Dichotomous versus polytomous response options in psychopathology assessment: Method or meaningful variance?

Abstract

In previous studies, researchers have examined the optimal number of response options for psychological questionnaires. Several have reported increased scale score reliabilities, but few have documented improved external validities. In the present investigation, we followed-up on Cox (2011) and Cox et al.'s (2012) extensive analyses of a clinical assessment instrument, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). We compared the dichotomous (true/false) response format of this inventory with a 4-choice format. Our sample consisted of 406 undergraduate students from a large Midwestern university who were largely female (64.3%), predominantly Caucasian (76.4%), and had a mean age of 19.24 years. Internal-structural analyses confirmed that more response options increase reliabilities, but the effects were small. The differences between correlations with external criteria were very rarely statistically significant, and the few that were did not consistently favor either format. We recommend that in future response-format investigations the internal-structural analyses continue to be combined with evaluations of relevant external correlations.

The Influence of Locus of Control and Sensation Seeking Among Undergraduate Texas Hold’em Players

“…A confirmatory factor analysis on a sample of 336 Canadians confirmed a four-factor model, with good internal consistency for the total SSS score (a = .75; Ridgeway & Russell, 1980). The internal consistency estimates of the four subscales in the current sample are TAS (a = .74), ES (a = .39), Dis (a = .68), BS (a = .50), and total SSS (a = .73), which is in line with previous research that found internal consistency scores between .44-.80 and which shows the ES subscale to have the lowest internal consistency (Finn, Ben-Porath, & Tellegen, 2015;Roberti et al, 2003). The SSS has been repeatedly found to be a reliable and valid measure for predicting involvement in sensation-seeking behaviour among university students (Loas et al, 2001;Roberti et al, 2003;Zuckerman et al, 1978).…”

Parsing the Hypomanic Personality: Explicating the Nature of Specific Dimensions Defining Mania Risk

“…That is, compared with dichotomous response formats, polytomous scale formats have been shown to better capture latent factors defining measures of trait constructs (Boldero, Bell, & Davies, 2015). However, also note that other recent findings presented by Finn, Ben-Porath, and Tellegen (2015) indicate that using polytomous rather than dichotomous response formats may not enhance validity in all cases. Nonetheless, researchers increasingly have begun to adopt the use of polytomous response formats when administering the HPS, arguing that such response formats better capture the latent factors that define it (e.g., Giovanelli, Hoerger, Johnson, & Gruber, 2013; Tang-Smith, Johnson, & Chen, 2015; Wuthrich & Bates, 2005).…”

Translation, Adaptation, and Validation of the Brazilian Version of the Dickman Impulsivity Inventory (Br-DII)

“…So, in reading the question, the individual selects the most appropriate response within a range of options ( Zou et al, 2010 ; Capik and Gozum, 2015 ). Also, some studies have shown that adapting scales from the dichotomous format to the Likert scale format can often improve internal consistency and validity (e.g., Preston and Colman, 2000 ; Capik and Gozum, 2015 ; Finn et al, 2015 ). Among the studies of adaptation of the DII, the Italian version of Leone et al (2002) also used the Likert scale of five points.…”