Chapter 7 Measurement and Scaling McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Chapter 7
Measurement and Scaling
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2013 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
• Understand the role of measurement in
marketing research
• Explain the four basic levels of scales
• Describe scale development and its
importance in gathering primary data
• Discuss comparative and noncomparative
scales
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Value of Measurement in Information
Research
• Precise physical measurement is critical
– Essential to effective decision making
7-3
Overview of the Measurement Process
• Measurement: An integrative process of
determining the intensity (or amount) of
information about constructs, concepts, or
objects
– Consists of two tasks:
• Construct selection/development
• Scale measurement
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What Is a Construct?
• An abstract idea or concept formed in a
person’s mind
– A combination of a number of similar
characteristics of the construct
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Construct Development
• Construct: A hypothetical variable made up of
a set of component responses or behaviors
that are thought to be related
– Construct development: An integrative process in
which researchers determine what specific data
should be collected for solving the defined
research problem
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Exhibit 7.1 - Examples of Concrete Features
and Abstract Constructs of Objects
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Exhibit 7.1 - Examples of Concrete Features and
Abstract Constructs of Objects
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Scale Measurement
• The process of assigning descriptors to
represent the range of possible responses to a
question about a particular object or
construct
– Scale points: Designated degrees of intensity
assigned to the responses in a given questioning
or observation method
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Four Basic Scale Levels
Nominal Scale
• The type of scale in which the questions require respondents to provide only some type of
descriptor as the raw response
Ordinal Scale
• A scale that allows a respondent to express relative magnitude between the answers to a
question
Interval Scale
• A scale that demonstrates absolute differences between each scale point
Ratio Scale
• A scale that allows the researcher not only to identify the absolute differences between
each scale point but also to make comparisons between the responses
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Exhibit 7.2 - Examples of Nominal
Scales
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Exhibit 7.3 - Examples of Ordinal Scales
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Exhibit 7.4 - Examples of Interval
Scales
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Exhibit 7.5 - Examples of Ratio Scales
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Evaluating Measurement Scales
• Scale reliability - Refers to the extent to which
a scale can reproduce the same or similar
measurement results in repeated trials
– Techniques that help scale reliability:
• Test-retest
• Equivalent form
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Evaluating Measurement Scales
• Scale validity - Assesses whether a scale
measures what it is supposed to measure
– Face validity
– Content validity
– Convergent validity
– Discriminant validity
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Criteria for
Scale Development
• Understanding of the questions
• Discriminatory power of scale descriptors
– Discriminatory power: The scale's ability to
discriminate between the categorical scale responses
(points)
•
•
•
•
Balanced versus unbalanced scales
Forced or nonforced choice scales
Negatively worded statements
Desired measure of central tendency and
dispersion
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Exhibit 7.7 - Relationships between Scale Levels and
Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion
7-18
Scales to Measure Attitudes and
Behaviors
• Likert scale: An ordinal scale format that asks
respondents to indicate the extent to which
they agree or disagree with a series of mental
belief or behavioral belief statements about a
given object
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Scales to Measure Attitudes and
Behaviors
• Semantic differential scale: A unique bipolar
ordinal scale format that captures a person's
attitudes or feelings about a given object
– Credibility construct consisting of three
dimensions is used:
• Expertise
• Trustworthiness
• Attractiveness
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Scales to Measure Attitudes and
Behaviors
• Behavioral intention scale: A special type of
rating scale designed to capture the likelihood
that people will demonstrate some type of
predictable behavior intent toward purchasing
an object or service in a future time frame
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Exhibit 7.8 - Construct/Scale
Development Process
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Other Rating Scales
• Noncomparative rating scales: A scale format
that requires a judgment without reference to
another object, person, or concept
• Comparative rating scales: A scale format that
requires a judgment comparing one object,
person, or concept against another on the
scale
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Other Rating Scales
• Graphic rating scales: A scale measure that
uses a scale point format that presents the
respondent with some type of graphic
continuum as the set of possible raw
responses to a given question
• Rank-order scales: These allow respondents
to compare their own responses by indicating
their first, second, third, and fourth
preferences, and so forth
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Other Rating Scales
• Constant-sum scales: Require the respondent
to allocate a given number of points, usually
100, among each separate attribute or feature
relative to all the other listed ones
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Other Scale Measurement Issues
• Single-item scale: A scale format that collects
data about only one attribute of an object or
construct
• Multiple-item scale: A scale format that
simultaneously collects data on several
attributes of an object or construct
– Clear wording
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Marketing Research in Action:
What Can You Learn from a Customer Loyalty Index?
• What level of scale design would be most
appropriate in creating necessary scale
measurements for collecting primary data on
each construct?
• For each construct, design an example of the
actual scale measurement that could be used
to collect the data.
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Marketing Research in Action:
What Can You Learn from a Customer Loyalty Index?
• What weaknesses exist in how Burke assesses
its Secure Customer Index?
– Make sure to clearly identify each weakness and
explain why it is a weakness.
• What types of scale measurement would you
have used to collect the needed data for
calculating SCI®?
– Why? Write some scale measurements you would
use.
7-28
Marketing Research in Action:
What Can You Learn from a Customer Loyalty Index?
• What level of scale design would be the most
appropriate in creating the necessary scale
measurements for collecting primary data on
each construct?
• For each construct, design an example of the
actual scale measurement that could be used
by Burke, Inc., to collect the data.
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Marketing Research in Action:
What Can You Learn from a Customer Loyalty Index?
• If you were the lead researcher, what types of
scale measurement would you have used to
collect the needed data for calculating SCI®?
– Why?
– Write some scale measurements you would
use.
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