That might be true Paul, but using a biased scale is not the solution. The
solution is to add to the number of categories on the scale for finer
discrimination.
Cheers,
Burke
On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 6:04 PM, Swank, Paul R <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> The purpose is to spread people out on a continuum. If all the responses
> are occurring in just a few categories, then the balanced scale fails. This
> has been a known problem in the scaling literature for years. In bff
> balanced scales make good sense when a substantial number of the responses
> are on the positive side of the scale.
>
> Paul Swank
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Apr 29, 2015, at 5:50 PM, William Pendleton <[log in to unmask]<mailto:
> [log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>
> Exactly. If the purpose is to equalize the numbers in each grouping, the
> question is a bad one That end can be done in coding. Using the unbalanced
> form that would seem to decrease the number of unfavorable responses to
> force that end strikes me as poor design.
>
> On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 6:17 PM, Swank, Paul R <[log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> The problem with many balanced scales is that when evaluating events or
> people or objects raters tend to stick to the positive end of the scale.
> This is a particular bias in raters, especially untrained ones. When 70% or
> more of the responses are on a positive end then differentiation suffers.
> There are 2 ways to deal with this, either expand the scale to more levels,
> which may just give you a large number of levels not endorsed (the negative
> ones), or make the scale unbalanced. The latter method is more efficient.
> And by spreading out so many positive responses across more levels, better
> differentiation is achieved.
>
> Paul Swank, Professor
> Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences
> School of Public Health
> University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Apr 29, 2015, at 4:55 PM, Burke Johnson <[log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]><mailto:[log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>> wrote:
>
> Question for research and measurement experts,
>
> Are any of you concerned about the unbalanced 4-point rating scale being
> used by the AERA to evaluate the recent annual conference? Here is the
> unbalanced scale they are using:
>
> 1=dissatisfied
> 2=somewhat satisfied
> 3=satisfied
> 4=very satisfied.
>
> It seems pretty convenient and unfair to have 3 of 4 responses indicating
> satisfaction and only one indicating dissatisfaction in my professional
> opinion.
>
> I informed the Executive Director of the AERA about this problem two years
> ago and she did not make a change to a recommended scale.
>
> I had recommended that they use one of the two following scales:
>
> 1=Very dissatisfied
> 2=Somewhat dissatisfied
> 3=Somewhat satisfied
> 4=Very satisfied
>
> or
>
> 1=Very dissatisfied
> 2=Somewhat dissatisfied
> 3=Neutral
> 4=Somewhat satisfied
> 5=Very satisfied
>
> If you agree with me about this scaling problem, do you have any
> suggestions about how to get the AERA to change their scale?
>
> Cheers,
> Burke Johnson
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