Scale Development: Theory and Applications(Applied Social Research Methods)

Scale Development: Theory and Applications, by Robert F. DeVellis and new co-author Carolyn T. Thorpe, demystifies measurement by emphasizing a logical rather than strictly mathematical understanding of concepts. The Fifth Edition includes a new chapter that lays out the key concepts that distinguish indices from scales, contrasts various types of indices, suggests approaches for developing them, reviews validity and reliability issues, and discusses in broad terms some analytic approaches. All chapters have been updated, and the book strikes a balance between including relevant topics and highlighting recent developments in measurement while retaining an accessible, user-friendly approach to the material covered.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors Chapter 1 • Overview General Perspectives on Measurement Historical Origins of Measurement in Social  Science Later Developments in Measurement The Role of Measurement in the Social Sciences Summary and Preview Exercises Chapter 2 • Understanding the Latent Variable Constructs Versus Measures Latent Variable as the Presumed Cause of Scale Item Values Path Diagrams Further Elaboration of the Measurement  Model Parallel Tests Alternative Models Choosing a Causal Model Exercises Note Chapter 3 • Scale Reliability Methods Based on the Analysis of Variance Continuous Versus Dichotomous Items Internal Consistency Coefficient Alpha Remedies to Alpha’s Limitations Coefficient Omega (?) Reliability Based on Correlations Between Scale Scores Reliability and Statistical Power Generalizability Theory Summary Exercises Notes Chapter 4 • Scale Validity Content Validity Criterion-Related Validity Construct Validity What About Face Validity? Exercises Chapter 5 • Guidelines in Scale Development Step 1: Determine Clearly What It Is You Want to Measure Step 2: Generate an Item Pool Step 3: Determine the Format for Measurement Step 4: Have Initial Item Pool Reviewed by  Experts Step 5: Cognitive Interviewing Step 6: Consider Inclusion of Validation  Items Step 7: Administer Items to a Development  Sample Step 8: Evaluate the Items Step 9: Optimize Scale Length Exercises Note Chapter 6 • Factor Analysis Overview of Factor Analysis Conceptual Description of Factor Analysis Bifactor and Hierarchical Factor Models Interpreting Factors Principal Components Versus Common  Factors Confirmatory Factor Analysis Using Factor Analysis in Scale Development Sample Size Conclusion Exercises Chapter 7 • The Index How an Index Differs From a Scale Rules of Thumb for Differentiating an Index From a Scale Is It a Scale or an Index? Formal Methods for Distinguishing Effect and Causal Indicators Steps in Developing and Evaluating an  Index Hybrid Measures Methods Based on Structural Equation Modeling Criticisms of Index Composites Exercises Note Chapter 8 • An Overview of Item Response Theory Item Difficulty Item Discrimination Guessing, or False Positives Item-Characteristic Curves IRT Applied to Multiresponse Items Exercises Chapter 9 • Measurement in the Broader Research Context Before Scale Development After Scale Administration Final Thoughts Exercise References

About the Author :
Robert F. DeVellis is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Health Behavior (Gillings School of Global Public Health) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. DeVellis has more than 40 years of experience in the measurement of psychological and social variables. He served as the first domain chair for Social Outcomes of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) consortium, a multisite National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap initiative directed at identifying, modifying, testing, and disseminating outcome measures for use by NIH investigators. He has served on the Board of Directors for the American Psychological Association’s Division of Health Psychology (38), on the Arthritis Foundation’s Clinical/Outcomes/Therapeutics Research Study Section, and on the Advisory Board of the Veterans Affairs Measurement Excellence Initiative. He is the recipient of the 2005 Distinguished Scholar Award from the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals and is an associate editor of Arthritis Care and Research. In addition, he has served as guest editor, guest associate editor, or reviewer for more than two dozen other journals. He has served as principal investigator or co-investigator since the early 1980s on a series of research projects funded by the federal government and private foundations. Carolyn T. Thorpe, PhD, MPH, is a tenured Associate Professor in the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy at the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She holds a joint appointment as a Research Health Scientist and Core Investigator in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Pittsburgh Healthcare System’s Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), and serves as Co-Director of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs Postdoctoral Pharmacy Fellowship in Medication Safety and Pharmacy Outcomes. She has served on study sections for the National Institutes of Health and Department of Veterans Affairs, as an Associate Editor for the journal Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, and as a reviewer for a diverse range of peer-reviewed journals at the intersection of public health, medicine, and social science. Over the past two decades, Dr. Thorpe has led a federally-funded research program that aims to improve the health of older adults managing complex chronic conditions and has published over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts. Her research interests lie in measuring and examining psychological, social, and behavioral factors related to the safe and appropriate use of medications in older adults, and she has specific expertise in developing and evaluating measures of patient illness self-management behavior and medication nonadherence. She enjoys teaching principles of study design and measurement to professional pharmacy and graduate students and serving as an active research mentor of trainees at all levels.