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This project deals with the socio-linguistic and psychometric
properties of verbal scale point labels (VSPL) used in
rating scales, looking at 5 VSPL types, i.e., words/expressions
for Frequency (e.g.: often, rarely), Intensity (e.g., very,
quite), Probability (e.g., certain, unlikely), Quality (e.g.,
good, poor), Response to statements (e.g., agree, disagree). It
consisted of 3 studies:
[VQS-1] Crafting verbally qualified rating scales - German
language,
[VQS-2] Composing and testing English verbalized rating scales
(conducted in Australia),
[VQS-3] Creating rating scales in Chinese language and analyze
Chinese-English language linkages.
In all three projects, Phase 1 was to create a pool of
words/expressions which have been used or could be used as VSPLs
in rating scales. Out of these, about 100, i.e., 20 per type of
scale, were investigated.
In Phase 2, experiments were conducted to analyze them. In
VSQ-2, in addition to category scaling a magnitude scaling
procedure was utilized. The category scaling tasks included
allocation of words to numbers (WN) and numbers to words (NW);
the magnitude estimations were based on two modalities, numbers (MN)
and lines (ML). In order to check context effects, the
VSPLs were presented in 3 different contexts: as expressions of
Noise annoyance <N> or Job satisfaction <J> or
context-free <C>. Furthermore, the familiarity of the
investigated words/expressions was measured in VSQ-1 and VSQ-2.
Then in Phase 3 the result were used to create verbalized rating
scales.
The final project, VQS-3, was conducted in China, in
collaboration with Prof. Au and Prof. Taylor from the Chinese
University of HongKong. This contained a new mission: In Phase 4
it was explored which Chinese and English words/expressions are
equivalent as rating scale labels. That requested bi-lingual
participants.
The outcomes from the three VQS projects are massive; to
evaluate them requires the comprehension of specific scaling
processes. To see selected results which are relevant for the
construction of rating scales with 5-points in English language,
based on task "NW", click vqs-dat.
For a complete research report of Project VQS-2 click vqs-report.
For a report about the HongKong experiments and findings click vqh-report.
Selected pretest findings applied to noise annoyance research can
be found in Rohrmann, B. (1998), "The use of verbal labels
in noise annoyance scales"; in: Carter, N. (Ed.), Noise as a
public health problem, Sydney: Noise Effects. '98, 523-527. Re
VQS-3, a detailed journal article, "Developing equivalent Chinese
and English scale point labels for rating scales used in survey
research" by W. Au, B. Rohrmann & P. Taylor has been published
2011 in the Asian Journal of Social Psychology (vol 14, 91-111).
In January 2015, an integrating report covering all three projects has been prepared; click vqs-projects.pdf.
Worthwhile extensions of the VQS project include: Replication of VQS-1 and 2 (the German study from 1978 gets still cited and deserves a retests, as does the study about English rating scales); further cross-language investigations (e.g., English-German) would be valuable; and some kinds of languages (Arabic, Slavic) have so far not at all been considered. A further project in Germany is currently under consideration.
Prof. Bernd ROHRMANN
Roman Research Road venture, Melbourne, Victoria 3054,
AUSTRALIA
E-Mail
mail {at} rohrmannspace.net
WebSite http://www.rohrmannresearch.net/
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