Chapter 7

Measurement and Scaling

Copyright © 2013 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill/Irwin

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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

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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 LevelsNominal 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

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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.

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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.