THE CONCEPT OF

MEASUREMENT AND SCALING

MEASUREMENT CAN BE DEFINED AS

A STANDARDIZED PROCESS OF
ASSIGNING NUMBERS OR OTHER
SYMBOLS TO CERTAIN
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OBJECTS
OF INTEREST
RESEARCHERS ENGAGE IN USING
THE MEASUREMENT PROCESS
BY
ASSIGNING
EITHER NUMBERS
OR LABELS
TO

• PEOPLE’S THOUGHTS,
FEELINGS,
BEHAVIORS,
AND CHARACTERISTICS
• THE FEATURES OR ATTRIBUTES OF OBJECTS
• THE ASPECTS OF CONCEPTS / IDEAS
• ANY TYPE OF PHENOMENON OR
EVENT USING SPECIFIC RULES TO
REPRESENT
QUANTITIES
AND QUALITIES
OF THE FACTORS BEING
INVESTIGATED
 MEASUREMENT PROCESS

CONSISTS OF

• CONSTRUCT DEVELOPMENT
• SCALE MEASUREMENT
THE GOAL OF CONSTRUCT
DEVELOPMENT IS:

TO PRECISELY IDENTIFY AND WHAT

IS TO BE MEASURED, INCLUDING ANY
DIMENSIONALITY TRAITS
THE GOAL OF SCALE MEASUREMENT
IS TO

DETERMINE HOW TO PRECISELY

MEASURE EACH CONSTRUCT
TO UNDERSTAND CONSTRUCT
DEVELOPMENT
AND SCALE DEVELOPMENT

WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE TERM

OBJECT
 WHAT IS AN OBJECT ?

IT REFERS
TO ANY TANGIBLE ITEM IN A PERSON’S
ENVIRONMENT
THAT CAN BE
CLEARLY AND EASILY
IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE SENSES -
 SIGHT
 SOUND
 TOUCH
 SMELL
 TASTE
 IT HAS TWO PROPERTIES:

• OBJECTIVE PROPERTIES
• SUBJECTIVE PROPERTIES
OBJECTIVE PROPERTIES
RESEARCHERS DO NOT MEASURE
THE OBJECTS PER SE BUT RATHER
THE ELEMENTS THAT MAKES UP THE
OBJECT

OBJECTIVE PROPERTIES ARE USED

TO IDENTIFY AND DISTINGUISH AN
OBJECT FROM ANOTHER
 THESE PROPERTIES REPRESENT
ATTRIBUTES THAT MAKE UP
AN OBJECT OF INTEREST
AND ARE

 DIRECTLY OBSERVABLE
 PHYSICALLY VERIFIABLE
 AND MEASURABLE IN NATURE
 SUCH AS THE PHYSICAL AND
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
OF A PERSON
 AGE
 SEX
 OCCUPATION STATUS
 COLOR OF EYE ETC.
OR THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF
PURCHASES MADE OF A PARTICULAR
PRODUCT
 OR THE TANGIBLE FEATURES OF
THE OBJECT
 HORSEPOWER,
 STYLE,
 COLOR,
 STEREO SYSTEM OF AN
AUTOMOBILE ETC.
SUBJECTIVE PROPERTIES
SUBJECTIVE PROPERTIES ARE
ABSTRACT,
INTANGIBLE CHARACTERISTICS
THAT
CAN NOT BE
DIRECTLY OBSERVED OR MEASURED
 WHY?

BECAUSE THEY ARE

THE MENTAL IMAGES (ASPECTS) A
PERSON ATTACHES TO AN OBJECT, SUCH
AS
 ATTITUDES,
 FEELINGS,
 PERCEPTIONS,
 EXPECTATIONS,
 OR EXPRESSIONS OF FUTURE
ACTIONS
(i.e., PURCHASE INTENTIONS)
CONSTRUCT DEVELOPMENT
CAN BE
VIEWED
AS
AN INTEGRATIVE PROCESS IN WHICH
RESEARCHERS FOCUS THEIR
EFFORTS ON
IDENTIFYING

THE SUBJECTIVE PROPERTIES FOR

WHICH DATA SHOULD BE
COLLECTED FOR SOLVING
THE DEFINED RESEARCH PROBLEM
 OBJECTIVE PROPERTIES-

AIR PLANE

• NO. OF ENGINES
• HEIGHTS
• WEIGHT
• LENGTH
• SEATING CAPACITY
• PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SEATS

• TYPE OF AIRPLANE
 AIR PLANE

SUBJECTIVE PROPERTIES

• QUALITY OF IN FLIGHT SERVICE

• COMFORT ABILITY OF SEATS
• SMOOTHNESS OF TAKE-OFF
AND LANDING ETC.
 CONSUMER

OBJECTIVE PROPERTIES :
• AGE, SEX,
• MARITAL STATUS,
• INCOME,
• BRAND LAST PURCHASED,
• RUPEE AMOUNT OF PURCHASES
• TYPES OF PRODUCTS PURCHASED
• COLOR OF EYES AND HAIR
 CONSUMER
SUBJECTIVE PROPERTIES

• ATTITUDES TOWARDS A PRODUCT

• BRAND LOYALTY
• HIGH INVOLVEMENT PURCHASES
EMOTIONS (LOVE, FEAR, ANXIETY ETC)
• INTELLIGENCE, PERSONALITY, RISK TAKER
 ORGANIZATION

OBJECTIVE PROPERTIES

• NAME OF COMPANY
• NO. OF EMPLOYEES
• TOTAL ASSETS
• TYPE AND NO. OF PRODUCT OFFERINGS
 ORGANIZATION

SUBJECTIVE PROPERTIES

• COMPETENCE OF EMPLOYEES
• QUALITY CONTROL, CHANNEL POWER,
• COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE,
• COMPANY IMAGE, CONSUMER ORIENTED
PRACTICES ETC
 SCALE MEASUREMENT

SCALING IS THE PROCESS OF CREATING A

CONTINUUM
ON WHICH
OBJECTS ARE LOCATED
ACCORDING TO THE AMOUNT OF THE
MEASURED CHARACTERISTIC THEY
POSSESS
SCALE DEVELOPMENT IS
DESIGNING QUESTIONS
TO MEASURE
THE SUBJECTIVE PROPERTIES
OF
AN OBJECT
THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES OF
SCALES, EACH OF WHICH
POSSESSES DIFFERENT
CHARACTERISTIC
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A SCALE

DETERMINE
THE SCALE’S LEVEL OF
MEASUREMENT
CHARACTERISTICS OF SCALES

• DESCRIPTION
• ORDER
• DISTANCE
• ORIGIN
 DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION REFERS TO USE OF A

UNIQUE DESCRIPTOR, OR LABEL, TO
STAND FOR EACH DESIGNATION IN
THE SCALE
WHEN ACTIVATED,
THIS PROPERTY ALLOWS A RESEARCHER TO
TAKE THE
RESPONSES
AND CATEGORIZE
THEM INTO MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE GROUPS EACH
WITH ITS OWN IDENTITY
ANY DESCRIPTOR CAN BE USED FOR RESPONSE
FOR INSTANCE, “YES” OR “NO”,
“AGREE” OR “DISAGREE”
AND THE NUMBER OF YEARS OF A
RESPONDENT’S AGE
ARE DESCRIPTORS OF A SIMPLE SCALE
ALL SCALES INCLUDE DESCRIPTION
IN THE FORM OF CHARACTERISTIC
LABELS THAT IDENTIFY WHAT IS
BEING MEASURED
 ORDER

ORDER REFERS TO THE RELATIVE

SIZES OF THE DESCRIPTORS OR
RELATIVE MAGNITUDE
BETWEEN THE DESCRIPTORS, OR
LABELS, USED AS SCALE POINTS
HERE THE KEY WORD IS “RELATIVE’
AND INCLUDES SUCH DESCRIPTORS
AS “GREATER THAN”
“LESS THAN”
AND “EQUAL TO”
 EXAMPLE

“1 IS LESS THAN 5”
“EXTREMELY SATISFIED” IS MORE
INTENSE THAN “SOMEWHAT
SATISFIED”
“MOST IMPORTANT” HAS GREATER
IMPORTANCE THAN “ONLY SLIGHTLY
IMPORTANT”
WHEN ORDER CHARACTERISTIC IS
INCORPORATED INTO SET OF SCALE
POINTS,
IT ALLOWS THE RESEARCHER TO ESTABLISH
EITHER
A “HIGHEST TO LOWEST”
OR “LOWEST TO HIGHEST”
RANK ORDER AMONG THE NEW RESPONSES
ORDER IDENTIFIES ONLY THE

RELATIVE DIFFERENCES

BETWEEN THE RESPONSES

AND NOT THE
ABSOLUTE DIFFERENCES
NOT ALL SCALES POSSESS
ORDER
CHARACTERISTICS
FOR INSTANCE, IS A ‘BUYER’ GREATER
THAN OR LESS THAN A ‘NON-BUYER’?
WE HAVE NO WAY OF MAKING A RELATIVE SIZE
DISTINCTION
 DISTANCE

A SCALE HAS THE CHARACTERISTIC

OF DISTANCE WHEN
ABSOLUTE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
THE DESCRIPTORS
ARE KNOWN AND MAY BE
EXPRESSED IN UNITS
THE RESPONDENT
WHO BUYS THREE BOTTLES OF DIET COLA
BUYS MORE THAN THE ONE
WHO BUYS ONLY ONE BOTTLE

A THREE CAR FAMILY OWNS A ONE MORE

AUTOMOBILE THAN A TWO CAR FAMILY
WHEN THE CHARACTERISTIC OF DISTANCE
EXISTS
WE ARE ALSO GIVEN THE
ORDER
WE KNOW NOT ONLY THAT THE THREE CAR
FAMILY HAS “MORE THAN” THE NUMBER OF CARS
OF THE TWO CAR FAMILY,
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THE DISTANCE
BETWEEN THE TWO (1 CAR)
 ORIGIN

A SCALE IS SAID TO HAVE A

CHARACTERISTIC OF
ORIGIN
IF THERE IS A
UNIQUE BEGINNING
OR TRUE ZERO POINT FOR THE
SCALE
THE ORIGIN PROPERTY RELATES TO
A NUMBERING SYSTEM WHERE
ZERO
IS DISPLAYED
OR REFERENCED
STARTING POINT IN A SET OF
POSSIBLE RESPONSES
NORMALLY, THIS SCALING PROPERTY
IS ACTIVATED WHEN RESEARCHER
ASKS A SPECIFIC QUESTION
THAT REQUIRES A
NUMERICAL
RESPONSE
ZERO IS THE ORIGIN FOR AN AGE
SCALE JUST AS
IT IS FOR NUMBER OF MILES
TRAVELED TO THE STORE
NOT ALL SCALES
HAVE A
TRUE ZERO POINT FOR THE
PROPERTY THEY ARE MEASURING
IN FACT, MANY SCALES USED BY MARKETING
RESEARCHERS HAVE ARBITRARY
NEUTRAL POINTS,
BUT THEY DO POSSESS ORIGINS
FOR INSTANCE, WHEN A RESPONDENT SAYS, “NO
OPINION,” TO A QUESTION

“DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE

STATEMENT,
“THE INDICA IS THE BEST CAR IN THE SMALL CAR
SEGMENT ON THE ROAD TODAY”?

WE CANNOT SAY THAT THE PERSON HAS A TRUE

ZERO LEVEL OF AGREEMENT
EACH SCALING PROPERTY BUILDS ON
THE PREVIOUS ONE
THIS IMPLIES:

• ANY SCALE WILL HAVE

DESCRIPTION PROPERTY
• A SCALE THAT INCLUDES ORDER
PROPERTY AUTOMATICALLY
POSSESSES DESCRIPTION
PROPERTY
• A SCALE HAVING
DISTANCE PROPERTY,
HAS ORDER
AND DESCRIPTION
PROPERTIES
• THE SCALE THAT IS BUILD ON
ORIGIN PROPERTY ALSO HAVE
DESCRIPTION,
ORDER,
AND DISTANCE
PROPERTIES
 NOMINAL SCALE

NOMINAL SCALES ARE DEFINED AS

THOSE THAT USE ONLY LABEL;
THAT IS, THEY POSSESS ONLY THE
CHARACTERISTIC OF DESCRIPTION

THE RESPONSE DOES NOT INCLUDE

ANY LEVEL OF INTENSITY
 EXAMPLES
• DESIGNATIONS AS TO RACE, RELIGION,
• TYPE OF DWELLING
• GENDER
• BRAND LAST PURCHASED
• ANSWERS THAT INVOLVE YES-NO, AGREE-
DISAGREE
• OR ANY OTHER INSTANCE IN WHICH
DESCRIPTORS CAN NOT BE
DIFFERENTIATED EXCEPT QUALITATIVELY
IF ONE DESCRIBES RESPONDENTS IN
A SURVEY
ACCORDING TO THEIR
OCCUPATION—
BANKER, DOCTOR, COMPUTER
PROGRAMMER—
ONE HAS USED A NOMINAL SCALE
NOMINAL- SCALED QUESTIONS

CHECK ALL THE BRANDS YOU

WOULD CONSIDER PURCHASING

I. SONY
II. VIDEOCON
III. SAMSUNG
IV. LG
 DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT
“DELTA IS READY WHEN YOU ARE”?

AGREE DISAGREE
 WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING
SUPERMARKETS HAVE YOU SHOPPED IN
THE LAST 30 DAYS?
I. EBONY
II. STAR MALL
III. SAB MALL
IV. MIGROS
V. SAHARA MALL
 DO YOU LIKE OR DISLIKE
CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM?

I. LIKE
II. DISLIKE
 ORDINAL SCALE

AN ORDINAL SCALE IS OBTAINED BY

RANKING OBJECTS
OR ARRANGING THEM
IN ORDER
WITH REGARD TO SOME
COMMON VARIABLE
THE QUESTION IS SIMPLY WHETHER
EACH OBJECT HAS
MORE
OR LESS
THAN
SOME OTHER OBJECT
IT PERMITS THE RESEARCHER
TO
RANK ORDER
THE RESPONDENTS OR THEIR
RESPONSES
THE RESEARCHER CAN RANK ORDER THE
RESPONSES INTO HIERARCHICAL PATTERN
THIS SCALE
DOES NOT
ALLOW
A RESEARCHER TO
DETERMINE THE
ABSOLUTE DIFFERENCE
IN ANY OF THE ORDINAL RELATIONSHIPS
 ORDINAL- SCALED QUESTIONS
PLEASE RANK EACH BRAND IN TERMS OF YOUR
PREFERENCE
PLEASE PLACE “1”
BY YOUR FIRST CHOICE,
A “2”
BY YOUR SECOND CHOICE, AND SO ON
I. SONY
II. VIDEOCON
III. SAMSUNG
IV. LG
V. BPL
VI. PHILLIPS
 INTERVAL SCALE

INTERVAL SCALES ARE THOSE IN

WHICH THE
DISTANCE
BETWEEN EACH DESCRIPTOR IS
KNOWN
IT DEMONSTRATES ABSOLUTE DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN EACH SCALE POINT
THE DISTANCE IS NORMALLY
DEFINED AS
ONE SCALE UNIT

FOR EXAMPLE, A COFFEE BRAND

RATED “3” IN TASTE IS ONE UNIT
AWAY FROM ONE RATED “4”
IN AN INTERVAL SCALE THE NUMBERS
USED TO RANK THE OBJECTS ALSO
REPRESENT EQUAL INCREMENTS OF THE
ATTRIBUTE BEING MEASURED
THIS MEANS THAT DIFFERENCES CAN
BE COMPARED
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 1 AND 2
IS SAME
AS BETWEEN 2 AND 3
BUT ONLY HALF THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN 2 AND 4
THE LOCATION OF ZERO POINT IS
NOT FIXED, SINCE ZERO DOES NOT
DENOTE THE ABSENCE OF THE
ATTRIBUTE

BOTH ZERO POINT AND UNITS OF

MEASUREMENT ARE ARBITRARY
SOME TIME A RESEARCHER MUST
IMPOSE A BELIEF THAT EQUAL
INTERVALS EXIST BETWEEN THE
DESCRIPTORS
 THAT IS:
IF YOU WERE ASKED TO EVALUATE A STORE’S
SALES PEOPLE BY SELECTING A SINGLE
DESIGNATION FROM THE LIST OF

• EXTREMELY FRIENDLY
• VERY FRIENDLY
• SOME WHAT FRIENDLY
• SOME WHAT UNFRIENDLY
• VERY UNFRIENDLY
• EXTREMELY UNFRIENDLY
THE RESEARCHER WOULD
PROBABLY ASSUME THAT EACH
DESIGNATION WAS ONE UNIT AWAY
FROM THE PRECEDING ONE

IN THESE CASES WE SAY THAT THE

SCALE IS “ASSUMED INTERVAL”
 INTERVAL – SCALED
QUESTIONS
PLEASE RATE EACH BRAND IN
TERMS OF ITS OVERALL
PERFORMANCE
• BRAND RATING (CIRCLE ONE)
• VERY POOR
VERY GOOD

MONT BLANC 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

PARKER

CROSS
 INDICATE YOUR DEGREE OF AGREEMENT WITH
FOLLOWING STATEMENTS BY CIRCLING THE
APPROPRIATE NUMBER

• STATEMENT STRONGLY STRONGLY

• AGREE DISAGREE
• I ALWAYS LOOK FOR BARGAINS 1 2 3 4 5
• I ENJOY BEING OUT DOORS 1 2 3 4 5
• I LOVE TO COOK 1 2 3 4 5
 IN A TYPICAL WEEK (7 DAY PERIOD),
HOW OFTEN YOU ACCESS INTERNET
FROM A HOME COMPUTER?
• ___ MORE THAN 20 TIMES
• ___16 TO 20 TIMES
• ___11 TO 15 TIMES
• ___6 TO 10 TIMES
• ___1 TO 5 TIMES
• ___DO NOT ACCESS IT
 RATIO SCALE

RATIO SCALES ARE THE ONES IN

WHICH
TRUE ZERO ORIGIN EXISTS—
SUCH AS
-ACTUAL NUMBER OF PURCHASES IN A
CERTAIN TIME PERIOD,
-RUPEES SPENT, MILES TRAVELED ETC.
THIS CHARACTERISTIC ALLOW US

TO
CONSTRUCT RATIOS
WHEN COMPARING THE RESULTS OF
MEASUREMENT
A RATIO SCALE TENDS TO BE MOST
SOPHISTICATED SCALE
IN THE SENSE THAT IT ALLOWS THE
RESEARCHER
NOT ONLY TO IDENTIFY THE ABSOLUTE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EACH SCALE POINT
BUT ALSO TO MAKE
ABSOLUTE COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE
RESPONSES
 EXAMPLE

IN COLLECTING DATA ABOUT HOW

MANY CARS ARE DRIVEN BY
HOUSEHOLDS IN DELHI, A
RESEARCHER KNOWS THAT
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DRIVING ONE
CAR AND DRIVING THREE CARS IS
ALWAYS GOING TO TWO
FURTHER MORE, WHEN COMPARING
A ONE – CAR FAMILY TO THREE –
CAR FAMILY WILL HAVE
SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER TOTAL CAR
INSURANCE AND MAINTENANCE
COSTS THAN A ONE – CAR FAMILY
SUCH RATIOS ARE INAPPROPRIATE
FOR INTERVAL SCALES,
SO WE ARE NOT ALLOWED
TO SAY
THAT ONE STORE WAS ONE HALF AS
FRIENDLY AS ANOTHER
RATIO-SCALED QUESTIONS

PLEASE INDICATE YOUR AGE

--- YEARS
 APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY TIMES
IN THE LAST MONTH HAVE YOU
PURCHASED ANY THING OVER
Rs.1000 IN VALUE AT NANZ STORE?

0 1 2 3 4 5 MORE ( SPECIFY_ )
HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK A
TYPICAL PURCHASER OF A Rs. 5
LAKH TERM LIFE INSURANCE
POLICY PAYS PER MONTH THAT
POLICY?

Rs.__________
WHAT IS THE PROBABILITY THAT
YOU WILL USE A LAWYER’S
SERVICES WHEN YOU ARE READY
TO MAKE A WILL?

______PERCENT
TYPICALLY THE ISSUES LIKE

QUANTITY SOLD
NUMBER OF CONSUMERS
PROBABILITY OF PURCHASE ETC.

FORM RATIO SCALE MEASUREMENT

Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, and Ratio Scales Provide Different Information
Facts About the Four Levels of Scales
Facts About the Four Levels of Scales (cont’d)
 EXAMPLE OF FOUR BASIC TYPES OF
QUESTION PHRASINGS:

INFORMATION REQUIREMENT:

TO DETERMINE HOW OFTEN

CUSTOMERS USE THEIR PRIMARY
AUTOMOBILE SERVICE PROVIDER’S
FACILITIES / SERVICES
 NOMINAL QUESTION
PHRASING:
WHEN YOUR VEHICLE REQUIRES
MAINTENANCE SERVICE OR YOU HAVE
PROBLEMS
DO YOU USUALLY
TAKE THE VEHICLE TO YOUR PRIMARY
AUTOMOBILE SERVICE PROVIDER?
THE LOGICAL RESPONSE TO THIS
QUESTION WOULD BE A
YES OR NO
 ORDINAL QUESTION
PHRASING:

WHEN YOUR VEHICLE REQUIRES

MAINTENANCE SERVICE OR YOU
HAVE PROBLEMS,
HOW OFTEN DO YOU TAKE IT TO
YOUR PRIMARY AUTOMOBILE
SERVICE PROVIDER? (CHECK ONLY
ONE RESPONSE)
 THE LOGICAL RESPONSES MIGHT BE:

• __NEVER
• __SELDOM
• __OCCASIONALLY
• __USUALLY
• __EVERY TIME
 INTERVAL QUESTION
PHRASING:

SINCE PURCHASING YOUR VEHICLE,

APPROXIMATELY
HOW OFTEN
HAVE YOU USED THE SERVICES AT
YOUR PRIMARY AUTOMOBILE
SERVICE PROVIDER? (CHECK THE
ONE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE)
• LESS THAN 3 TIMES
• 4 TO 8 TIMES
• 9 TO 12 TIMES
• 13 TO 16 TIMES
• OVER 16 TIMES
RATIO QUESTION PHRASING:

IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS

HOW MANY TIMES
DID YOU TAKE YOUR VEHICLE FOR
SERVICE OR REPAIRS TO YOUR
PRIMARY AUTOMOBILE SERVICE
PROVIDER?
___NO. OF TIMES
 ASSESSING A RESPONDENT’S LIKING OF
SOFTDRINKS WITH NOMINAL ORDINAL, INTERVAL
AND RATIO SCALES

NOMINAL SCALE

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING SOFT DRINKS ON THE

FOLLOWING LIST DO YOU LIKE? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY

 COKE
 THUMS UP
 MOUNTAIN DEW
 PEPSI
 SEVEN UP
 SPRTIE
ORDINAL SCALE

PLEASE RANK THE SOFT DRINKS ON THE FOLLOWING LIST

ACCORDING TO YOUR DEGREE OF LIKING FOR EACH,
ASSIGNINIG MOST PREFERRED DRINK RANK=1 AND YOUR
LEAST PREFERRED DRINK RANK=6

 COKE
 THUMS UP
 MOUNTAIN DEW
 PEPSI
 SEVEN UP
 SPRTIE
INTERVAL SCALE

PLEASE INDICATE YOUR DEGREE OF LIKING OF EACH OF

THE SOFTDRINKS ON THE FOLLOWING LIST BY CHECKING
THE APPROPRIATE POSITION ON THE SCALE

DISLIKE DISLIKE LIKE LIKE A LOT

A LOT

COKE
THUMS UP
MOUNTAIN DEW
PEPSI
SEVEN UP
SPRTIE
RATIO SCALE

PLEASE DIVIDE 100 POINTS AMONG EACH OF THE

FOLLOWING SOFT DRINKS ACCORDING TO YOUR DEGREE
OF LIKING FOR EACH

 COKE
 THUMS UP
 MOUNTAIN DEW
 PEPSI
 SEVEN UP
 SPRTIE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCALES AND SCALING PROPERTIES

SCALING PROPERTIES

SCALE DESCRIPTION ORDER DISTANCE ORIGIN

NOMINAL YES NO NO NO
ORDINAL YES YES NO NO
INTERVAL YES YES YES NO
RATIO YES YES YES YES
 SCALE AND TYPE OF STATISTICAL
TECHNIQUES
SCALE BASIC MARKETING PERMISSIBLE STATISTICS
CHARACTERISTICS
EXAMPLES

DESCRIPTIVE INFERENTIAL

NOMINAL NUMBERS BRAND PERCENTAGES Chi-SQUARE

IDENTIFY AND NUMBERS, MODE BINOMIAL TEST
CLASSIFY STORE TYPES
OBJECTS
 DESCRIPTIVE INFERENTIAL

ORDINAL NUMBERS PREFERENCE

INDICATE THE RANKINGS, PERCENTILE, RANK ORDER
RELATIVE MARKET CORRELATION
POSITIONS OF POSITION, FRIEDMAN
THE OBJECTS SOCIAL ANOVA
BUT NOT THE CLASS MEDIAN
MAGNITUDE OF
DIFFERENCES PREFERENCE
BETWEEN THEM FOR BRANDS
 DESCRIPTIVE INFERENTIAL

INTERVAL DIFFERENCE ATTITUDES, OPTIONS, RANGE PRODUCT

BETWEEN THE INDEX NUMBERS MOMENT-
OBJECTS CAN ATTITUDES TOWARDS CORRELATIONS
BE COMPARED; BRANDS
ZERO POINT IS MEAN t TESTS
GRADE POINT STANDARD
ARBITRARY AVERAGE
DEVIATIONS ANOVA
REGRESSION
ANALYSIS
FACTOR ANALYSIS
 DESCRIPTIVE INFERENTIAL

RATIO ZERO POINT IS FIXED; AGE, GEOMETRIC

RATIOS OF SCALE VALUES INCOME, MEAN COEFFICIENT
CAN BE COMPUTED COSTS, OF VARIATION
SALES,
MARKET HARMONIC MEAN
SHARES
NO. OF
PURCHASES
PROBABILITY
OF PURCHASE
THE SCALING TECHNIQUES

• THE COMPARATIVE SCALES

• THE NON – COMPARATIVE SCALES

THE COMPARATIVE SCALES

COMPARATIVE SCALES INVOLVE THE

DIRECT COMPARISON OF STIMULUS
OBJECT
IT IS A SCALE FORMAT THAT
REQUIRES A
JUDGMENT
COMPARING ONE OBJECT, PERSON,
OR CONCEPT AGAINST ANOTHER ON
THE SCALE
FOR EXAMPLE, THE RESPONDENTS
MIGHT BE ASKED

WHETHER THEY PREFER COKE OR

PEPSI
COMPARATIVE SCALE DATA MUST BE
INTERPRETED IN
RELATIVE TERMS
AND HAVE ONLY
ORDINAL OR RANK ORDER
PROPERTIES
FOR THIS REASON, COMPARATIVE
SCALING IS REFERRED TO
AS
NON-METRIC SCALING
NON COMPARATIVE SCALES

NON-COMPARATIVE SCALES REFER

TO A SCALE FORMAT THAT
REQUIRES A
JUDGMENT
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO
ANOTHER
OBJECT, PERSON, OR CONCEPT
THESE SCALES ARE ALSO
REFERRED TO
AS MONADIC
OR METRIC SCALES
THE RESULTING DATA ARE
GENERALLY
ASSUMED
TO BE INTERVAL OR RATIO SCALED
FOR EXAMPLE, RESPONDENTS MAY
BE ASKED TO EVALUATE COKE ON A
1 TO 6 PREFERENCE SCALE (1= NOT
AT ALL PREFERRED; 6 = GREATLY
PREFERRED)
 TYPES OF COMPARATIVE SCALES

• PAIRED COMPARISON
• RANK ORDER
• CONSTANT SUM
• Q-SORT AND OTHER PROCEDURES
TYPES OF NON- COMPARATIVE
SCALES

• CONTINUOUS RATING SCALES

• ITEMIZED RATING SCALES

I. LIKERT SCALE
II. SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL SCALE
III. STAPEL SCALE
IV. THURSTONE SCALE
 COMPARATIVE SCALES

PAIRED COMPARISON RATING

SCALE:

THIS FORMAT CREATES

• A PRE-SELECTED GROUP OF
TRAITS
• PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS
• OR FEATURES
THAT ARE PAIRED AGAINST ONE
ANOTHER INTO TWO GROUPS
RESPONDENTS ARE ASKED TO
SELECT WHICH IN EACH PAIR IS
MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM
A RESPONDENT IS PRESENTED WITH
TWO OBJECTS AND ASKED TO
SELECT ONE ACCORDING TO SOME
CRITERION

THE DATA OBTAINED ARE ORDINAL

IN NATURE
PAIRED COMPARISON SCALES ARE
FREQUENTLY USED WHEN STIMULUS
OBJECTS ARE
PHYSICAL PRODUCTS
 EXAMPLE:
WE GOING TO PRESENT YOU WITH
SEVERAL PAIRS OF TRAITS
ASSOCIATED WITH A
SALESPERSON’S ON-THE-JOB
ACTIVITIES

FOR EACH PAIR, PLEASE

INDICATE WHICH TRAIT YOU FEEL IS MORE
IMPORTANT FOR BEING A SALES PERSON
a. TRUST b. COMPETENCE

a. TRUST b. COMMUNICATION SKILLS

a. TRUST b. PERSONAL SOCIAL SKILLS

a. COMPETENCE b. COMMUNICATION SKILLS

a. COMPETENCE b. PERSONAL SOCIAL SKILLS

a. COMMUNICATION SKILLS b. PERSONAL SOCIAL SKILLS

 CONSTANT SUM SCALE:

THIS SCALE PROVIDES A BETTER

PERSPECTIVE OF DISTANCE
BETWEEN THE POINTS ON A
CONTINUUM
WITH THIS TYPE OF SCALE, THE
RESPONDENT IS ASKED TO
DIVIDE OR ALLOCATE
A NUMBER OF POINTS,
PERCENTAGES,
OR RUPEES,

USUALLY A TOTAL SUM OF 100,

TO INDICATE THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE
OF THE ATTITUDE BEING STUDIED
THE AMOUNTS THAT ARE ALLOCATED TO EACH
ALTERNATIVE INDICATES THE
RANKS
ASSIGNED TO THEM BY THE RESPONDENTS,
BUT IT ALSO INDICATES THE AMOUNT OF
DIFFERENCE
THE RESPONDENTS SET BETWEEN EACH
ALTERNATIVE
IMPORTANCE OF BATHING SOAP ATTRIBUTES USING

A CONSTANT SUM SCALE

INSTRUCTIONS

BELOW ARE THE EIGHT ATTRIBUTES OF BATHING SOAPS

PLEASE ALLOCATE 100 POINTS AMONG THE ATTRIBUTES

SO THAT YOUR ALLOCATION REFLECTS THE RELATIVE
IMPORTANCE YOU ATTACH TO EACH ATTRIBUTE

THE MORE POINTS AN ATTRIBUTES RECEIVES, THE MORE

IMPORTANT IT IS

IF AN ATTRIBUTE IS NOT AT ALL IMPORTANT, ASSIGN IT

ZERO POINTS

IF AN ATTRIBUTE IS TWICE AS IMPORTANT AS SOME OTHER

ATTRIBUTE, IT SHALL RECEIVE TWICE AS MANY POINTS
 AVERAGE RESPONSES OF THREE SEGMENTS
• ATTRIBUTE SEGMENT I SEGMENT II SEGMENT III
• MILDNESS 8 2 4
• LATHER 2 4 17
• SHRINKAGE 3 9 7
• PRICE 53 17 9
• FRAGRANCE 9 0 19
• PACKAGING 7 5 9
• MOISTURIZING 5 3 20
• CLEANING POWDER 13 60 15
• SUM 100 100 100
 EXAMPLE:
IF YOU HAD Rs. 1000 TO ALLOCATE TO THE FOLLOWING
CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS,
HOW WOULD YOU ALLOCATE YOUR MONEY? YOU MAY GIVE
ALL YOUR RUPEES TO ANY ONE ORGANIZATION, BUT YOUR
TOTAL MUST ADD UP TO Rs. 1000

INDIAN RED CROSS ____________

INDIAN CANCER FOUNDATION____________
INDIAN SPASTIC SOCIETY ____________
CRY ____________
HEART CARE FOUNDATION ____________
OLD AGE HOME ____________
 RANK ORDER SCALE:
IN THIS SCALE OF MEASUREMENT
THE RESEARCHER

USES RANKING QUESTIONS

AS THESE ARE CONSTRUED TO BE A FORM OF
OPINION QUESTIONS IN WHICH RESPONDENT IS
ASKED TO RANK
COMPARATIVELY
THE ITEMS LISTED
THESE ALLOW THE RESPONDENTS
TO
COMPARE THEIR OWN RESPONSES
BY
INDICATING THEIR FIRST CHOICE, SECOND,
THIRD AND FOURTH PREFERENCES AND
SO FORTH,
UNTIL ALL THE RESPONSES ARE PLACED IN
A RANK ORDER
RANK ORDER SCALING IS
COMMONLY USED TO MEASURE
PREFERENCES FOR BRANDS AS
WELL AS ATTRIBUTES
RANK ORDER DATA ARE
FREQUENTLY OBTAINED FROM
RESPONDENTS IN CONJOINT
ANALYSIS BECAUSE RANK – ORDER
SCALING FORCES THE RESPONDENT
TO DISCRIMINATE AMONG THE
STIMULUS OBJECTS
 EXAMPLE:
QUESTIONNAIRE SEEKING DATA FOR A STAFF EXECUTIVE JOB
DESCRIPTION

IN YOUR JOB YOU MAY PERFORM ANY OF THE SEVEN

ROLES LISTED HERE. CONSIDER HOW MUCH TIME YOU
SPEND IN EACH ROLE. THEN RANK THE ROLES FROM 1 TO 7
IN TIME SPENT ON EACH. WRITE A '1' AFTER THAT GIVEN
THE MOST TIME-- AND A '7' AFTER THE LEAST TIME.
COORDINATOR _______________________
ENTREPRENEUR ________________________
EXPEDITER _______________________
EXPERT _______________________
FORECASTER _______________________
INNOVATOR _______________________
INTEGRATOR
 EXAMPLE:
INSTRUCTIONS:
 RANK THE VARIOUS BRANDS OF TOOTHPASTES IN ORDER OF
PREFERENCE

 BEGIN BY PICKING OUT THE ONE BRAND THAT YOU LIKE MOST
ASSIGN IT A NUMBER 1

 THEN FIND THE SECOND MOST PREFERRED BRAND AND ASSIGN

IT A NUMBER 2

 CONTINUE THE PROCEDURE UNTIL YOU HAVE RANKED ALL

BRANDS OF TOOTHPASTE IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE

 THE LEAST PREFERRED BRAND SHOULD BE ASSIGNED A RANK

OF 10
 NO TWO BRANDS SHOULD RECEIVE
THE SAME RANK

 THE CRITERION OF PREFERENCE IS

ENTIRELY UP TO YOU. THERE IS NO
RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER. JUST
TRY TO BE CONSISTENT
 BRAND RANK ORDER
COLGATE ________
CREST ________
AIM ________
CLOSE-UP ________
PEPSODENT ________
ULTRA BRITE ________
PLUS WHITE ________
STRIPE ________
GLEEM ________
MACLEANS ________
NON-COMPARATIVE SCALING
TECHNIQUES

ONE OF THE TWO TYPES OF SCALING

TECHNIQUES IN WHICH EACH
STIMULUS OBJECT IS SCALED
INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER
OBJECT IN THE STIMULUS SET
 THESE CONSIST OF

• CONTINUOUS RATING SCALES

• ITEMIZED RATING SCALES
CONTINUOUS RATING SCALE:

A SCALE MEASURE THAT USES A

SCALE POINT FORMAT THAT
PRESENTS THE RESPONDENT WITH
SOME TYPE OF
GRAPHIC CONTINUUM
AS THE SET OF POSSIBLE
RESPONSES TO A GIVEN QUESTION
IT IS ALSO REFERRED TO AS
GRAPHIC RATING SCALES
RESPONDENTS RATE THE OBJECTS
BY PLACING A MARK AT THE
APPROPRIATE POSITION ON A LINE
THAT RUNS FROM ONE EXTREME OF
THE CRITERION VARIABLE TO THE
OTHER
THE RESPONDENTS ARE NOT
RESTRICTED TO SELECTING FROM
MARKS PREVIOUSLY SET BY THE
RESEARCHER
 THE FORM OF THE CONTINUOUS SCALE
MAY VARY CONSIDERABLY:
• THE LINES MAY BE VERTICAL OR
HORIZONTAL
• SCALE POINTS IN THE FORM OF NUMBERS
OR BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS MAY BE
PROVIDED
• AND IF PROVIDED, SCALE POINTS MAY BE
FEW OR MANY
ONCE THE RESPONDENT HAS
PROVIDED THE RATINGS, THE
RESEARCHER DIVIDES THE LINE INTO
AS MANY CATEGORIES AS DESIRED
AND ASSIGNS SCORES BASED ON
CATEGORIES INTO WHICH THE
RATINGS FALL
THESE SCORES ARE TREATED AS
INTERVAL DATA
 EXAMPLE:
HOW WOULD YOU RATE RELIANCE
RETAIL AS A DEPARTMENT STORE?

VERSION 1

PROBABLY THE WORST---------------I---------------------------------------PROBABLY THE BEST

VERSION 2
PROBABLY THE WORST---------------I---------------------------------------PROBABLY THE BEST
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
 VERSION 3

VERY BAD NEITHER VERY GOOD

GOOD NOR
BAD
PROBABLY THE WORST---------------I---------------------------------------PROBABLY THE BEST
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
ITEMIZED RATING SCALE:
THE ITEMIZED RATING SCALE IS,
PERHAPS, THE MOST FREQUENTLY
USED IN MARKETING RESEARCH

BECAUSE OF ITS
SIMPLICITY AND
ADAPTABILITY
TO MOST MEASUREMENT SITUATIONS
THIS FORM OF RATING SCALE
REQUIRES A RESPONDENT
TO INDICATE HIS OR HER ATTITUDE
BY SELECTING A POSITION ON A
CONTINUUM
THAT REFLECTS A RANGE OF
POSSIBLE VIEWS
REGARDING AN OBJECT
THE VARIOUS POSITIONS ON THE
CONTINUUM ARE SET UP IN A
SEQUENTIAL ORDER
IN TERMS
OF THE SCALE POSITIONS
(IN OTHER WORDS, REPRESENTING
THE DEGREE OF ATTITUDE HELD)
THE SCALE POSITIONS ARE CLEARLY
MARKED WITH A
DESCRIPTIVE STATEMENT
OF SOME KIND
 TYPES OF ITEMIZED SCALES:

• SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL SCALE

• LIKERT SCALE
• STAPEL SCALE
• THURSTONE SCALE
 SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL
SCALE:

A UNIQUE BIPOLAR ORDINAL SCALE

FORMAT THAT CAPTURES A
PERSON’S ATTITUDES OR FEELINGS
ABOUT A GIVEN OBJECT
THIS TYPE OF SCALE IS UNIQUE IN
ITS USE OF BIPOLAR ADJECTIVES
AND ADVERBS (GOOD/BAD,
LIKE/DISLIKE,
COMPETITIVE/NONCOMPETITIVE,
HELPFUL/UNHELPFUL, ETC.)
IN SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL SCALE,
THE RESPONDENTS ARE ASKED TO
EXPRESS THEIR
FEELINGS
ABOUT WHATEVER BEING EVALUATED BY
RECORDING THEIR RESPONSES ON A SCALE OF
ADJECTIVES
(SUCH AS STRONG -- MILD),
WHICH ARE PAIRED POLAR OPPOSITES
 THE SEVEN SCALE POSITIONS ARE INTENDED TO
SIGNIFY:

1. EXTREMELY X
2. QUITE X
3. SLIGHTLY X
4. NEITHER X NOR Y; EQUALLY X AND EQUALLY Y
5. SLIGHTLY Y
6. QUITE Y
7. EXTREMELY Y
THIS SCALE TYPE IS BEST FOR
IDENTIFYING A
“PERCEPTUAL IMAGE PROFILE”
ABOUT THE OBJECT OR BEHAVIOR
OF CONCERN
 INDIVIDUAL ITEMS ON A SEMANTIC
DIFFERENTIAL SCALE MAY BE
SCORED ON EITHER
• A +3 TO - 3
• OR A 1 TO 7 SCALE
THE RESULTING DATA ARE
COMMONLY ANALYZED THROUGH
PROFILE ANALYSIS
MEANS OR MEDIAN VALUES ON EACH
RATING SCALE ARE CALCULATED
AND COMPARED BY PLOTTING
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
THIS HELPS DETERMINE OVERALL
DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES
AMONG THE OBJECTS
TO ASSESS THE DIFFERENCES
ACROSS THE SEGMENTS, THE
RESEARCHER CAN COMPARE MEAN
RESPONSES OF DIFFERENT
SEGMENTS
IN CASES WHERE THE RESEARCHER
REQUIRES AN OVERALL
COMPARISON OF OBJECTS, SUCH AS
TO DETERMINE STORE
PREFERENCES, THE INDIVIDUAL
ITEMS ARE SUMMED TO ARRIVE AT
TOTAL SCORE
 IT IS WIDELY USED IN COMPARING
• BRANDS
• PRODUCTS
• COMPANY IMAGES
• DEVELOP ADVERTISING AND
PROMOTIONAL STRATEGIES
• NEW – PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
STUDIES
 EXAMPLE:

THIS PART OF THE STUDY MEASURES

WHAT CERTAIN DEPARTMENT
STORES MEAN TO YOU
BY HAVING YOU JUDGE THEM ON A SERIES
OF DESCRIPTIVE SCALES BOUNDED AT
EACH END BY ONE OF TWO BIPOLAR
ADJECTIVES
• PLEASE MARK (X) THE BLANK THAT
BEST INDICATE HOW ACCURATELY
ONE OR THE OTHER ADJECTIVE
DESCRIBES WHAT THE STORE MEANS
TO YOU
• PLEASE BE SURE TO MARK EVERY
SCALE, DO NOT OMIT ANY SCALE
 FORM
HARRODS IS:
POWERFUL -- -- -- -- -- -- --WEAK
UNRELIABLE -- -- -- -- -- -- --RELIABLE
MODERN -- -- -- -- -- -- --OLD
FASHIONED
COLD -- -- -- -- -- -- --WARM
CAREFUL -- -- -- -- -- -- --CARELESS
THE ACTUAL DESIGN OF A SEMANTIC
DIFFERENTIAL SCALE CAN VARY
FROM SITUATION TO SITUATION
IF A RESEARCHER IS INTERESTED IN
DEVELOPING A CREDIBILITY SCALE
THAT COULD BE USED BY REVLON
TO ASSESS THE CREDIBILITY OF
SUSHMITA SEN AS A
SPOKESPERSON IN TV OR PRINT
ADVERTISEMENTS FOR REVLON
BRANDS OF GROOMING PRODUCTS
 THE RESEARCHER DETERMINES
THAT THE CREDIBILITY CONSTRUCT
CONSISTS OF THREE FACTORS

• EXPERTISE
• TRUSTWORTHINESS
• ATTRACTIVENESS
WITH EACH FACTOR MEASURED
USING A SPECIFIC SET OF FIVE
BIPOLAR SCALES
EXAMPLE OF SEMANTIC
DIFFERENTIAL SCALE FORMAT FOR
SUSHMITA SEN AS A CREDIBILITY
SPOKESPERSON
 NOW WITH RESPECT TO SUSHMITA SEN AS THE
SPOKESPERSON FOR REVLON GROOMING PRODUCTS,

WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE

 EXPERTISE,
 TRUSTWORTHINESS,
 AND ATTRACTIVENESS

THAT YOU BELIEVE SHE BRINGS TO THE ADVERTISEMENT

EACH DIMENSION HAS FIVE FACTORS THAT MAY OR MAY

NOT REPRESENT YOUR OPINION
FOR EACH LISTED FACTOR, PLEASE
CHECK THE POINT THAT BEST
EXPRESSES YOUR OPINION ABOUT
THE FACTOR
EXPERTISE:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

KNOWLEDGEABLE UNKNOWLEDGEABLE
EXPERT NOT AN EXPERT
SKILLED UNSKILLED
QUALIFIED UNQUALIFIED
EXPERIENCED INEXPERIENCED
 TRUST WORTHINESS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

RELIABLE UNRELIABLE
SINCERE INSINCERE
TRUSTWORTHY UNTRUSTWORTHY
DEPENDABLE UNDEPENDABLE
HONEST DISHONEST
ATTRACTIVENESS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
SEXY NOT SEXY
BEAUTIFUL UGLY
ATTRACTIVE UNATTRACTIVE
CLASSY NOT CLASSY
ELEGANT PLAIN
 EXAMPLE:
A SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL SCALE
FOR MEASURING

• SELF CONCEPTS
• PERSON CONCEPTS
• PRODUCT CONCEPTS
RUGGED DELICATE

EXCITABLE CALM

UNCOMFORTABLE COMFORTABLE

DOMINATING SUBMISSIVE

THRIFTY INDULGENT

PLEASANT UNPLEASANT

CONTEMPORARY NON-CONTEMPORARY
ORGANIZED NO-ORGANIZED
RATIONAL EMOTIONAL
YOUTHFUL MATURE
FORMAL INFORMAL
ORTHODOX LIBERAL
COMPLEX SIMPLE
COLORLESS COLORFUL
MODEST VAIN
 EXAMPLE Contd…

INDICATE YOUR IMPRESSION OF

BUKHARA RESTAURANT BY
CHECKING THE LINE
CORRESPONDING TO YOUR OPINION
FOR EACH PAIR OF DESCRIPTORS
Convenient location inconvenient location
High prices low prices
For me not for me
Warm atmosphere cold atmosphere
Wide menu limited menu
Fast service slow service
High quality food low quality food
A special place an every day place
A SURVEY CAN BE ORGANIZED
WHERE IN RESPONDENTS COULD BE
ASKED TO GIVE THEIR OPINION ON
THESE PARAMETERS FOR A SET OF
RESTAURANTS– LET US SAY
FRONTIER
TO BE COMPARED WITH
BUKHARA
A PERCEPTUAL DIAGRAM CAN BE
CONSTRUCTED THAT COULD GIVE US
AS TO
HOW
THE TWO RESTAURANTS ARE
PERCEIVED BY THE RESPONDENTS
 Image Profile of Commuter Airlines versus Major Airlines

Source: J. Richard Jones and Sheila I. Cocke, “A Performance Evaluation of Commuter Airlines: The Passengers’
View,” Proceedings: Transportation Research Forum 22 (1981), p. 524. Reprinted with permission.
BRAND PROFILING – CAR CARE
A SIMILAR STUDY COULD BE
DESIGNED FOR IA AND
TRACKING
COULD BE UNDERTAKEN ON A REGULAR
INTERVAL - SAY AFTER EVERY THREE
MONTHS- TO HAVE A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING OF THE IA’S FLYERS
 EXAMPLE:
 THE QUALITY OF FOOD
 CHECK IN FACILITIES
 CABIN CREW’S RESPONSE TIME
ETC.

CAN BE EVALUATED USING THIS

TECHNIQUE
A SAMPLE OF FLIERS CAN BE
REQUESTED TO RATE THE FOOD
QUALITY ON A SCALE OF 1
(EXTREMELY POOR) TO 7
(EXTREMELY GOOD)

THIS CAN BE COMPARED WITH THEIR

PERCEPTION OF IA’S COMPETITOR
THIS COULD BECOME A RELEVANT
INPUT IN DECISION MAKING PROCESS
FOR THE IA MANAGEMENT TO
IMPROVE ITS BRAND IMAGE
 LIKERT SCALE

AN ORDINAL SCALE FORMAT THAT ASKS

THE RESPONDENTS TO INDICATE
THE EXTENT TO WHICH
THEY AGREE OR DISAGREE
WITH A SERIES OF
MENTAL BELIEF OR BEHAVIORAL BELIEF
STATEMENTS ABOUT A GIVEN OBJECT
THIS SCALE WAS DEVELOPED BY
RENSIS LIKERT AND IS WIDELY USED
RATING SCALE
IN THE LIKERT SCALE, THE MATTER
OF CHOOSING
OPPOSITE ADJECTIVES
IS AVOIDED
RATHER, IT MAKES A STATEMENT OR POSES ONE
DESCRIPTION
(OR ADJECTIVE) FOR WHATEVER IS BEING
EVALUATED
 THE RESPONDENT IS THEN GIVEN A
SCALE WHOSE POSITION RANGE
FROM

“STRONGLY AGREE"
TO
“STRONGLY DISAGREE"
THEY ARE ALSO CALLED SUMMATED
SCALES BECAUSE THE SCORES ON
THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS ARE SUMMED
TO PRODUCE A TOTAL SCORE FOR
THE RESPONDENT
 A LIKERT SCALE USUALLY CONSISTS
OF TWO PARTS:

• ITEM PART
• EVALUATIVE PART
THE ITEM PART IS ESSENTIALLY A
STATEMENT ABOUT A CERTAIN

PRODUCT
EVENT
OR ATTITUDE
THE EVALUATIVE PART IS A LIST OF
RESPONSE CATEGORIES RANGING
FROM “STRONGLY AGREE” TO
“STRONGLY DISAGREE”
AN IMPORTANT ASSUMPTION OF THIS
METHOD IS THAT EACH OF THE ITEMS
(STATEMENTS) MEASURES SOME
ASPECT OF SINGLE COMMON
FACTOR
OTHERWISE, THE ITEMS CANNOT
LEGITIMATELY BE SUMMED

IN OTHER WORDS,
THE RESULTING SCALE IS UNI
DIMENSIONAL
TO CONDUCT THE ANALYSIS, EACH
STATEMENT IS ASSIGNED A
NUMERICAL SCORE, RANGING
EITHER FROM -2 TO +2 OR 1 TO 5
 THE ANALYSIS CAN BE CONDUCTED
ON:
• AN ITEM BY ITEM BASIS (PROFILE
ANALYSIS)
• OR A TOTAL (SUMMATED) SCORE
CAN BE CALCULATED FOR EACH
RESPONDENT BY SUMMING UP
ACROSS ITEMS
 EXAMPLE:
LET US LOOK AT A SET OF TEN
STATEMENTS WHICH REFLECT THE
ATTITUDE OF AN INDIAN AIRLINES
FLYER

WE LIKE TO EVALUATE THESE

STATEMENTS IN TERMS OF FLYER’
PERCEPTION ABOUT INDIAN AIRLINES
 EACH STATEMENT SHALL BE EVALUATED
ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 5

1-STRONGLY DISAGREE
2-DISAGREE
3-NEITHER AGREE NOR DISAGREE
4-SOMEWHAT AGREE
5-STRONGLY AGREE
• IA IS ALWAYS ON TIME
• THE SEATS ARE VERY
COMFORTABLE
• I LOVE THE FOOD THEY PROVIDE
• THEIR AIR HOSTESSES ARE VERY
BEAUTIFUL
• MY BOSS/FRIEND FLIES WITH IA
• IA HAS YOUNGER AIRCRAFTS
• I GET ADVANTAGE OF FREQUENT FLIER
PROGRAM
• IT(THE FLIGHT TIMING) SUITS MY
SCHEDULE
• MY WIFE/MOM FEELS SAFE WHEN I FLY IA
• FLYING IA COMPLEMENTS MY LIFE STYLE
AND SOCIAL STANDING IN THE SOCIETY
A SAMPLE OF FLYERS CAN BE
REQUESTED TO BE A PART OF
SURVEY WHERE IN EACH OF THE
FLYER SHALL EVALUATE EACH
STATEMENT AND ASSIGN A VALUE
RANGING FROM 1 TO 5 DEPENDING
UPON HIS AGREEING OR
DISAGREEING WITH THE STATEMENT
THEN A SCORE CAN BE ARRIVED AT
FOR

- EACH INDIVIDUAL
- AND TOTAL SCORE GIVEN TO EACH
STATEMENT BY FLIERS
AND THE STATEMENTS HAVING
LOWER/ HIGHER SCORE REFLECT
THE PERCEPTION OF THE FLYER
ABOUT THE IA

ACCORDINGLY IA CAN REPOSITION IT

SELF VIS A VIS ITS COMETITORS
 STAPEL SCALE:

THE STAPEL SCALE IS A

SIMPLIFICATION OF THE SEMANTIC
DIFFERENTIAL

DEVELOPED BY JAN STAPEL

UNIPOLAR SCALE WITH 10 CATEGORIES
NUMBERED FROM - 5 TO +5, WITHOUT A
NEUTRAL POINT (ZERO),

WITH VALUES PROGRESSIONS RANGING

FROM POSITIVE TO NEGATIVE WHICH
MEASURE DIRECTION AND INTENSITY
SIMULTANEOUSLY
USUALLY PRESENTED VERTICALLY

RESPONDENTS ARE ASKED TO

INDICATE THE OBJECT BY
SELECTING A NUMERICAL RESPONSE
CATEGORY
THE HIGHER THE POSITIVE SCORE,
THE BETTER THE ADJECTIVE
DESCRIBES THE OBJECT
THE MAIN VIRTUE OF THIS SCALE IS
THAT IT IS EASY TO ADMINISTER AND
CONSTRUCT BECAUSE THERE IS NO
NEED TO PROVIDE ADJECTIVES OR
PHRASES TO ASSURE BI-POLARITY
 A Stapel Scale for Measuring a Store’s Image

Source: Dennis Menezes and Norbert F. Elbert, “Alternative Semantic Scaling Formats
for Measuring Store Image: An Evaluation,” Journal of Marketing Research, February
1979, pp. 80–87. Reprinted by permission of the American Marketing Association.
 EXAMPLE:
APPLICATION OF STAPEL SCALE FOR THE RETAIL STORE

IMAGE STUDY
+5 +5 +5
+4 +4 +4
+3 +3 +3
+2 +2 +2
+1 +1 +1
WIDE LESSER HIGH
SELECTION KNOWN QUALITY
BRAND
-1 -1 -1
-2 -2 -2
-3 -3 -3
-4 -4 -4
-5 -5 -5
_____________________________________________
 EXAMPLE : BANK STUDY

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

SERVICE IS COURTEOUS

LOCATION IS CONVENIENT

HOURS ARE CONVENIENT

LOAN INTERSET RATES ARE HIGH

Summary of Advantages and Disadvantages of Rating Scales
 SORTING

Sorting Tasks
– Require that respondents indicate their attitudes or beliefs by arranging
items on the basis of perceived similarity or some other attribute.
Example:

Here is a sheet that lists several airlines. Next to the name of each airline is a pocket.
Here are ten cards. I would like you to put these cards in the pockets next to the
airlines you would prefer to fly on your next trip. Assume that all of the airlines fly to
wherever you would choose to travel. You can put as many cards as you want next
to an airline, or you can put no cards next to an airline.
Cards
American Airlines_____
Delta Airlines _____
United Airlines _____
Southwest Airlines_____
Northwest Airlines_____