Response Scales in Developmental Psychology: Empirical Results of a Comparative Study

Abstract

Abstract Previous developmental studies comparing response scales have shown that paired comparisons lead to the most promising results with regard to the evaluation criteria reliability and validity, followed by rank ordering and rating. This report investigated the limits for the use of paired comparisons and rank ordering after an increase in number of stimuli to be judged; a study with 342 subjects of different ages showed small overall effects on paired comparisons and rank ordering. However, the effects were different for the younger age groups, showing no effects for paired comparisons but showing a decrease of the reliabilities and validities of rank ordering and rating when the number of judged stimuli increased. The implications of these results for research in developmental psychology are discussed.