On the optimal number of scale points in graded paired comparisons

Alain De Beuckelaer (), Stef Toonen and Eldad Davidov

Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, 2013, vol. 47, issue 5, 2869-2882

Abstract: In market research, it is common practice to measure individuals’ brand or product preference through graded paired comparisons (GPCs). One important decision concerns the (odd) number of scale points (e.g., five, seven, nine, or eleven) that has to be assigned to either brands or products in each pair. Using data from an experiment with 122 students, we assessed the extent to which GPCs with a higher number of scale points (requiring more cognitive effort) really outperform GPCs with a smaller number of scale points (requiring less cognitive effort). Our data analyses have shown that one may reduce the (odd) number of scale points from eleven to nine or seven, depending on what minor compromises one is willing to make. The detailed psychometric results presented in this paper are useful to applied researchers as they help them in making well-informed decisions on the number of scale points in a GPC task. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Keywords: Graded / ordered / constant sum paired comparisons; Preference measurement; Measurement validity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1007/s11135-012-9695-2

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