Compose Items and Response Scales

Week 3 Assignment: Compose Items and Response Scales

Activity Description

For this task, complete the readings for this week; and then, write a paper in which you answer the following questions and complete the following assignments:

1. Determine the major issues that must be addressed in item construction.
2. Discuss the general types of response scales used in measuring a construct and provide brief examples for each.
3. Indicate a more appropriate response scale that your instrument could use. Justify your use of the response scale.
4. Construct three sample items (even without the benefit of SMEs or a focus-grouped discussion) that represent your construct of choice. Include an appropriate response scale.
5. Use Rauthmann’s proposed item format taxonomy to analyze your partially-constructed three-item scale (i.e., point of reference, general item format, construct indicator, and conditionality).

Length: 5 pages, not including title and reference pages

Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.

Learning Outcomes

3.0   Select methods used in the creation of items that measure psychological constructs.

4.0   Appraise different approaches to establishing item and instrument reliability.

Assuming that you already have a good grasp of the construct that you intend to make a scale on, the next steps involve item construction and face validation. Some test developers would first gather a group of 7-12 individuals who have personal experience with the chosen construct. A focused-group discussion (FGD) may then be conducted in order to get a general idea about what items to generate. Other test developers on the other hand prefer to brainstorm among other professionals and subject matter experts (SMEs) and generate the items from the established and well-defined parameters of the construct. This happens when the construct has pretty much been universally agreed upon and well-defined such as a particular diagnostic category in the DSM-5 where the set of items can be immediately composed based on the pre-set diagnostic criteria in the manual.

Be sure to review this week’s resources carefully. You are expected to apply the information from these resources when you prepare your assignments.