CHAPTER 3

Item Scaling

The first step in collecting unbiased, reliable, and valid survey data is having an unbiased, reliable, and valid survey instrument. The type of scale you use sets the foundation of the survey instrument itself, and often determines the kind of statistical analysis you will conduct.

A scale is defined as a series of item anchors that progress in value or magnitude, which offer some meaningful and quantifiable distinction among responses to a survey question. In other words, a scale is a continuous spectrum or series of categories. The purpose of scaling is to represent—usually quantitatively—an item’s, a person’s, or an ...

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