2. Definition
• A Rating scale is defined as a technique through which the observer or rater
categorizes the objects, events or persons on a continuum represented by a
series of continuous numerals
• A rating scale usually has two, three, five, seven, nine oreleven points on a
line with descriptive categories at both the ends followed sometimes with a
descriptive category in the middle of the continuum, too
• Example:-
Middle
Neutral
Positive end
Strongly agree
Negative end
Strongly disagree
3. According to
GUILFORD
1). Numerical Rating scales
2). Graphic scales
3). Percentage rating scales
4). Standard scales
5). Scales of cumulated points
6). Forced choice scales
4. Numerical scales Numerical scales are the easiest to construct and apply to the objects,
persons and events etc to be rated.
In numerical scale the observer or rater is supplied with a sequence of numbers which is
well defined and his task is to rate the objects on the given sequence of numbers on the basis
of his impression.
Sometimes, it is found that numerical scales have only a description of the category and no
numbers are provided. After rating by the observer, the investigator assigns numerals to
certain categories
e.g- 5 to "strongly agree", 4 to" agree", 3 to "indifferent", 2 to "disagree", I to
"strongly disagree".
Sometimes still more fine discrimination is needed in such scale. Scales with numerical
anchors
Numerical scale:-
6. Usually, the above numerical anchors along with their meaning are printed on the first page
with appropriate instructions and on subsequent pages, a number of statements revealing
various impressions, attitudes etc.. regarding the objects, persons and events are pointed.
Opposite each statement is provided a blank space where the rater writes simply that
number which he thinks to be the most appropriate one.
Example:-
1. Nationalization of the private sector would make the country richer.
2. Nationalization enables the government to make sound policies regarding
the development of the country.
Contnd…
7. When the scale points are without numerical anchors, each statement is provided with all
the descriptive cueswhere the rater puts a tick mark only on that cue which he thinks is the
most appropriate.
Example:-
1. More and more countries should join UNO.
Strongly agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly disagree
2. Political leaders should obey the directions of the UNO.
Strongly agree Agree Indifferent Disagree Strongly disagree
Contnd…
8. Some of the numerical scales are assigned a rating of "0" to the neutral point & +3.+2+1 for
the different categories towards the positive ends and -3, -2, -1 towards the negative ends.
Example:- +3 Strongly agree -3 Strongly disagree
+2 Mildly agree -2 Mildly disagree
+1 Agree -1Disagree
Demerits:-
The rater has to remember the meaning of the numerical anchor while he is writing the the
numbers in the box.
To avoid this difficulty, nowadays most numerical rating scales are being designed in such a
way that on each page the numerical anchors along with their meaning are given
Contnd…
9. The graphic rating scale is the most popular and widely used rating scale. In one way the
graphic scale may be considered as an improvement over the numerical scale.
On the graphic scale the scales are presented graphically in which descriptive cues
corresponding to the different scale steps are given.
Items or statements here have no blank box and rater simply puts either a tick mark or a
cross mark on any of the descriptive cues to indicate his view.
GRAPHIC RATING SCALE
11. Limitation of graphic scale:- They provide space only for the shorter descriptive cues.
Advantages of graphic scales:
1. They have no numerical anchors. As such the rater experience no confusion arising out of
the need for numerical discrimination.
2. They are simple, easily administered and quickly completed by the raters.
Disadvantage:- Graphic scales take time and labour in scoring
Contnd…
12. Percentage rating is done whenever the investigator wants a quick rating with maximum
uniformity from rater to rater.
The technique requires the rater to place the rates among different specified percentage
groups or into different percentiles or quartiles such as given below:
o Highest 5 percent
o Second highest 5 percent
o Highest 25 percent excluding the top 25 per cent
o Top half but not the top 25 per cent
o Lower half
Percentage scale:-
13. Percentage ratings are common among teachers who are asked to rate their students in the
classroom in terms of overall performance
Limitation: The rater may be quite generous and therefore, the rating may be influenced by
the individual differences in generosity among raters.
Contnd…
14. Standard scales are not very popular rating scales for psychological measurement.
In it the rater is presented with some standards with pre-established scale values. These
standards usually consist of objects of the same kind
eg they any be the names of persons.
Man-to-man scale and portrait matching are based on the principle of standard scale.
Man-to-man scale was developed during world war and it used men instead of members and
adjectives or other descriptive cues to represent the various scale points.
The rater may be asked to give the name of the person who is well known to him and who is
very high on the trait being rated.
That person's name is noted down to define "very high" point on the scale.
STANDARD SCALE
15. Thus the scale with its five scale points very high, high, average, low, very low is complete.
The rater is then given only those key names with pre established five point scale values to
rate other persons.
Here the rater's task is very simple because he is required to compare the new person or
persons with the five key persons on the trait in the question.
The value of rating corresponds to the value of that key person whom he resembles.
Contnd…
16. Advantages:-
1. Avoids confusion arising out of abstract numerical anchors assigned to the traits to be rated.
2. If all the raters use the same key-man in their ratings, their ratings can be comparable both
in absolute terms as well as in relative terms.
3. Since the scale values of all the key men are pre-established and fixed, raters can't shift over
day to day's ratings
Disadvantages:-
1. The distance between the key men of the scale is not equal
2. Actual practice has demonstrated that no two raters are alike in rating persons who are well
known to them
3. Deliberate overestimation and underestimation of persons by the raters are not controlled by
the scale.
Contnd…
17. It is another rating scale which is based on the principle of standard scale
In this technique a set of standards for any given trait on which rating is to be done, is
prepared.
For constructing the verbal portrait regarding a given trait, large number of verbal
statements describing that trait are collected and each is written on a separate card.
Subsequently, they are rank ordered by a group of judges or experts.
After that a desired number of sketches or portraits are prepared on the basis of those
statements, which have about the same average rank.
Portrait matching
18. The scale value of each portrait is determined.
For determining the scale value, the portraits are given to another group of judges for
ranking them and mean rank becomes the scale value.
The rater is given all the verbal portraits to read and then he names the persons who belong
to the portraits.
The chances are that within a single portraits several persons may be placed and a single
person may be placed under more than one portrait.
Contnd…
19. Merit:-
It eliminates the element of subjectivity which is common in man-to-man scale
Demerit It does not provide objective and realistic standard scale points
Contnd…
20. Rating scales based upon cumulated or summated points are the most common. Here's the
persons total score is the sum of individual ratings or points assigned to all the items of the
scale.
At a glance these scales may seem to be identical with the psychological tests.
But they differ from them, as in psychological tests items are answered by the persons
themselves whereas the rating scale tems which are based upon stammated ratings are
answered by another person ie by observer.
It has two types
1. Checklist
2. Guess who technique
SCALE OF CUMULATED VALUES
21. Checklist:-
it is a method where the rater is supplied with large number of specific behavioural
statements and he is asked to check these statements.
The person is then characterized by only these statements which have been checked for
him. Such a checklist is called behavior checklist.
One of very convenient way of scoring the checked statements is to score each favourable
statement as +1, each unfavorable statement as -1.
There are several variations of behavior checklists.
The items of the checklist may be in the form of two-point responses or multiple choice
form.
Contnd…
22. Numerical scales Numerical scales are the easiest to construct and apply to the objects,
persons and events etc to be rated.
In numerical scale the observer or rater is supplied with a sequence of numbers which is
well defined and his task is to rate the objects on the given sequence of numbers on the basis
of his impression.
Sometimes, it is found that numerical scales have only a description of the category and no
numbers are provided. After rating by the observer, the investigator assigns numerals to
certain categories
e.g- 5 to "strongly agree", 4 to" agree", 3 to "indifferent", 2 to "disagree", I to "strongly
disagree".
Sometimes still more fine discrimination is needed in such scale. Scales with numerical
anchors
Numerical scale:-
