In a sample of 1,198 university students, we found little to no response option order effects on a recognized personality assessment vis-à-vis measurement equivalence, scale mean differences, item-level distributions, or participant reactions. However, the completely randomized response option order condition differed on several careless responding indices suggesting avenues for future research.

Response Styles in the Partial Credit Model

In the modeling of ordinal responses in psychological measurement and survey-based research, response styles that represent specific answering patterns of respondents are typically ignored. One consequence is that estimates of item parameters can be poor and considerably biased. The focus here is on the modeling of a tendency to extreme or middle categories. An extension of the partial credit model is proposed that explicitly accounts for this specific response style. In contrast to existing approaches, which are based on finite mixtures, explicit person-specific response style parameters are introduced. The resulting model can be estimated within the framework of generalized mixed linear models. It is shown that estimates can be seriously biased if the response style is ignored. In applications, it is demonstrated that a tendency to extreme or middle categories is not uncommon. A software tool is developed that makes the model easy to apply.

Examining Perceptions and Attitudes

The purpose of this article is to compare and discuss the use of Likert-type scales and Q-methodology to examine perceptions and attitudes in nursing research. This article provides a brief review of each approach, and how they have been used to advance our knowledge in health-related perceptions and attitudes. Although Likert-type scales are economical, efficient, and easy to analyze, the results can be difficult to interpret or translate into meaningful practice. In contrast, Q-methodology yields holistic and in-depth information on what the prevailing perceptions and attitudes are, but its conduct is logistically challenging and the results' generalizability can be limited. The appropriate uses of either or both approaches to answer different research questions will be discussed. Nurse scientists are called upon to continue our exploration, utilization, and expansion of unique methodologies that directly speak to a meaningful examination of these important constructs in nursing research.