Scaling Procedures: Issues and Applications

Effective measurement is a cornerstone of scientific research. Yet many social science researchers lack the tools to develop appropriate assessment instruments for the measurement of latent social-psychological constructs. Scaling Procedures: Issues and Applications examines the issues involved in developing and validating multi-item self-report scales of latent constructs. Distinguished researchers and award-winning educators Richard G. Netemeyer, William O. Bearden, and Subhash Sharma present a four-step approach for multi-indicator scale development. With these steps, the authors include relevant empirical examples and a review of the concepts of dimensionality, reliability, and validity. Interdisciplinary in application, this reader-friendly handbook includes A discussion of measurement in the social sciences and the importance of theory in scale development Techniques for assessing dimensionality of constructs An overview of reliability and validity models, theory, and criteria Suggestions for generating and judging measurement items Recommended procedures for designing and conducting studies to develop the scale Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) for finalizing the scale Scaling Procedures: Issues and Applications supplies cutting-edge strategies for developing and refining measures. Providing concise chapter introductions and summaries, as well as numerous tables, figures, and exhibits, the authors present recommended steps and overlapping activities in a logical, sequential progression. Designed for graduate students in measurement/psychometrics, structural equation modeling, and survey research seminars across the social science disciplines, Scaling Procedures: Issues and Applications also addresses the needs of researchers and academics in all business, psychology, and sociology-related disciplines.

Table of Contents:
About the Authors Chapter One: Introduction and Overview Purpose of the Book. Perspectives on Measurement in the Social Sciences. Latent Constructs Overview of dimensionality, reliability, and validity Overview of recommended procedures and steps in scale development. Chapter Two: Dimensionality Introduction. Dimensionality of construct, items, and a set of items. Does uni-dimensionality of a set of items imply uni-dimensionality of items or construct? Relevance of uni-dimensionality. How to assess dimensionality of constructs. Chapter Three: Reliability Introduction The true-score model Coefficient alpha Generalizability Theory Chapter Four: Validity Overview of Construct Validity Translation validity Criterion validity Convergent and discriminant validity Known-group validity Nomological validity Chapter Five: Steps 1 and 2: Construct Definition and Generating and Judging Measurement items Chapter 5: Steps 1 and 2: Construct Definition and Judging Measurement Items Introduction Step 1: Construct definition and content domain Step 2: Generating and judging measurement items Applications of Steps 1 and 2. Chapter Six: Step 3: Designing and Conducting Studies to Develop the Scale Introduction Pilot testing Conducting multiple studies for initial development and validation Initial item analyses: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) Initial item and reliability analyses A final caveat EFA and item and reliability analyses examples from the literature Chapter 7: Step 4: Finalizing the Scale Introduction EFA and additional item analyses Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) Additional evaluations of validity Establishing norms Applying generalizability theory Chapter Eight: Concluding Remarks Index

About the Author :
Richard G. Netemeyer is the Ralph E. Beeton Professor of Free Enterprise in the Marketing Division and Senior Associate Dean at the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. He received his Ph.D. in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing from the University of South Carolina in 1986. He was a member of the Marketing faculty at the E. J. Ourso School of Business at Louisiana State University from 1986 to 2001. In 2001, he joined the McIntire School of Commerce. Professor Netemeyer’s research has appeared in the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Applied Psychology, OBHDP, Marketing Science, American Journal of Psychiatry, American Journal of Public Health, and others. He is a co-author of two textbooks pertaining to measurement and psychometrics, and is a member of the editorial review boards of Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, and the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. William O. Bearden is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus and former Bank of America Chaired Professor of Marketing at the University of South Carolina. He is currently on the editorial review boards of JCR, JMR, JM, and JCP. He served as an Associate Editor for JCR during 1999-2002. Professor Bearden has received both the University Amoco Teaching Award, that is presented annually to one faculty member, and the University Mungo Award for Teaching Excellence. He has twice has been awarded the Moore School of Business Teacher of the Year Award and recognized as a faculty initiate in Mortar Board, ODK, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Golden Key, and received the 2004 University Educational Foundation Research Award for Professional Schools and the 2005 University Trustee Professorship Award. Professor Bearden serves as the University SEC Faculty Athletic Representative and received the first Distinguished Service Award from the Journal of Consumer Research in 2006. His research interests include consumer behavior, marketing research, pricing, and the evaluation of promotions. He was faculty co-director for the University Lilly Teaching Fellows Program from 1992-1995. Bill has published over twenty-five articles in the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of Marketing, and the Journal of Consumer Research, as well as having a number of other publications. He has coauthored Marketing Principles and Perspectives, 5th Edition, 2006, Irwin/McGraw-Hill, Inc. Dr. Subhash Sharma is James F. Kane Professor of Marketing, Marketing Department, Darla Moore School of Business, the University of South Carolina. Professor Sharma's research interests include Marketing strategy, structural equation modeling, data mining, customer relationship management, marketing-operations interface, and global marketing strategies.

Review :
"I recommend this book to any researcher (graduate student, academic, social scientist) who is considering developing a summated rating scale. For those who are already sophisticated in psychometrics and data analysis (factor analysis and generalizability theory analysis), the book provides a clear outline of what needs to be done."