等级评定量表的最佳反应项数目:来自眼动研究的证据

在心理学研究中,等级评定量表是研究数据的常用测量工具。然而,研究者们使用的等级评定量表的版式并不一致,尤其表现在使用的反应项的数目不同。关于最佳反应项数目的研究只局限于从被试的最终反应结果来进行分析,而没有从被试对量表的反应过程来进行分析。根据前人相关文献,设计6种反应项的量表,并通过眼动实验来测量被试的信息处理过程。通过对反应时、净默认反应方式、极端反应方式和选项比例变化的综合比较,我们得出最佳的量表反应项数目是5。

The Optimal Number of Response Alternatives of Rating Scale: The Evidence from Eye-Tracking Experiment

Rating scales are widely used measuring instruments in psychological researches. However, the formats of rating scales are different in a great deal of researches, specifically differences in the number of response alternatives. Previous researches about what is the optimal number of response alternatives for a scale only focused on the analysis of participants final response results, rather than on that of participants information processing. According to the relevant previous literature, we used eye-tracking study to explore the issue by analyzing the information processing in six scales with different response alternatives. We compared the reaction times, net acquiescence response styles, extreme response styles and proportional changes in response alternatives of the six scales. Our results suggested the optimal number is five.