Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T04:09:02.892Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Scaling Subjective Variables by SPC (Sequential Pair Comparisons)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2009

Avinash C. Singh
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada, A1B 3X7
Christopher D. Bilsbury
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, The General Hospital, Health Sciences Centre, Prince Phillip Drive, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada, A1B 3V6

Extract

Shapiro (1961) devised a scaling method based on pair comparisons to overcome the problems associated with numerical rating scales. Phillips (1963, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1979) developed the theory underlying Shapiro's method and extended it to increase the precision of measurement. In this paper we present a simpler justification of the Shapiro–Phillips method and propose improvements by sequentializing the presentation of pair comparisons. In this way, the total number of comparisons can be reduced to correspond with an acceptable level of reliability. Responses are recorded graphically producing an instant score and reliability check. Some possible generalizations are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Guilford, J. P. (1954). Psychometric Methods, second Edition, New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Ingham, J. G. (1965). A method for observing symptoms and attitudes. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 4, 131140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mulhall, D. J. (1976). Systematic self-assessment by PQRST. Psychologial Medicine 6, 591597.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mulhall, D. J. (1978). Manual for Personal Questionnaire Rapid Scaling Technique, Berkshire: Windsor. NFER Publishing Company Limited.Google Scholar
Phillips, J. P. N. (1963). Scaling and personal questionnaires. Nature 200, 13471348.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Phillips, J. P. N. (1966). On a certain type of partial higher-ordered metric scaling. British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology 19, 7786.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Phillips, J. P. N. (1970). A further type of personal questionnaire technique. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 9, 338346.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Phillips, J. P. N. (1977). Generalized personal questionnaire techniques. In The Measurement of Intra-Personal Space by Grid Technique, Slater, P. (Ed.), Volume 2, London: Wiley.Google Scholar
Phillips, J. P. N. (1979). A method for the investigation of irrelevant response set in ordered metric and ordinal questionnaires. British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology 32, 252268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reading, A. E. and Newton, J. R. (1978). A card-sort method of pain assessment. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 22, 503512.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shapiro, M. B. (1961). A method of measuring psychological changes specific to the individual psychiatric patient. British Journal of Medical Psychology 34, 151155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yule, W. and Hemsley, D. (1977). Single case method in medical psychology. In Contributions to Medical Psychology, Rachman, S.(Ed.), Volume 1, Oxford: Pergamon Press.Google Scholar
Wald, A. (1947). Sequential Analysis, New York: John Wiley.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.