ATTITUDE RATING SCALES

Measuring Attitudes
Ranking Rating Sorting Choice

The Attitude Measuring Process

Ranking - Rank order preference Rating - Estimates magnitude of a characteristic Sorting - Arrange or classify concepts Choice - Selection of preferred alternative

 Ranking A listing of items in a group, such as schools or sports teams, according to a system of rating or a record of performance. Rating asks the respondent to estimate the magnitude of a characteristic, or quality, that an object possesses. The respondents position on a scale(s) is where he or she would rate an object.
Sorting might present the respondent with several concepts typed on cards and require that the respondent arrange the cards into a number of piles or otherwise classify the concepts. Choice between two or more alternatives is another type of attitude measurement - it is assumed that the chosen object is preferred 4 over K. DEEPTHI the other.

INTRODUCTION
Rating scale is an important technique of evaluation. Rating is the assessments of a person by another person. This is one of the oldest methods of personality assessment. There are certain general approaches to assess personality like holistic or overall approach, projective test approach and trait approach. In this rating scales and inventories come under the trait approach.
5

DEFINITIONS
Barr & others define rating as: Rating is a term applied to expression of opinion or judgments regarding some situation, object or character. Opinions are usually expressed on a scale of values. Rating techniques are devices by which such judgments may be quantified. A rating scale is a device by which the opinion concerning a trait can be systematized
6

Classification of attitude scales

Attitude Scales

Single-Item Scales

Continuous Scales

Multi-Item Scales

Itemized Category Scales Rank-Order Scales

Comparativ e Scales

Semantic Differential Scales Likert Scales Stapel Scales

 Single item scales are those with which only one

The following are the important single item scales: item is measured.

SINGLE ITEM SCALE

a) Itemised Category Scales:

They have a number of brief descriptions associatedwith each category. They take the form of multiple category questions. Are those in which respondents have to select an answer from a limited number of ordered categories Eg. A hotel customer is asked to indicate the level of satisfaction for the service provided
Highly Satisfied Considerably Satisfied Reasonably Satisfied Unsatisfied Highly Unsatisfied
8

b) Rank Order Scales :

They are comparative scales where respondents are asked to rate an item in comparison with another item or a group of items on a common criterion. Example: Rank order scale for analysing Motor Cycles

Rank the brands with 1 being the brand that best meets the characteristics , being the worst of the characteristics
9

c) Comparative Scales :
The Researcher provides a point of comparison for respondents to provide answers. Therefore, all respondents will have a uniform point of comparison for selecting answers. Example: Respondent is asked to rate the sweet shop X in comparison to sweet shop Y in Kochi:

Excellent

Very Good

Good

Both are same

Poor

Very poor
10

Is a measurement scale where the respondents rate the object by placing a mark at the appropriate position on a line that runs from one extreme of the criterion variable to another. EXAMPLE:
How do you rate quality of any brand of ice-cream at a departmental store Version1: Probably ____________________________________Probably the worst the best Version2: Probably ____________________________________Probably the worst 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100the best Version3: Probably ___________________________________Probably the worst 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100the best bad very bad neither very bad good nor bad

GRAPHIC RATING SCALE/ CONTINUOUS SCALE

11

Multi-Item Scales
LIKERT SCALE: Named after its developer Rensis Likert. A measurement scale with five response categories ranging from Strongly disagree to Strongly agree Format:
Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree

12

13

14

SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL SCALE

Semantic Differential Scale This is a seven point scale and the end points of the scale are associated with bipolar labels. Suppose we want to know personality of a particular person. We have options1.Unpleasant/Submissive 2.Pleasant/Dominant Bi-polar means two opposite streams. Individual can score between 1 to 7 or -3 to 3. On the basis of these responses profiles are made. We can analyse for two or three products and by joining these profiles we get profile analysis. It could take any shape depending on the number of variables.
15

1 Unpleasant Submissive

7 Pleasant Dominant

16

17

K. DEEPTHI

18

Stapel Scale
It was developed by Jan Stapel. This scale has some distinctive features:1.Each item has only one word/phrase indicating the dimension it represents. 2.Each item has ten response categories. 3.Each item has an even number of categories. 4.The response categories have numerical labels but no verbal labels.
19

For example, in the following items, suppose for quality of ice cream, we ask respondents to rank from +5 to -5. Select a plus number for words which best describe the ice cream accurately. Select a minus number for words you think do not describe the ice cream quality accurately. Thus, we can select any number from +5,for words we think are very accurate, to -5,for words we think are very inaccurate. This scale is usually presented vertically. +5 +4 +3 +2 +1 High Quality -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 20 This is a unipolar rating scale.

Balanced and Unbalanced Scales

Zoo park is a good for children

Extremely good Very good Good Bad Very bad Extremely bad

Zoo park is a good for children

Extremely good Very good Good Somewhat good Bad Very bad
21

Scale

Basic Characteristics Continuous Place a mark on a continuous line Rating Scale Itemized Rating Scales

Examples

Advantages

Disadvantages

Reaction to TV Easy to construct Scoring can be commercials cumbersome unless computerized

Measurement Likert Scale Degrees of agreement on a 1 of attitudes (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) scale

Easy to construct, More administer, and time-consuming understand

Seven-point scale Brand, product, Versatile Semantic Differential with bipolar labels and company images

Controversy as to whether the data are interval

Stapel Scale Unipolar ten-point Measurement Easy to construct, Confusing and scale, -5 to +5, of attitudes and administer over difficult to apply without a neutral images telephone point (zero)