Optimal Number of Questionnaire Response Categories
Two multi-instrument investigations in a university clinic/lab provided an opportunity to explore the impact of reducing the number of response alternatives in a scale measuring vocational personality traits. In a simulation study, a standard computer-based administration provided a numeric scale fo...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2013-05-01
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| Series: | SAGE Open |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244013489691 |
| _version_ | 1828162644942520320 |
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| author | W. Paul Jones Scott A. Loe |
| author_facet | W. Paul Jones Scott A. Loe |
| author_sort | W. Paul Jones |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Two multi-instrument investigations in a university clinic/lab provided an opportunity to explore the impact of reducing the number of response alternatives in a scale measuring vocational personality traits. In a simulation study, a standard computer-based administration provided a numeric scale for each item ranging from 0 to 10. The tests were then rescored to simulate the effect of only three choices. For the follow-up study, two versions of the scale were created, one with two response options and the other with six response options, and were randomly assigned to participants. Typical relationships were evident between the vocational personality traits and scores on standard measures of core personality traits with negligible impact from reducing the number of response alternatives. Neither the ability of the participants nor the self-reported distress had a measurable impact on the utility of the results with the reduction in response alternatives. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:58:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1801c50d855d4e4a87e40ea869a8d7bb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2158-2440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:58:36Z |
| publishDate | 2013-05-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SAGE Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-1801c50d855d4e4a87e40ea869a8d7bb2022-12-22T03:54:33ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open2158-24402013-05-01310.1177/215824401348969110.1177_2158244013489691Optimal Number of Questionnaire Response CategoriesW. Paul Jones0Scott A. Loe1 University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USATwo multi-instrument investigations in a university clinic/lab provided an opportunity to explore the impact of reducing the number of response alternatives in a scale measuring vocational personality traits. In a simulation study, a standard computer-based administration provided a numeric scale for each item ranging from 0 to 10. The tests were then rescored to simulate the effect of only three choices. For the follow-up study, two versions of the scale were created, one with two response options and the other with six response options, and were randomly assigned to participants. Typical relationships were evident between the vocational personality traits and scores on standard measures of core personality traits with negligible impact from reducing the number of response alternatives. Neither the ability of the participants nor the self-reported distress had a measurable impact on the utility of the results with the reduction in response alternatives.https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244013489691 |
| spellingShingle | W. Paul Jones Scott A. Loe Optimal Number of Questionnaire Response Categories SAGE Open |
| title | Optimal Number of Questionnaire Response Categories |
| title_full | Optimal Number of Questionnaire Response Categories |
| title_fullStr | Optimal Number of Questionnaire Response Categories |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimal Number of Questionnaire Response Categories |
| title_short | Optimal Number of Questionnaire Response Categories |
| title_sort | optimal number of questionnaire response categories |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244013489691 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wpauljones optimalnumberofquestionnaireresponsecategories AT scottaloe optimalnumberofquestionnaireresponsecategories |