ATTITUDE MEASUREMENT

AND SCALING

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 MEASUREMENT AND SCALING

 Measurement: The term ‘measurement’ means assigning

numbers or some other symbols to the characteristics of
certain objects. When numbers are used, the researcher must
have a rule for assigning a number to an observation in a way
that provides an accurate description.

 Scaling: Scaling is an extension of measurement. Scaling

involves creating a continuum on which measurements on
objects are located.

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 T YPES OF MEASUREMENT SCALES

Nominal scale: This is the lowest level of measurement. Here,

numbers are assigned for the purpose of identification of the
objects. Any object which is assigned a higher number is in no way
superior to the one which is assigned a lower number.

Example:
• Do you have your own house?
(a) Yes (b) No

The assigned numbers cannot be added, subtracted, multiplied

or divided. The only arithmetic operations that can be carried out
are the count of each category. Therefore, a frequency
distribution table can be prepared for the nominal scale
variables and mode of the distribution can be worked out.

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 NOMINAL SCALE - BIFURCATIONS

 Nominal scale is also called a dichotomous scale. It offers

two mutually exclusive response choices. In the example
shown in the slide, the response choices are yes and no, but
they could be other response choices too such as agree and
disagree.

Do you own a car?

❑Yes
❑No

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 NOMINAL SCALE - BIFURCATIONS

1 . Nominal scale is also called a category scale. It uses

multiple items to elicit a single response.

In which department do you work with?

Marketing
Finance
Production
HR

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 T YPES OF MEASUREMENT SCALES

2. Ordinal scale

 This is the next higher level of measurement than the nominal

scale measurement
 One of the limitations of the nominal scale is that it can not
be said whether the assigned number to an object is higher or
lower than the one assigned to another option
 An ordinal scale measurement tells whether an object has
more or less of characteristics than some other objects

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 ORDINAL SCALE

Example:
 Rank the following attributes while choosing a restaurant for
dinner. The most important attribute may be ranked one, the
next important may be assigned a rank of 2 and so on.

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 T YPES OF MEASUREMENT SCALES

3. Interval scale:
 The interval scale measurement is the next higher level of
measurement.
 It takes care of the limitation of the ordinal scale
measurement where the difference between the score on the
ordinal scale does not have any meaningful interpretation.
 In the interval scale the difference of the score on the scale
has meaningful interpretation.
 It is assumed that the respondent is able to answer the
questions on a continuum scale.

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 T YPES OF MEASUREMENT SCALES

4. Ratio scale
 This is the highest level of measurement and takes care of the
limitations of the interval scale measurement, where the ratio
of the measurements on the scale does not have a
meaningful interpretation.

 A scale of measurement of data having a fixed zero value,

which permits the quantitative comparison of dif ferences of
values

How many students are there in MBA branch?

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 ATTITUDE COMPONENT

 Cognitive component: Represents an individuals information

and knowledge about an object

 Affective component : It summarizes a persons overall feeling

or emotions towards the object

 Behavioural component : It reflects a predisposition to an

action by reflecting the consumers buying or purchase
intention

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 ATTITUDE SCALES

 Single item scale : There is only one item to measure

 Multiple item scale : There are many items that play a role in
forming the underlying construct that the researcher is trying
to measure

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 COMPARATIVE SCALE

Comparative scales
 Involve the direct comparison of stimulus objects
 Comparative scale data must be interpreted in relative terms
 In comparative scales it is assumed that respondents make
use of a standard frame of reference before answering the
question

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
EXAMPLE

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 PAIRED COMPARISON

 This is especially challenging if choices are quite dif ferent

from one another
 Paired Comparison Analysis helps to work out the relative
importance of a number of dif ferent options

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
PAIRED COMPARISON- EXAMPLE

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 RANKING ORDER SCALE

 Despondence are asked to rank the preference

Soft Drinks Rank

Pepsi
Coke
Sprite
Limca
Mirinda

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 CONSTANT SUM SCALE

 The respondents are here asked to distribute a given

number of points across various items

Soft Drinks Points

Pepsi
Coke
Sprite
Limca
Mirinda

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 NON COMPARATIVE SCALE

 Non comparative scales, each object is scaled independently

of the others in the stimulus set.

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 GRAPHIC RATING SCALE

 This is a continuous scale in which the respondent is asked to

tick the preference on a graph

Alternative Presentation of Graphic Rating Scale –

Please indicate how much do you like fast food by pointing
to the face that best shows your attitude and taste. If you
do not prefer it at all, you would point to face one. In case
you prefer it the most, you would point to face seven.

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 ITEMIZED RATING SCALE

 In this scale the respondents are provided with a scale that

has a number of brief description associated with each of the
response categories

 Number of categories used

 Balanced versus unbalanced scale

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 LIKERT SCALE
Is designed to examine how strongly subjects agree or disagree with statements
on a 5-point scale

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 SEMANTIC SCALE

 The respondent is required to rate each attitude object on a

number of five or seven point rating scales

 This scale is widely used to compare the images of competing

brands, companies or services.

 Here the respondent is required to rate each attitude or object

on a number of five-or seven-point rating scales.

 This scale is bounded at each end by bipolar adjectives or

phrases.

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
SEMANTIC SCALE

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
SEMANTIC SCALE

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 STAPLE SCALE

 It is used to measure the direction and intensity of an attitude

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 MEASUREMENT ERROR

This occurs when the observed measurement on a construct or

concept deviates from its true values.

Reasons

 Mood, fatigue and health of the respondent

 Variations in the environment in which measurements are

taken

 A respondent may not understand the question being asked

and the interviewer may have to rephrase the same. While
rephrasing the question the interviewer’s bias may get into
the responses.

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 CRITERIA FOR GOOD MEASUREMENT

Reliability
Reliability is concerned with consistency, accuracy and
predictability of the scale.

Methods to measures Reliability

 Cronbach’s Alpha for reliability and conisstency

By:Prof. P.K.Shah
 CRITERIA FOR GOOD MEASUREMENT

Validity

The validity of a scale refers to the question whether we are

measuring what we want to measure.

Dif ferent ways to measure Validity

 Content validity - subjective judgment

 Concurrent validity – concurrent judgment

 Predictive validity – ability of the measured phenomena at

one point of time to predict another phenomenon at a future
point of time

By:Prof. P.K.Shah