Powerpoint slides of my dissertation project, presented to the Senate at The University of Western Ontario on June 22, 2011 in London, Ontario, Canada (Etienne P. LeBel, etiennelebel.com) Abstract: Inspired by the history of the development of instruments in the physical sciences, and by past psychology giants, the following dissertation aimed to advance basic psychological science by investigating the metric calibration of psychological instruments. The over-arching goal of the dissertation was to demonstrate that it is both useful and feasible to calibrate the metric of psychological instruments so as to render their metrics non-arbitrary. Concerning utility, a conceptual analysis was executed delineating four categories of proposed benefits of non-arbitrary metrics including (a) help in the interpretation of data, (b) facilitation of construct validity research, (c) contribution to theory development, and (d) facilitation of general accumulation of knowledge. With respect to feasibility, the metric calibration approach was successfully applied to instruments of seven distinct constructs commonly studied in psychology, across three empirical demonstration studies and re-analyses of other researchers’ data. Extending past research, metric calibration was achieved in these empirical demonstration studies by finding empirical linkages between scores of the measures and specifically configured theoretically-relevant behaviors argued to reflect particular locations (i.e., ranges) of the relevant underlying psychological dimension. More generally, such configured behaviors can serve as common reference points to calibrate the scores of different instruments, rendering the metric of those instruments non-arbitrary. LeBel, Etienne, "The Utility and Feasibility of Metric Calibration for Basic Psychological Research" (2011). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 174. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/174

1. The Utility and Feasibility of
Metric Calibration for Basic
Psychological Research
Etienne LeBel
The University of Western Ontario

2. “…being so disinterested in our variables
that we do not care about their units can
hardly be desirable” (Tukey, 1969, p. 89).
JOHN TUKEY
"...psychologists have to start respecting the
units they work with, or develop
measurement units they can respect
enough so that researchers can agree to
use them" (Cohen, 1994, p. 1001).
JACOB COHEN
Inspirational Quotations

3. Over-arching Goal
• Both useful and feasible to calibrate the
metric of instruments in basic psychological
research

4. Outline
• Definitions and basic concepts
• Metric calibration strategies
• Past metric calibration research
• Utility of Metric Calibration
• Feasibility: 3 Empirical demonstration studies
• Limitations and Future Directions

5. Definitions and Basic Concepts
• Metric: unit of measurement used to quantify
the amount of something
• E.g., Celsius metric (°C)
• Fridge range = -10 to +50 °C
• Freezer range = -50 to +70 °C
Fridge:
Freezer:

6. Definitions and Basic Concepts
• Metric: unit of measurement used to quantify
the amount of something
• E.g., Beck's Depression Inventory
• Metric = 0 to 63 (BDI; Beck & Steer, 1987)
• E.g., Self-report Depression Scale
• Metric = 25 to 100 (SDS; Zung, 1965)

7. Definitions and Basic Concepts
• Arbitrary metric:
• Scores not inherently meaningful,
other than relative interpretation
• Formally: Unknown where a
given score locates an individual
on the underlying psychological
dimension
(Blanton & Jaccard, 2006a, 2006b)
SDSBDI

8. Underlying
Dimension
Freezing
Reference
Point
Thermometer CThermometer B
SDS BDIMDI
Underlying
Dimension
Behavioral
Reference
Point
Thermometer A
Boiling
Reference
Point
100°B
50°B
150°B
50°B50°B
100°B
Cooking
thermometer
Indoor
thermometer
Outdoor
thermometer

9. Main Strategies of Metric Calibration
• Strategy 1
• Mapping scores to qualitatively distinct behaviors
• Strategy 2
• Mapping scores to gradation of behaviors
(Blanton & Jaccard, 2006a, 2006b; Sechrest et al., 1996)
• Strategy 3
• Experimental approach
• Manipulate construct to extreme levels

10. Metric Calibration Strategy 1
• Map scores to qualitatively distinct
theoretically-relevant behaviors
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Beck Depression Inventory Scores
ProbabilityofSuicide
Attempt
Underlying
Dimension
Behavioral
Reference
Point

11. Metric Calibration Strategy 2
• Map scores to gradations of theoretically-
relevant behaviors
Underlying
Dimension
Ref. Point
8 Hrs/day
Ref. Point
2 Hrs/day
Ref. Point
12 Hrs/day

12. Ideal Characteristics of Behavioral Reference Points
• Theoretically-relevant
• Interpretationally clear (e.g., 1 or 0; hrs/day)
• Objective
• Unambiguous construct-wise
• Also, theoretically-configured context

13. Past Metric Calibration Research
• Specific areas of applied psychology:
• Clinical psychology
(Kazdin, 1999, 2001; Harman et al., 2001; Sechrest et al.,
1996)
• Sport psychology
(Andersen, McCullagh, & Wilson, 2007)
• Forensic psychology
(Pirelli et al., 2011; Hanson, 2009; Hanson et al., in press)
• Arbitrary metrics in psychology
(Blanton & Jaccard, 2006a, 2006b)

14. Utility of Metric Calibration
1. Help in the interpretation of data
a. Enhance interpretability of statistical effects
b. Facilitate extraction of more information from data
patterns
c. Help overcome limitations of NHST
2. Facilitate construct validity research
a. Help shed brighter light on psychological constructs
b. Help with conceptual challenges (e.g., construct definition)
c. Benchmark for detecting problems/improving
measures

15. Utility of Metric Calibration
3. Contribute to theoretical development
a. Facilitate theoretical debates involving absolute claims
b. Allow more precise theorizing via enhanced scientific
language
c. Preliminary platform for quantitative testing of theories
(Meehl, 1978)
3. Facilitate general accumulation of knowledge
a. Calibration findings valuable information in their own
right
b. Guiding framework for cataloguing magnitude of
psychological effects
c. Facilitate phenomenon-based research (Rozin, 2001)

16. Feasibility of Metric Calibration
• Empirical demonstration studies
• Study 1: Need for cognition (NFC), task
persistence (TP), conscientiousness
• Study 2: Self-enhancement
• Study 3: Risk-taking

17. Study 1: NFC and TP
• Participants
• 94 UWO introductory psychology undergraduates
• 69 females, 25 males (age = 18.5, SD = 2.2)
• Procedure & Materials
• Need for cognition measure
• Task persistence measure
• Word association decision task
• Anagram Persistence task
• Demographics & Debriefing questions

18. Study 1: Materials
• Need for cognition (NFC)
• Tendency to engage in cognitively effortful
activities and enjoy thinking in its own right
(Cacioppo & Petty, 1982)
• 18-item scale (Cacioppo, Petty, & Kao, 1984)
• E.g. item: “I find satisfaction in deliberating hard for
long hours.”
• E.g. item: “Thinking is not my idea of fun” (R )
1= Extremely
Uncharacteristic
2 = Somewhat
Uncharacteristic
3 = Uncertain 4 = Somewhat
Characteristic
5 = Extremely
Characteristic

19. Study 1: Materials
• NFC behavioral reference point
• Cognitively effortful (vs. simpler) Remotes
Association Task (RAT) (Mednick & Mednick, 1967)

20. Study 1: Materials
• Task persistence
• Tendency to persist in an effortful behavior or frustration-
inducing activity (Steinberg et al., 2007)
• 2-item self-report measure (Steinberg et al., 2007)
• Item 1: “I will keep trying the same thing over again even when I
have not had success the first time”
• Item 2: “I will often continue to work on something, even after
other people have given up.”
1= Very untrue,
not at all like
me
2 = Somewhat
untrue or not
like me
3 = Somewhat
true or like
me
4 = Very true,
very much
like me

21. Study 1: Materials
• Task persistence behavioral reference point
• Anagram persistence task
(Brandon et al., 2003; Quinn et al., 1996)

22. Study 1: Results: NFC
Wald’s χ2
= 9.71, B = 1.20, odds ratio (OR) = 3.33, p < .002 Underlying
Dimension
Behavioral
Reference
Point
5
4
3
2
1
NFC
Task 1: 62%
Task 2: 38%

23. Study 1: Results: Task Persistence
Linear: B = 0.18, β = r = .15, p < .15
Cubic model: F(3, 90) = 2.00, p < .10

24. Study 1: Discussion
• Enhance MMR analyses
• Re-analysis of O’Hara et al. (2009)
Conventional +/- 1 SD approach Using calibrated values
(75% NFC
behavior)
(25% NFC
behavior)
NFC scores centered on 3.8 (50% NFC behavior)

25. Study 2 Demonstration
• Self-enhancement measures
• Background context
• Pan-cultural self-enhancement debate
(Sedikides et al., 2003; Heine, 2005)

26. Study 2
• Participants
• 97 UWO introductory psychology undergraduates
• 50 females, 47 males (age = 18.9, SD = 1.3)
• Procedure & Materials
• 2 self-enhancement measures
• Filler task (RAT)
• Over-claiming technique
• Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding
• Demographics & Debriefing questions

27. Study 2: Materials
• Self-enhancement
• Tendency to view characteristics of oneself in an
overly positive manner (Hogan & Nicholson, 1988)
• Better-than-average judgments
(Alicke et al., 1995; Gaertner et al., 2008)
• Rate extent to which each listed
trait describes yourself relative
to the average Western student
of your own age and gender
POSITIVE:
dependable
intelligent
considerate
observant
polite
respectful
cooperative
reliable
friendly
creative
NEGATIVE:
gullible
disobedient
snobbish
lazy
disrespectful
mean
unforgiving
vain
uncivil
unpleasant
1 = Much worse than
the average university
student of my age and
gender
4 = As well as the
average university
student of my age and
gender
7 = Much better than
the average university
student of my age and
gender

28. Study 2: Materials
• Self-enhancement behavioral reference point
• Over-claiming technique variant (OCT; Paulhus et al., 2003)
• 150 items (10 categories of 15 items)
• 3 non-existent items (foils) per category; 30 foils total
• Behavioral index: # of foils claimed as familiar
PLEASE INDICATE FOR EACH ITEM
WHETHER YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH
THE ITEM OR NOT, BY CLICKING THE
APPROPRIATE RESPONSE OPTION:
0 = Never heard of it
1 = Familiar with it

29. Study 2: Results
Linear: B = 1.88, β = r = .29, p < .004
Cubic model: F(3, 94)= 5.91, p < .004

30. Study 3 Demonstration
• Risk-taking measures
• Demonstrate metric calibration for:
• Measures capturing state-like constructs
• Behavioral measures

31. Study 3
• Participants
• 99 individuals from UWO campus
• Compensated $5 + earnings in BART task
• 39 females, 58 males, 2 non-specified (age = 24.5, SD = 5.5)
• Procedure & Materials
• Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART)
• Columbia Card Task (CCT)
• Risky gambles Lottery task
• Two self-report risk-taking measures
• Demographics & Debriefing questions

32. Study 3: Materials
• Risk-taking
• Behavior involving possibility of gains but with
potential negative consequences
(Ben-zur & Zeidner, 2009; Lejuez et al., 2002)
• Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART)
(Lejuez et al., 2002)
• Ps inflate 30 simulated balloons onscreen
• Each balloon pump worth 1 cent
• If balloon explodes, money is lost for that trial
• Scoring: mean # of pumps (non-exploding trials)

33. Study 3: Materials
• Columbia Card Task (CCT) – hot version
(Figner et al., 2009)
• Ps sequentially turn over cards in 4 x 8 array
• Accumulate as many points as possible
• Can continue unless loss card turned

34. Study 3: Materials
• Behavioral reference points
• Risky gambles in lottery risk task (Hsee & Weber, 1999)
• If Option B selected, experimenter would actually flip a
coin
• Risky gambles on lotteries with larger sure bets
reflective of higher risk-taking reference point
Lottery Option A Option B
1 $6 for certain Flip a coin. Receive $10 if heads, receive $0 if tails.
2 $2 for certain Flip a coin. Receive $10 if heads, receive $0 if tails.
3 $8 for certain Flip a coin. Receive $10 if heads, receive $0 if tails.
4 $5 for certain Flip a coin. Receive $10 if heads, receive $0 if tails.
5 $4 for certain Flip a coin. Receive $10 if heads, receive $0 if tails.

35. Study 3: Results: BART
Wald’s χ2
= 4.85, B = .03, odds ratio (OR) = 1.03, p < .03

36. Study 3: Results: CCT
$4 safe bet: Wald’s χ2
= 3.24, B = .08, odds ratio (OR) = 1.08, p < .07
$6 safe bet: Wald’s χ2
= 5.78, B = .30, odds ratio (OR) = 1.35, p < .02

37. Study 3: Discussion
• BART & CCT calibrated to
common $4 reference point
• Implication:
• Enhanced interpretation of data
patterns
• Proposed benefit 1. b) extraction
of more information
Underlying
Dimension
$4
Reference
Point
BART
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
CCT
10°R10°R
15°R
20°R
13°R

38. Limitations & Caveats
• Small sample sizes
• Consensus re: reference points

39. Future Directions
• Richer behavioral reference points
• E.g., EAR (Mehl et al., 2002)
• E.g., Eye-tracking
• Experimental approach
• Capture behavioral manifestations beyond
naturally-occurring levels
• Item Response Theory approach (Lord, 1980)
• Model distinct and ordered behavioral reference
points

40. END
• Thanks to all who have helped:
• Conceptual:
• Bertram, Kurt, Chris, Paul, Yang
• Data collection:
• Scott Leith
• Assigning Cohen (1994):
• Lorne