A Computational Short Cut in Determining Scale Values for Ranked Items

Abstract

In a study of color preferences, Winch, using the order of merit technique, adopted as a measure of group preference an index equivalent to the average rank assigned by N individuals. He awarded to the specimen in first place in each array a value of 1, to second place specimens a value of 2, and so on, summed the values awarded to each item for the N arrays and used their relative magnitudes as a measure of group preference. These values divided by N would give the average rank of the specimens.

In the computation of scale values from ranked items by the method developed by Thurstone, the first step is the determination of the frequency with which each item is preferred to every other for the N arrays. In this method it is assumed that ranked data yield comparative judgments and that they can be treated in the same manner as data from paired comparisons. The first specimen in a ranked order is considered preferred to all specimens following it, and similarly for other specimens.