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Comparative and Non-Comparative Scales

This document discusses different techniques for scaling and measuring attitudes in marketing research. It describes four levels of measurement and compares comparative scales like paired comparison, rank order, constant sum, and Q-sort scales to non-comparative scales like continuous rating and itemized rating scales. Specific itemized rating scales discussed include the Likert scale, semantic differential scale, and Stapel scale. Factors to consider when selecting a scaling technique are also outlined.

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sanjay reddy
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8K views

Comparative and Non-Comparative Scales

This document discusses different techniques for scaling and measuring attitudes in marketing research. It describes four levels of measurement and compares comparative scales like paired comparison, rank order, constant sum, and Q-sort scales to non-comparative scales like continuous rating and itemized rating scales. Specific itemized rating scales discussed include the Likert scale, semantic differential scale, and Stapel scale. Factors to consider when selecting a scaling technique are also outlined.

Uploaded by

sanjay reddy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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LEARNING

The Measurement & Scaling Technique helps us to :

 explain the concepts of measurement and scaling,

 discuss four levels of measurement scales,

 classify and discuss different scaling techniques, and

select an appropriate attitude measurement scale for


our research problem.
In comparative scaling, the respondent is asked to
compare one object with another.

The comparative scales can further be divided into the


following four types of scaling techniques:
(a) Paired Comparison Scale,
(b) Rank Order Scale,
(c) Constant Sum Scale, and
(d) Q-sort Scale.
Paired Comparison Scale:
This is a comparative scaling technique in which a
respondent is presented with two objects at a time and
asked to select one object according to some criterion. The
data obtained are ordinal in nature.
For example, there are four types of cold drinks -
Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, and Limca. The respondents can prefer
Pepsi to Coke or Coke to Sprite, etc.
Rank Order
Scale:
This is another type of comparative scaling technique in
which respondents are presented with several items
simultaneously and asked to rank them in the order of
priority.

This is an ordinal scale that describes the favoured and


unfavoured objects, but does not reveal the distance
between the objects.

The resultant data in rank order is ordinal data. This


yields better results when direct comparison are
required between the given objects.
The major disadvantage of this technique is that only
ordinal data can be generated.
Constant Sum Scale:
In this scale, the respondents are asked to allocate a constant
sum of units such as points, among a set of stimulus objects
with respect to some criterion.

For example, you may wish to determine how important the


attributes of price, packaging, cleaning power, and lather of a
detergent are to consumers. Respondents might be asked to
divide a constant sum to indicate the relative importance of
the attributes.

The advantage of this technique is saving time.


However, main disadvantages are the respondents may
allocate more or fewer points than those specified. The
second problem is respondents might be confused.
Q-Sort Scale:
This is a comparative scale that uses a rank order procedure to sort
objects based on similarity with respect to some criterion.

The important characteristic of this methodology is that it is more


important to make comparisons among different responses of a
respondent than the responses between different respondents.

Therefore, it is a comparative method of scaling rather than an


absolute rating scale.

In this method the respondent is given statements in a large


number for describing the characteristics of a product or a large
number of brands of a product.
In non-comparative scaling respondents need only
evaluate a single object.

Their evaluation is independent of the other object


which the researcher is studying.

The non-comparative scaling techniques can be further


divided into:
(a) Continuous Rating Scale, and
(b) Itemized Rating Scale.
Continuous Rating Scales :
It is very simple and highly useful. In continuous rating scale, the
respondent’s rate the objects by placing a mark at the
appropriate position on a continuous line that runs from one
extreme of the criterion variable to the other.

Example :
Question: How would you rate the TV advertisement as a guide
for buying?
Itemized Rating Scales :
Itemized rating scale is a scale having numbers or brief
descriptions associated with each category.

The categories are ordered in terms of scale position and the


respondents are required to select one of the limited number
of categories that best describes the product, brand, company,
or product attribute being rated.

Itemized rating scales are widely used in marketing research.


Itemised rating scales is further divided into three parts, namely
(a) Likert scale,
(b) Semantic Differential Scale, and
(c) Stapel Scale.
The itemised rating scales can be in the form of : (a) graphic, (b)
verbal, or (c) numeric as shown below :
Likert Scale:
Likert, is extremely popular for measuring attitudes, because, the
method is simple to administer. With the Likert scale, the
respondents indicate their own attitudes by checking how strongly
they agree or disagree with carefully worded statements that range
from very positive to very negative towards the attitudinal
object. Respondents generally choose from five alternatives (say
strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly
disagree).
A Likert scale may include a number of items or statements.
Disadvantage of Likert Scale is that it takes longer time to complete
than other itemised rating scales because respondents have to read
each statement.
Despite the above disadvantages, this scale has several advantages.
It is easy to construct, administer and use.
Semantic Differential Scale:
This is a seven point rating scale with end points associated with
bipolar labels (such as good and bad, complex and simple) that
have semantic meaning.

It can be used to find whether a respondent has a positive or


negative attitude towards an object. It has been widely used in
comparing brands, products and company images. It has also
been used to develop advertising and promotion strategies and in
a new product development study.
Staple Scale:

The Stapel scale was originally developed to measure the


direction and intensity of an attitude simultaneously.

Modern versions of the Stapel scale place a single adjective as a


substitute for the Semantic differential when it is difficult to
create pairs of bipolar adjectives.

The modified Stapel scale places a single adjective in the centre


of an even number of numerical Values.
A number of issues decide the choice of scaling technique. Some
significant issues are:

1) Problem Definition
2) Statistical Analysis,
3) The Choice between Comparative and Non-comparative
Scales,
4) Balanced versus Unbalanced Scale, and
5) Forced versus Non-forced Categories
There are four levels of measurements:
nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio.

The measurement scales, commonly used in marketing


research, can be divided into two types; comparative and
non-comparative scales.

A number of scaling techniques are available for


measurement of attitudes. There is no unique way that you
can use to select a particular scaling technique for your
research study.

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