Concept-Scale Polarity Agreement
The design of concept-scale polarity agreement can be: both bipolar, both unipolar, or bipolar concept with a unipolar scale. In practice, even if, theoretically unipolar concepts should be designed using unipolar scales, we also find bipolar scales. For instance, a scale ranging from ‘‘Completely unimportant’’ to‘‘Completely important’’ would be a unipolar concept with a bipolar scale.
Theoretical arguments
- Not distinguishing between unipolar and bipolar leads to misinterpretations; unipolar attributes should not be measured with bipolar scales (Rossiter 2011).*
Empirical evidence on data quality
*DeCastellarnau, A. Qual Quant (2018) 52: 1523. doi: 10.1007/s11135-017-0533-4
- The use of unipolar scales for bipolar concepts is not significantly lowering reliability or increasing validity [True-score MTMM reliability and validity] (Saris and Gallhofer 2007) → NO*
- Differences in the response distributions are clear [Response style through distribution comparison] (van Doorn et al. 1982) → YES*
*DeCastellarnau, A. Qual Quant (2018) 52: 1523. doi: 10.1007/s11135-017-0533-4
References
Rossiter, J.R. (2011). Measurement for the social sciences: The C-OAR-SE method and why it must replace psycometrics. Springer, New York.
Saris, W.E., Gallhofer, I.N. (2007). Design, Evaluation, and Analysis of Questionnaires for Survey Research. Wiley, Hoboken.
van Doorn, L.J., Saris, W.E., Lodge, M. (1982). The measurement of issue-variables: positions of respondents, candidates and parties. In: Middendorp, C.P., Niemöller, B., Saris, W.E. (eds.) Het Tweed Sociometric Congress, pp. 229–250. Dutch Sociometric Society, Amsterdam.
Rossiter, J.R. (2011). Measurement for the social sciences: The C-OAR-SE method and why it must replace psycometrics. Springer, New York.
Saris, W.E., Gallhofer, I.N. (2007). Design, Evaluation, and Analysis of Questionnaires for Survey Research. Wiley, Hoboken.
van Doorn, L.J., Saris, W.E., Lodge, M. (1982). The measurement of issue-variables: positions of respondents, candidates and parties. In: Middendorp, C.P., Niemöller, B., Saris, W.E. (eds.) Het Tweed Sociometric Congress, pp. 229–250. Dutch Sociometric Society, Amsterdam.
