Chapter 7 Measurement and Scaling Mc GrawHillIrwin Copyright

Chapter 7 Measurement and Scaling Mc. Graw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2013 by The Mc. Graw-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 7 -2

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 7 -4

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 7 -5

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 7 -6

Exhibit 7. 1 - Examples of Concrete Features and Abstract Constructs of Objects 7 -7

Exhibit 7. 1 - Examples of Concrete Features and Abstract Constructs of Objects 7 -8

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 7 -9

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 7 -10

Exhibit 7. 2 - Examples of Nominal Scales 7 -11

Exhibit 7. 3 - Examples of Ordinal Scales 7 -12

Exhibit 7. 4 - Examples of Interval Scales 7 -13

Exhibit 7. 5 - Examples of Ratio Scales 7 -14

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 7 -15

Evaluating Measurement Scales • Scale validity - Assesses whether a scale measures what it is supposed to measure – Face validity – Content validity – Convergent validity – Discriminant validity 7 -16

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 7 -17

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 7 -19

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 7 -20

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 7 -21

Exhibit 7. 8 - Construct/Scale Development Process 7 -22

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 7 -23

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 7 -24

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 7 -25

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 7 -26

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. 7 -27

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. 7 -29

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. 7 -30